Patent Application
20240214971
Embodiments herein relate generally to a user equipment and a method in the user equipment and to a base station and a method in the base station. In particular, the embodiments herein relate to positioning based service related actions in dependence of a quality of service related to the positioning data.
Positioning and related services are increasingly important to cellular network operators, network subscribers, advertisers, and others. Smart phones and other intelligent mobile devices with GPS receivers offer significant new opportunities for exploiting subscriber location information in various contexts. Some of these contexts relate to commercial activities, e.g., location-based marketing and advertising, while others relate to emergency services, law enforcement operations, and mobility management or other network-centric operations.
Vehicles are equipped with computer-operated functionalities that facilitate the driver's tasks or even to replace the driver altogether. We refer to these functionalities as advanced driving services. Examples of advanced driving services are any of the following:
In particular applications such as advanced driving services which make use of information about the position of a device/object or vehicle. The position may refer to that of the vehicle operating the advanced driving service or that of other vehicles or objects (e.g., traffic lights, signs, etc.).
Different services may require different levels of positioning accuracy. For example, cooperative awareness messaging may be operated when the accuracy is 2 m or better, whereas cooperative driving may require 20 cm or better accuracy for proper operation. Moreover, different grades of service may be possible depending on the accuracy of the positioning information. For example, 50 cm accuracy may be enough for cooperative driving at relative speeds not exceeding 20 km/h, whereas 25 cm accuracy may allow relative speeds up to 40 km/h.
Acquiring accurate position information in general requires multiple positioning sources. These could include global navigation positioning systems (GNSS), e.g., GPS, and radio access technology (RAT) based positioning for absolute positioning, and radar, camera and lidar for relative positioning.
For RAT based positioning, 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has standardized a framework for exchanging signals and assistance information for positioning services. Within this framework, the mobile terminal, wireless device or user equipment, in this case the vehicle, can indicate a required QoS level from the network, for a given positioning event.
In WO 2011/123016 A1, a method of selecting the positioning method(s) used to respond to given positioning requests is considered and uses historical performance data reflecting the actual performance yielded by one or more of the positioning methods that are generally available for selection. For example, a positioning node maintains or otherwise has access to historical data reflecting the QoS obtained for at least some of the positioning methods supported by the node. Correspondingly, the node compares the QoS requirements associated with an incoming positioning request to the historical performance data, to identify the positioning method(s) that appear to best satisfy the requirements. The positioning node therefore selects the “best” method(s) for responding to a positioning request, not based on “generic” performance characteristics of those methods, but rather based on observed real-world performance of those methods, as applicable to the particular operating environment (radio environment) in which the positioning methods are carried out.
Given the increased reliance on positioning and in particular the QoS of the positioning data provided for a critical service such as advanced driving services there is a need to improve the handling of such services with respect to the positioning QoS required.
Additionally, 3GPP discuss to include GNSS integrity assistance information exchange in release 17. In such integrity procedures, the network and device would exchange information about anticipated events that may compromise GNSS positioning. Such events may include different kinds of errors characterized by probabilities or error distributions, and deliberate events such as spoofing and jamming.
In certain embodiments, a framework is provided for a network entity to provide positioning QoS (Quality of Service) information to a UE, where the information in general has a predictive and, in some cases, collaborative nature. Additionally, the invention describes how such information can be connected to specific (advanced driving) services with certain positioning accuracy requirements, and to the admission to such services.
In a first aspect a method performed by a user equipment, UE is provided. The method, for providing a positioning based service, comprising obtaining one or more positioning parameters comprising a corresponding positioning quality of service, QoS and performing (630), based on the positioning QoS derived from the one or more positioning parameters, a positioning based service action. In some examples of the first aspect, the positioning based service action comprises terminating a service based on the positioning QoS being below a threshold for the service. In some examples of the first aspect, the positioning based service action comprises adapting the service based on the positioning QoS. Adapting the service may comprise one of limiting the service to a subset of available features and extending the service to include one or more features previously restricted. In some examples of the first aspect, the QoS data associated with positioning comprises one or more of: an estimated accuracy or error bound; a confidence interval; a validity period; and a geographical area or cell identifier within which the positioning information is valid. In some examples of the first aspect, the positioning QoS information comprises predicted positioning QoS information and wherein the UE performs the positioning based service action either in advance of the predicted positioning QoS occurring or at a predetermined period after obtaining the one or more positioning parameters. In some examples of the first aspect, obtaining the one or more positioning quality of service, QoS, parameters comprises or further comprises determining one or more positioning parameters; and, assigning a corresponding positioning QoS to each one of the determined positioning parameters. The positioning based service action may also comprise or further comprise, reporting the obtained positioning parameters to at least one of a network node and a wireless device. In some further examples the reported positioning parameters comprise one or more of: current time; current position estimation; predicted position estimation at a specific time; positioning sensor accuracy; positioning sensor availability; velocity. In some examples when the method comprises receiving a request for reporting the determined positioning QoS parameters and in response reporting said positioning parameters. In some examples of the first aspect, the method further comprises requesting from a network node positioning information in relation to the positioning based service. The request may comprise requesting positioning parameters including positioning QoS information in relation to the positioning based service, wherein the obtaining one or more positioning parameters are received in response to the request. In some examples the request comprises a request to participate in a particular positioning based service and receiving a response to the request comprises an indication of whether the UE is permitted to participate in the service or not.
In a second aspect, a method performed by a network node is provided. The method, for providing positioning information for a positioning based service, comprising obtaining positioning parameters comprising a corresponding positioning quality of service, QoS, related to a positioning based service and providing, to a UE, the positioning parameters in support of the positioning based service performed by the UE. In some examples of the second aspect, the method further comprises receiving a request from a UE for positioning QoS information in relation to the positioning based service. In some examples of the second aspect, the method further comprises requesting positioning QoS information corresponding to one or more UEs. The positioning QoS information may be requested from at least one of: one or more UEs; a positioning server; a second network node. In some examples of the second aspect, the method further comprises terminating or adapting a service based on the obtained positioning QoS being below a threshold for the service. In some examples of the second aspect, the method further comprises limiting the service to a subset of available features or extending the service to include one or more features previously restricted based on the obtained positioning QoS. In some examples of the second aspect, the UE is subscribed to a service managed by the network node, wherein the network node determines whether subscription to the service is permitted based on the obtained and/or determined future positioning QoS.
