PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-11546805-B2
Application Number: US-202117302520-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Time sensitive communications between user equipment

Abstract:
Disclosed are systems, methods, integrated circuits and computer readable storage media for configuring time sensitive communications (TSC). The configuring of the TSC includes monitoring, by a user plane function (UPF), a source and destination of packets in a first protocol data unit (PDU) session of a first user equipment (UE) and in a second PDU session of a second UE, pairing a first device side TSN