In a third aspect, a user equipment, UE, is provided. The UE for providing a positioning based service, is configured to obtain one or more positioning parameters comprising a corresponding positioning quality of service, QoS and perform, based on the positioning QoS derived from the one or more positioning parameters, a positioning based service action. In some examples of the third aspect, the positioning based service action comprises terminating a service based on the positioning QoS being below a threshold for the service. The positioning based service action may also comprise adapting the service based on the positioning QoS. For example, adapting the service may comprise one of limiting the service to a subset of available features and extending the service to include one or more features previously restricted. In some examples of the third aspect, the QoS data associated with positioning comprises one or more of: an estimated accuracy or error bound; a confidence interval; a validity period; and a geographical area or cell identifier within which the positioning information is valid. In some examples of the third aspect, the positioning QoS information comprises predicted positioning QoS information and wherein the UE performs the positioning based service action either in advance of the predicted positioning QoS occurring or at a predetermined period after obtaining the one or more positioning parameters. In some examples of the third aspect, the UE is further configured to determine one or more positioning parameters and assign a corresponding positioning QoS to each one of the determined positioning parameters. The positioning based service action may additionally comprises being configured to report the obtained positioning parameters to at least one of a network node and a wireless device. In a further example the reported positioning parameters comprise one or more of: current time; current position estimation; predicted position estimation at a specific time; positioning sensor accuracy; positioning sensor availability; velocity. In some further examples the UE is configured to receive a request for reporting the determined positioning QoS parameters and in response to report said positioning parameters. In some examples of the third aspect, the UE is further configured to request from a network node positioning parameters including positioning QoS information in relation to a positioning based service, wherein the obtained one or more positioning parameters are obtained by receiving a response to the request. The request may also comprise a request to participate in a particular positioning based service and the response to the request comprises an indication of whether the UE is permitted to participate in the service or not.
In a fourth aspect, a network node is provided. The network node, for providing positioning information for a positioning based service, is configured to obtain positioning parameters comprising a corresponding positioning quality of service, QoS, related to a positioning based service and provide, to a UE, the positioning parameters in support of the positioning based service performed by the UE. In some examples of the fourth aspect, the network node is further configured to receive a request from a UE for positioning QoS information in relation to the positioning based service. In some examples of the fourth aspect, the network node is further configured to request positioning QoS information corresponding to one or more UEs. The positioning QoS information may be requested from at least one of: one or more UEs; a positioning server; and a second network node. In some examples of the fourth aspect, the network node is further configured to terminate or adapt a service based on the obtained positioning QoS being below a threshold for the service. In some examples of the fourth aspect, the network node is further configured to limit the service to a subset of available features or extend the service to include one or more features previously restricted based on the obtained positioning QoS. In some examples of the fourth aspect, the UE is subscribed to a service managed by the network node, wherein the network node determines whether subscription to the service is permitted based on the obtained and/or determined future positioning QoS.
In a fifth aspect, a system for providing a positioning service is provided. The system comprising a first user equipment, UE, configured to participate in a particular positioning based service and receive one or more positioning parameters from a first network node, the one or more positioning parameters comprising a corresponding positioning quality of service, QoS and perform, based on positioning QoS derived from one or more positioning parameters, a positioning based service action. The system further comprising a first network node configured to receive one or more positioning parameters corresponding to a second UE, the one or more positioning parameters comprising a corresponding positioning quality of service, QoS and provide, to the first UE, the positioning parameters in support of the positioning based service performed by the first UE. In some examples of the fifth aspect, the system is further configured to perform any one of the methods described above.
In a sixth aspect, a computer program, storage medium or carrier is provided. The computer program, storage medium or carrier comprising instructions which when executed on a processing circuitry causes the processing circuitry to perform any one of the previously described methods.
The current QoS framework for positioning, or exchange of assistance data, as standardized by the 3GPP organization, does not allow the wireless device to acquire information about expected future positioning accuracies. As a consequence, UEs engaged in services requiring positioning information (e.g., vehicles using advanced driving services) need to take a conservative approach by, for example, assuming worst case positioning information or accuracy.
For RAT based positioning, 3GPP has standardized a framework for exchanging signals and assistance information for positioning services. Within this framework, the wireless device, in this case the vehicle, can indicate a required QoS level from the network, for a given positioning event. The positioning entity in the network can then indicate whether this can be met, allowing the vehicle to adapt its behaviour.
In some of the solutions proposed by the present disclosure include a framework for allowing the determination and exchange of a quality of service (QoS) information for positioning related sensors and services. A positioning based service is a service which is reliant on positioning and in particular on certain quality/accuracy/persistence of the positioning information. The QoS information can be related to the quality expected from an absolute positioning technology (GNSS, RAT etc.), or expected quality of local sensors (camera, lidar, radar, etc.). The information can also be related to some (advanced driving) service. Additionally, one or more solutions enable the exchange of positioning related information between UEs, potently with additional processing of such data.
The information requested by the UE can target a specific location and time duration, or target QoS information updates related to the applicability of a specific service.
In some examples an entity in the network coordinates the exchange of positioning QoS related information, which may additionally include the positioning or QoS capabilities and requirements from the different UEs engaged in a specific service. In addition, the network may incorporate information that is not directly coming from the UE requesting the information or any other UE. This type of information includes GNSS availability, current propagation conditions, current load in the network, and radio access node (e.g. base station) capabilities and measurements.
In some embodiments, information is exchanged between involved nodes and devices that allows the UEs to adapt their operations to the available positioning QoS. In other embodiments, the network controls the admission of UEs to a specific service based on the available or required positioning QoS.
In one embodiment, the base station provides one QoS information to the served UEs directly (typically as soon as possible) after a request from a UE. In another embodiment, the base stations or other network nodes provide an update to served UEs when they have detected a significant change in the QoS as compared to a previous QoS information.
By allowing the vehicle to obtain the expected QoS for positioning services in the near or extended future, either about itself or other road users, or relative to some (advanced driving) service, the vehicle can adapt its behaviour to better suit the expected or predicted positioning accuracy. The action executed can be to take part or refrain from taking part in a service, reduce speed, select a separate route, hand over control to a human driver, rely on local and onboard sensor measurements, etc.
Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Other embodiments, however, are contained within the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein, the disclosed subject matter should not be construed as limited to only the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.
As used herein, network node refers to equipment capable, configured, arranged and/or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a wireless device and/or with other network nodes or equipment in the wireless network to enable and/or provide wireless access to the wireless device and/or to perform other functions (e.g., administration) in the wireless network. In particular, a network node may be comprised in a non-terrestrial network as part of a wireless communications system. A non-terrestrial network (NTN) comprises communications satellites and network nodes. The network nodes may be terrestrial or satellite based. For example the network node may be a satellite gateway or a satellite based base station, e.g. gNB. Other examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs) and NR NodeBs (gNBs)). Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated differently, their transmit power level) and may then also be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node controlling a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station such as centralized digital units and/or remote radio units (RRUs), sometimes referred to as Remote Radio Heads (RRHs). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS). Yet further examples of network nodes include multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment such as MSR BSs, network controllers such as radio network controllers (RNCs) or base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), transmission points, transmission nodes, multi-cell/multicast coordination entities (MCEs), core network nodes (e.g., MSCs, MMEs), O&M nodes, OSS nodes, SON nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., E-SMLCs), and/or MDTs. As another example, a network node may be a virtual network node as described in more detail below. More generally, however, network nodes may represent any suitable device (or group of devices) capable, configured, arranged, and/or operable to enable and/or provide a wireless device with access to the wireless network or to provide some service to a wireless device that has accessed the wireless network.
As used herein, wireless device refers to a device capable, configured, arranged and/or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and/or other wireless devices. Unless otherwise noted, the term wireless device may be used interchangeably herein with user equipment (UE). Communicating wirelessly may involve transmitting and/or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and/or other types of signals suitable for conveying information through air. In particular the wireless device may be involved in communication with a non-terrestrial network nodes, such as communications satellites and satellite based gateways or base stations. In some embodiments, a wireless device may be configured to transmit and/or receive information without direct human interaction. For instance, a wireless device may be designed to transmit information to a network on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the network. Examples of a wireless device include, but are not limited to, a smart phone, a mobile phone, a cell phone, a voice over IP (VoIP) phone, a wireless local loop phone, a desktop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wireless cameras, a gaming console or device, a music storage device, a playback appliance, a wearable terminal device, a wireless endpoint, a mobile station, a tablet, a laptop, a laptop-embedded equipment (LEE), a laptop-mounted equipment (LME), a smart device, a wireless customer-premise equipment (CPE). a vehicle-mounted wireless terminal device, etc. A wireless device may support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example by implementing a 3GPP standard for sidelink communication, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) and may in this case be referred to as a D2D communication device. As yet another specific example, in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, a wireless device may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and/or measurements, and transmits the results of such monitoring and/or measurements to another wireless device and/or a network node. The wireless device may in this case be a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, which may in a 3GPP context be referred to as an MTC device. As one particular example, the wireless device may be a UE implementing the 3GPP narrow band internet of things (NB-IoT) standard. Particular examples of such machines or devices are sensors, metering devices such as power meters, industrial machinery, or home or personal appliances (e.g. refrigerators, televisions, etc.) personal wearables (e.g., watches, fitness trackers, etc.). In other scenarios, a wireless device may represent a vehicle or other equipment that is capable of monitoring and/or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation. A wireless device as described above may represent the endpoint of a wireless connection, in which case the device may be referred to as a wireless terminal. Furthermore, a wireless device as described above may be mobile, in which case it may also be referred to as a mobile device or a mobile terminal.
This document discloses several methods for UEs to exchange, request, and act on positioning QoS information as part of a certain service. Positioning information is described in further detail below. Although most of the examples described involve vehicles and vehicular services, these are for understanding the invention, which is not thereby limited to those use cases. For example, the invention is applicable in use cases in which first responders enter a hazard area, etc, or any wireless remote controlled service which is dependent on reliable consistent positioning data. In some examples the request and exchange of such information can also be done independently of any specific service, i.e. not at the same time or not in connection with a particular service.
Common to all the methods is the exchange of information between one or more UEs via a network node:
In one implementation, the network node acts as a broker, handling queries to a database containing positioning QoS information, labelled with time and location, shared by other UEs. In a different implementation, the network node predicts the positioning QoS information for a requested time and position given the entries in the database, potentially containing information from other sources then involved UEs.
In one embodiment, the database is distributed, or located with a dedicated UE. The message exchange could then be over a device to device communication interface.
An illustration is given in
In this disclosure, we distinguish between positioning information and positioning QoS information.
Positioning information can include localization horizontal distance measures (e.g. latitude, longitude), vertical placement (such as meters above sea level). Also, positioning information can include orientation of the device (or vehicle) in three degrees of freedom, as well as speed and acceleration of both localization and orientation. Orientation, speed and acceleration are measurements typically valuable for flying objects.
Positioning QoS information refer to information that characterizes the quality of the positioning information that is available (e.g., at a UE, based on the positioning methods it uses), or required (e.g., to participate in a service).
For example, positioning QoS information may refer to:
As mentioned earlier, in one or more implementations, the NW derivation of QoS can be made based on prior knowledge of the QoS, e.g. historical QoS data, recent information provided by vehicles/UEs or roadside infrastructure, current weather conditions, traffic load in network (with impact on available resources for transmitting and receiving localization related signals), etc. The QoS calculations can also be made based on predictions of future conditions, e.g., weather forecasts, load dependent availability of radio network positioning reference signals, processing load in network nodes performing position calculations (potentially using uploaded vehicle sensor data). In some examples these calculations are performed by a dedicated network node e.g. a location management function (LMF).
Since the accuracy of the calculated position could depend on the processing capabilities and available sensors at the vehicle, interpretation of the QoS indicators may be user specific. In some examples, as part of a request message to the NW node, or as part of a reporting function, the UE prepares a position information QoS report. The content of this report may be given by pre-configuration or based on a configuration by the NW node. In some examples the following steps are included:
In one example a UE is equipped with a camera, a GNSS receiver and a 5G NR modem, capable of receiving positioning reference signals (PRS). The UE is configured to report the number of GNSS satellite links, and the number of detected base station (BS) in line-of-sight (LOS), along with camera visibility (on a scale 0-5). The location information includes position and velocity. Based on measurements from the different sources, the UE detects 4 GNSS links, 2 BSs LOS links, and the visibility is judged to be 3. The UE then prepares a report including its current position and velocity estimate and time.
The UE actions taken upon receiving a positioning QoS information update from the serving network node may include:
Appropriate adjustments may include, restricting the vehicle speed, perform route planning to guarantee service continuity along the route, inform or warn the driver, and hand over vehicle operations to the driver, or ultimately, turn off the service.
In one example a vehicle is operating a lane keeping service, which requires 20 cm of lateral accuracy. It can currently meet the requirement by fusing GNSS and 5G NR signal measurements. Fusion is the process of combining multiple sensor inputs from disparate sources. This can be done in different ways, e.g., using a Kalman filter. It receives a positioning QoS information update, corresponding to a position 500 m ahead. The report indicates that the number of 5G NR signals will decrease, for example due to reduced coverage or cell configuration. In some examples “reduced coverage” refers to channel related phenomena like radio blockage (e.g. by a building) or simply increased path loss (making signal undetectable); and “cell configuration” may refer to a change in, e.g., PRS configuration or any action that would impact the available signals or the quality of the same. This could be due to adaptations of the cell shape in an adaptive antenna setting for example. The device judges that the accuracy of the positioning system will not meet the 20 cm required for the lane keeping service. The service is disabled, and the driver is informed to regain control. In some examples the UE autonomously disables the service. In other examples the UE reports the determination to a network server/host responsible for the lane keeping service when then disables the service or instructs the UE to disable the service.
An example information exchange: request-response model relevant to one or more embodiments will now be described, in conjunction with
This method includes the following basic steps:
1. UE10, which is interested in operating a service in a certain area, sends a request 200 to the NW node 20 for positioning QoS information. The request 200 may indicate
2. Based on the information provided by UE1,10, and any additional positioning QoS information gathered by the NW, e.g. network node 20. the NW node 20 sends a message 210 to UE1, 10, containing QoS information associated with the location and time (from the message in Step 200). The other QoS information gathered by the NW may come from any of the following:
3. Upon receiving the response message, UE1 adapts its behaviour for the service of interest, as described previously.
In one example embodiment, the QoS information sent by the NW only contains an indication on whether the service for the UE1, 10, (as indicated as part of request in Step 200) can be supported or not, given the expected accuracy of positioning in the area of interest.
In some examples, UE1, 10, is interested in operating a cooperative driving service. Operation of the service depends on the accuracy of the positioning information. This is determined not only by the capabilities of UE1, 10, but also by the capabilities of other UEs:
UE1, 10, sends a request message 200 to the NW node 20, indicating that it is interested in the cooperative driving service along a certain route during a certain time interval. In addition, UE1 indicates that it can perform positioning with an accuracy of 20 cm or better. The NW node, having gathered positioning information from other nodes that only can guarantee an accuracy of 1 m or better, informs UE1, 10 at step 210 that for a given area and time, the expected accuracy is only 1 m or better.
Based on the received message 210 from the NW node, UE1 adapts its driving behaviour (e.g., by using the limited set of cooperative manoeuvres or by choosing an alternative route).
In some examples a subscription model is employed as depicted in
1. UE1,10a, interested in operating a specific service with a given requirement on positioning accuracy requests 300 the desired service from a network node. The network node 20 providing such a service may be the same or a different logical or physical entity from a node which provides the QoS positioning information described previously. The UE indicates that it has an interest to receive updates from the NW containing QoS information for that specific service. This could, e.g., be in the form of a subscription service. The subscription may be associated with a geographical area or with a restricted time duration.
2. Upon detecting a condition affecting the positioning QoS, the NW node sends 330 a message to UE1 with up-to-date positioning QoS information.
3. Upon receiving the response 330 message, UE1, 10a, adapts its behaviour, as described herein, for example to suspend a specific service or limit the autonomy based on the updated QoS of the positioning information, when the QoS has become worse and drops below predefined thresholds. Alternatively, if the QoS has improved to be at or above said thresholds then the specific service or certain levels of service may be resumed on notification of the improved positioning QoS.
In some examples, the condition triggering 330 is the reception (e.g. at the NW node) of a message 320 from another UE, 10b, containing positioning QoS information. For example, a UE2, 10b may notify the NW node that it can do positioning with low accuracy. This in turn affects the service operated by UE1, 10a.
In some examples, the condition triggering Step 330 is a change in the speed of the UE2, 10b, that requires a change in the update rate of the positioning information for the information to be timely and valid. This may be indicated by the UE2, 10b, in positioning QoS information at step 320 or may be determined by the network node by other means. In some examples the speed of UE 1, 10b, changes and this is determined by the network node based on the positioning information provided by UE1, 10a, as mentioned previously. This step is not shown in
In some examples, the condition triggering Step 330 is related to the availability of GNSS or conditions of GNSS. For example, if the propagation conditions change in a way that it impacts performance of positioning beyond what is normal, etc. or if some satellite is not operational, etc.
In some examples, the condition triggering Step 330 is related to a change in the expected operations of the local sensors of the UE1, e.g., related to optical visibility and radar interference conditions. Such information could, e.g., be provided by other UEs or roadside equipment (containing cameras and other sensors) connected to the NW.
wherein another example where the UE1 is interested in operating a cooperative driving service, operation of the service depends on the accuracy of the positioning information. This is determined not only by the capabilities of UE1 but also by the capabilities of other UEs:
UE1 sends a request message 300 to the NW node, indicating that it is interested in the cooperative driving service along a certain route during a certain time interval. In addition, UE1 indicates that it can perform positioning with the required accuracy (e.g. with an accuracy of 20 cm or better). This message subscribes UE1 to a notification service.
At a later point in time, the NW node gathers new information from other nodes that can only guarantee an accuracy of 1 m or better. In response to this event, the NW node provides updated information 330 to UE1 that for a given area and time, the expected accuracy can only be 1 m or better.
Based on the received message from the NW node, UE1 adapts its driving behaviour (e.g., by using the limited set of cooperative manoeuvres or by choosing an alternative route).
In another approach for information exchange: admission control procedures are employed. This method includes the following basic steps:
1. UE1, which is interested in operating a specific service in a certain area, sends a request 300 to the NW node for operating this service positioning QoS information. The request indicates
2. Based on the information provided by UE, and positioning QoS information gathered from other sources, the NW node decides whether to allow, or not allow, UE1 to participate in the service in the requested location at the intended time. The NW sends a message 310 to UE1 with the admission decision.
3. Upon receiving the response message, UE1 adapts its behaviour depending on the availability of service of interest, as described herein.
In some examples, the admission message in Step 310 includes some limitations for the service. For example, UE1 may be allowed to participate in the service but the service may be restricted to a set of manoeuvres or a certain positioning accuracy, given that the UE is moving within a certain speed range for which the update rate of the positioning information is applicable.
In some examples, upon receiving the request 300 from UE1, the NW node 20 may activate or reconfigure some features related to positioning. For example:
In some examples, UE1 is interested in participating in a cooperative driving service. Operation of the service depends on the accuracy of the positioning information. The request also indicates location and time when the service is to be used.
The NW node, having gathered information from other UEs, and having authorized them individually, allows UE1 to participate but it informs UE1 that only a limited set of cooperative driving functionalities, which only require limited-accuracy positioning information (e.g., 1 m or better) can be used.
Based on the received message from the NW node, UE1 adapts its driving behaviour (e.g., by using the limited set of cooperative manoeuvres or by choosing an alternative route). In some examples, the NW node corresponds to a base station (e.g., an eNB or a gNB). In some examples, the NW node is a server running an application that interacts with the UE. The server may be in the core network or outside of it (e.g., a server in the Internet). In some examples, positioning relies on communication between the UE and the NW. For example, the UE may use a sensor or a camera, send the data to the NW node (or to some other node), who processes the data and sends back a position to the UE.
In a further embodiment, the NW node predicts which positioning QoS can be provided based on a prediction of the throughput between UE and NW. For example, if the throughput is very low, positioning may not be as accurate as when the throughput is high, e.g., due to low resolution and quality of uploaded sensor data.
It should be clear for the skilled person that the request-response model and the subscription model can be combined to achieve an event triggered or event triggered periodic operation, for example as shown in
In both the request-response and subscription models, the UE may signal its capabilities related to positioning and position determination. For example, the UE may signal if it is equipped with GNSS receiver, what RAT capabilities it has, etc.
In some examples, the UE (e.g. vehicle) may signal a minimum level of positioning QoS or a range of positioning accuracy that is useful or required for it to operate the service/function within the service.
Aspects of the disclosure will now be further described in relation to one or more of the accompanying figures.
In the depicted example, the core network 606 may connect the network nodes 610 to one or more hosts, such as host 616. These connections may be direct or indirect via one or more intermediary networks or devices. In other examples, network nodes may be directly coupled to hosts. The core network 606 includes one more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 608) that are structured with hardware and software components. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UEs, network nodes, and/or hosts, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node 608. Example core network nodes include functions of one or more of a Mobile Switching Centre (MSC), Mobility Management Entity (MME), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Subscription Identifier De-concealing function (SIDF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), Network Exposure Function (NEF), and/or a User Plane Function (UPF),
The host 616 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than an operator or provider of the access network 604 and/or the telecommunication network 602, and may be operated by the service provider or on behalf of the service provider. The host 616 may host a variety of applications to provide one or more service. Examples of such applications include live and pre-recorded audio/video content, data collection services such as retrieving and compiling data on various ambient conditions detected by a plurality of UEs, analytics functionality, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for an alarm and surveillance centre, or any other such function performed by a server. Specifically, the host may provide support for a positioning based service as described herein, for example the subscription to the service may be configured and/or controlled by a host service.
As a whole, the communication system 600 of
In some examples, the telecommunication network 602 is a cellular network that implements 3GPP standardized features. Accordingly, the telecommunications network 602 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices that are connected to the telecommunication network 602. For example, the telecommunications network 602 may provide Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and/or Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC)/Massive IoT services to yet further UEs.
In some examples, the UEs 612 are configured to transmit and/or receive information without direct human interaction. For instance, a UE may be designed to transmit information to the access network 604 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the access network 604. Additionally, a UE may be configured for operating in single- or multi-RAT or multi-standard mode. For example, a UE may operate with any one or combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio) and LTE, i.e. being configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Evolved-UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio-Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).
In one example, the hub 614 communicates with the access network 604 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 612c and/or 612d) and network nodes (e.g., network node 610b). In some examples, the hub 614 may be a controller, router, content source and analytics, or any of the other communication devices described herein regarding UEs. For example, the hub 614 may be a broadband router enabling access to the core network 606 for the UEs. As another example, the hub 614 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UEs. Commands or instructions may be received from the UEs, network nodes 610, or by executable code, script, process, or other instructions in the hub 614. As another example, the hub 614 may be a data collector that acts as temporary storage for UE data and, in some embodiments, may perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, the hub 614 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, loudspeaker or other media delivery device, the hub 614 may retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, which the hub 614 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and/or after adding additional local content. In still another example, the hub 614 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, in particular in if one or more of the UEs are low energy IoT devices.
The hub 614 may have a constant/persistent or intermittent connection to the network node 610b. The hub 614 may also allow for a different communication scheme and/or schedule between the hub 614 and UEs (e.g., UE 612c and/or 612d), and between the hub 614 and the core network 606. In other examples, the hub 614 is connected to the core network 606 and/or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub 614 may be configured to connect to an M2M service provider over the access network 604 and/or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, UEs may establish a wireless connection with the network nodes 610 while still connected via the hub 614 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, the hub 614 may be a dedicated hub—that is, a hub whose primary function is to route communications to/from the UEs from/to the network node 610b. In other embodiments, the hub 614 may be a non-dedicated hub—that is, a device which is capable of operating to route communications between the UEs and network node 610b, but which is additionally capable of operating as a communication start and/or end point for certain data channels.
In some examples the system 600 is configured for supporting a positioning based service, which is dependent on the QoS of the positioning data required for the service. The system comprising at least a first user equipment, UE 612 configured to participate in a particular positioning based service and receive one or more positioning parameters from a first network node 610 one or more positioning parameters comprising a corresponding positioning quality of service, QoS and perform, based on positioning QoS derived from one or more positioning parameters, a positioning based service action. The first network node being configured to receive one or more positioning parameters corresponding to at least a second UE 612. The one or more positioning parameters comprising a corresponding positioning quality of service, QoS. For example, the network node may receive the one or more positioning parameters directly from the second or in other examples the network node may receive the one or more positioning parameters which correspond to the second UE indirectly, e.g. signalled from another network node or core network node 608 such as an ESMLC or a host 616. The network node 610 is further configured to provide, to the first UE 612 the positioning parameters in support of the positioning based service performed by the first UE 612, thereby enabling the UE to perform said action. The system as described may be further configured to perform any of the embodiments disclosed herein.
A UE may support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example by implementing a 3GPP standard for sidelink communication, Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X). In other examples, a UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and/or operates the relevant device. Instead, a UE may represent a device that is intended for sale to, or operation by, a human user but which may not, or which may not initially, be associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller).
Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended for sale to, or operation by, an end user but which may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart power meter).
The UE 700 includes processing circuitry 702 that is operatively coupled via a bus 704 to an input/output interface 706, a power source 708, a memory 710, a communication interface 712, and/or any other component, or any combination thereof. Certain UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in
In some embodiments, the power source 708 is structured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources, such as an external power source (e.g., an electricity outlet), photovoltaic device, or power cell, may be used. The power source 708 may further include power circuitry for delivering power from the power source 708 itself, and/or an external power source, to the various parts of the UE 700 via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical power cable. Delivering power may be, for example, for charging of the power source 708. Power circuitry may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification to the power from the power source 708 to make the power suitable for the respective components of the UE 700 to which power is supplied. The memory 710 may be or be configured to include memory such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disks, optical disks, hard disks, removable cartridges, flash drives, and so forth. In one example, the memory 710 includes one or more application programs 714, such as an operating system, web browser application, a widget, gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data 716. The memory 710 may store, for use by the UE 700, any of a variety of various operating systems or combinations of operating systems. The memory 710 may be configured to include a number of physical drive units, such as redundant array of independent disks (RAID), flash memory, USB flash drive, external hard disk drive, thumb drive, pen drive, key drive, high-density digital versatile disc (HD-DVD) optical disc drive, internal hard disk drive, Blu-Ray optical disc drive, holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disc drive, external mini-dual in-line memory module (DIMM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), external micro-DIMM SDRAM, smartcard memory such as tamper resistant module in the form of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) including one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs), such as a USIM and/or ISIM, other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC may for example be an embedded UICC (eUICC), integrated UICC (iUICC) or a removable UICC commonly known as ‘SIM card.’ The memory 710 may allow the UE 700 to access instructions, application programs and the like, stored on transitory or non-transitory memory media, to off-load data, or to upload data. An article of manufacture, such as one utilizing a communication system may be tangibly embodied as or in the memory 710, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.
The processing circuitry 702 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using the communication interface 712. The communication interface 712 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 722. The communication interface 712 may include one or more transceivers used to communicate, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or a network node in an access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 718 and/or a receiver 720 appropriate to provide network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocations, and so forth). Moreover, the transmitter 718 and receiver 720 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 722) and may share circuit components, software or firmware, or alternatively be implemented separately.
In some examples, communication functions of the communication interface 712 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communications such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication such as the use of the global positioning system (GPS) to determine a location, another like communication function, or any combination thereof. Communications may be implemented in according to one or more communication protocols and/or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiplexing Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, New Radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP), synchronous optical networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), QUIC, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and so forth.
Regardless of the type of sensor, a UE may provide an output of data captured by its sensors, through its communication interface 712, via a wireless connection to a network node. Data captured by sensors of a UE can be communicated through a wireless connection to a network node via another UE. The output may be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes if it reports the sensed temperature), random (e.g., to even out the load from reporting from several sensors), in response to a triggering event (e.g., when moisture is detected an alert is sent), in response to a request (e.g., a user initiated request), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient). As another example, a UE comprises an actuator, a motor, or a switch, related to a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input the states of the actuator, the motor, or the switch may change. For example, the UE may comprise a motor that adjusts the control surfaces or rotors of a drone in flight according to the received input or to a robotic arm performing a medical procedure according to the received input.
A UE, when in the form of an Internet of Things (IoT) device, may be a device for use in one or more application domains, these domains comprising, but not limited to, city wearable technology, extended industrial application and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such an IoT device are a device which is or which is embedded in: a connected refrigerator or freezer, a TV, a connected lighting device, an electricity meter, a robot vacuum cleaner, a voice controlled smart speaker, a home security camera, a motion detector, a thermostat, a smoke detector, a door/window sensor, a flood/moisture sensor, an electrical door lock, a connected doorbell, an air conditioning system like a heat pump, an autonomous vehicle, a surveillance system, a weather monitoring device, a vehicle parking monitoring device, an electric vehicle charging station, a smart watch, a fitness tracker, a head-mounted display for Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR), a wearable for tactile augmentation or sensory enhancement, a water sprinkler, an animal- or item-tracking device, a sensor for monitoring a plant or animal, an industrial robot, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and any kind of medical device, like a heart rate monitor or a remote controlled surgical robot. A UE in the form of an IoT device comprises circuitry and/or software in dependence of the intended application of the IoT device in addition to other components as described in relation to the UE 700 shown in
As yet another specific example, in an IoT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and/or measurements, and transmits the results of such monitoring and/or measurements to another UE and/or a network node. The UE may in this case be an M2M device, which may in a 3GPP context be referred to as an MTC device. As one particular example, the UE may implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UE may represent a vehicle, such as a car, a bus, a truck, a ship and an airplane, or other equipment that is capable of monitoring and/or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.
In practice, any number of UEs may be used together with respect to a single use case. For example, a first UE might be or be integrated in a drone and provide the drone's speed information (obtained through a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller operating the drone. When the user makes changes from the remote controller, the first UE may adjust the throttle on the drone (e.g. by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone's speed. The first and/or the second UE can also include more than one of the functionalities described above. For example, a UE might comprise the sensor and the actuator, and handle communication of data for both the speed sensor and the actuators.
In some examples the UE 700 is configured for performing a positioning based service, wherein the service is dependent on certain QoS levels of the associated positioning data. The UE 700 is configured to obtain one or more positioning parameters comprising a corresponding positioning quality of service, QoS, and perform, based on the positioning QoS derived from the one or more positioning parameters, a positioning based service action. The UE 700 may be further configured to perform any one of the embodiments or examples described herein as appropriate for the UE when performing said service.
The network node 800 includes a processing circuitry 802, a memory 804, a communication interface 806, and a power source 808. The network node 800 may be composed of multiple physically separate components (e.g., a NodeB component and a RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), which may each have their own respective components. In certain scenarios in which the network node 800 comprises multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In such a scenario, each unique NodeB and RNC pair, may in some instances be considered a single separate network node. In some embodiments, the network node 800 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs).
In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory 804 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., a same antenna 810 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 800 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 800, for example GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chip or set of chips and other components within network node 800.
The processing circuitry 802 may comprise a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software and/or encoded logic operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other network node 800 components, such as the memory 804, to provide network node 800 functionality. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 802 includes a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 802 includes one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 812 and baseband processing circuitry 814. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 812 and the baseband processing circuitry 814 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units, such as radio units and digital units. In alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry 812 and baseband processing circuitry 814 may be on the same chip or set of chips, boards, or units.
The memory 804 may comprise any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory including, without limitation, persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (for example, a hard disk), removable storage media (for example, a flash drive, a Compact Disk (CD) or a Digital Video Disk (DVD)), and/or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and/or computer-executable memory devices that store information, data, and/or instructions that may be used by the processing circuitry 802. The memory 804 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, and/or other instructions capable of being executed by the processing circuitry 802 and utilized by the network node 800. The memory 804 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuitry 802 and/or any data received via the communication interface 806. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 802 and memory 804 is integrated.
The communication interface 806 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and/or data between a network node, access network, and/or UE. As illustrated, the communication interface 806 comprises port(s)/terminal(s) 816 to send and receive data, for example to and from a network over a wired connection. The communication interface 806 also includes radio front-end circuitry 818 that may be coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, the antenna 810. Radio front-end circuitry 818 comprises filters 820 and amplifiers 822. The radio front-end circuitry 818 may be connected to an antenna 810 and processing circuitry 802. The radio front-end circuitry may be configured to condition signals communicated between antenna 810 and processing circuitry 802. The radio front-end circuitry 818 may receive digital data that is to be sent out to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuitry 818 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 820 and/or amplifiers 822. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 810. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 810 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 818. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 802. In other embodiments, the communication interface may comprise different components and/or different combinations of components.
In certain alternative embodiments, the network node 800 does not include separate radio front-end circuitry 818, instead, the processing circuitry 802 includes radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna 810. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry 812 is part of the communication interface 806. In still other embodiments, the communication interface 806 includes one or more ports or terminals 816, the radio front-end circuitry 818, and the RF transceiver circuitry 812, as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 806 communicates with the baseband processing circuitry 814, which is part of a digital unit (not shown). The antenna 810 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and/or receive wireless signals. The antenna 810 may be coupled to the radio front-end circuitry 818 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and/or signals wirelessly. In certain embodiments, the antenna 810 is separate from the network node 800 and connectable to the network node 800 through an interface or port. The antenna 810, communication interface 806, and/or the processing circuitry 802 may be configured to perform any receiving operations and/or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by the network node. Any information, data and/or signals may be received from a UE, another network node and/or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna 810, the communication interface 806, and/or the processing circuitry 802 may be configured to perform any transmitting operations described herein as being performed by the network node. Any information, data and/or signals may be transmitted to a UE, another network node and/or any other network equipment.
The power source 808 provides power to the various components of network node 800 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). The power source 808 may further comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry to supply the components of the network node 800 with power for performing the functionality described herein. For example, the network node 800 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., the power grid, an electricity outlet) via an input circuitry or interface such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to power circuitry of the power source 808. As a further example, the power source 808 may comprise a source of power in the form of a battery or battery pack which is connected to, or integrated in, power circuitry. The battery may provide backup power should the external power source fail.
Embodiments of the network node 800 may include additional components beyond those shown in
The host 900 includes processing circuitry 902 that is operatively coupled via a bus 904 to an input/output interface 906, a network interface 908, a power source 910, and a memory 912. Other components may be included in other embodiments. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the devices of previous figures, such as
The memory 912 may include one or more computer programs including one or more host application programs 914 and data 916, which may include user data, e.g., data generated by a UE for the host 900 or data generated by the host 900 for a UE. Embodiments of the host 900 may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. The host application programs 914 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., Versatile Video Coding (VVC), High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Advanced Video Coding (AVC), MPEG, VP9) and audio codecs (e.g., FLAC, Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MPEG, G.711), including transcoding for multiple different classes, types, or implementations of UEs (e.g., handsets, desktop computers, wearable display systems, heads-up display systems). The host application programs 914 may also provide for user authentication and licensing checks and may periodically report health, routes, and content availability to a central node, such as a device in or on the edge of a core network. Accordingly, the host 900 may select and/or indicate a different host for over-the-top services for a UE. The host application programs 914 may support various protocols, such as the HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol, Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH), etc. In some examples the host performs one or more of the examples described herein, in relation to providing a positioning based service. For example, the UE may be required to subscribe to said service via a host server. The procedures in relation to managing the service or setting of criteria or thresholds corresponding to the QoS of the positioning data may be provided or determined by the host 900.
Applications 1002 (which may alternatively be called software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) are run in the virtualization environment Q400 to implement some of the features, functions, and/or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein. Hardware 1004 includes processing circuitry, memory that stores software and/or instructions executable by hardware processing circuitry, and/or other hardware devices as described herein, such as a network interface, input/output interface, and so forth. Software may be executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 1006 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 1008a and 1008b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VMs 1008), and/or perform any of the functions, features and/or benefits described in relation with some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer 1006 may present a virtual operating platform that appears like networking hardware to the VMs 1008. The VMs 1008 comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interface and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 1006. Different embodiments of the instance of a virtual appliance 1002 may be implemented on one or more of VMs 1008, and the implementations may be made in different ways. Virtualization of the hardware is in some contexts referred to as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV may be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry standard high volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which can be located in data centres, and customer premise equipment.
In the context of NFV, a VM 1008 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executing on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each of the VMs 1008, and that part of hardware 1004 that executes that VM, be it hardware dedicated to that VM and/or hardware shared by that VM with others of the VMs, forms separate virtual network elements. Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling specific network functions that run in one or more VMs 1008 on top of the hardware 1004 and corresponds to the application 1002.
Hardware 1004 may be implemented in a standalone network node with generic or specific components. Hardware 1004 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 1004 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (e.g. such as in a data center or CPE) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration 1010, which, among others, oversees lifecycle management of applications 1002. In some embodiments, hardware 1004 is coupled to one or more radio units that each include one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that may be coupled to one or more antennas. Radio units may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces and may be used in combination with the virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a radio access node or a base station. In some embodiments, some signaling can be provided with the use of a control system 1012 which may alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.
The network node 1104 includes hardware enabling it to communicate with the host 1102 and UE 1106. The connection 1160 may be direct or pass through a core network (like core network 606 of
The OTT connection 1150 may extend via a connection 1160 between the host 1102 and the network node 1104 and via a wireless connection 1170 between the network node 1104 and the UE 1106 to provide the connection between the host 1102 and the UE 1106. The connection 1160 and wireless connection 1170, over which the OTT connection 1150 may be provided, have been drawn abstractly to illustrate the communication between the host 1102 and the UE 1106 via the network node 1104, without explicit reference to any intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages via these devices.
As an example of transmitting data via the OTT connection 1150, in step 1108, the host 1102 provides user data, which may be performed by executing a host application. In some embodiments, the user data is associated with a particular human user interacting with the UE 1106. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with a UE 1106 that shares data with the host 1102 without explicit human interaction. In step 1110, the host 1102 initiates a transmission carrying the user data towards the UE 1106. The host 1102 may initiate the transmission responsive to a request transmitted by the UE 1106. The request may be caused by human interaction with the UE 1106 or by operation of the client application executing on the UE 1106. The transmission may pass via the network node 1104, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. Accordingly, in step 1112, the network node 1104 transmits to the UE 1106 the user data that was carried in the transmission that the host 1102 initiated, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 1114, the UE 1106 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be performed by a client application executed on the UE 1106 associated with the host application executed by the host 1102.
In some examples, the UE 1106 executes a client application which provides user data to the host 1102. The user data may be provided in reaction or response to the data received from the host 1102. Accordingly, in step 1116, the UE 1106 may provide user data, which may be performed by executing the client application. In providing the user data, the client application may further consider user input received from the user via an input/output interface of the UE 1106. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data was provided, the UE 1106 initiates, in step 1118, transmission of the user data towards the host 1102 via the network node 1104. In step 1120, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the network node 1104 receives user data from the UE 1106 and initiates transmission of the received user data towards the host 1102. In step 1122, the host 1102 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the UE 1106.
In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided by processing circuitry executing instructions stored on in memory, which in certain embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuitry without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a hard-wired manner. In any of those particular embodiments, whether executing instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or not, the processing circuitry can be configured to perform the described functionality. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuitry alone or to other components of the computing device, but are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole, and/or by end users and a wireless network generally.
It should be noted that the above-mentioned examples illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. The word “comprising” does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in a claim, “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality, and a single processor or other unit may fulfil the functions of several units recited in the claims. Any reference signs in the claims shall not be construed so as to limit their scope.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2021/068239 | 7/1/2021 | WO |
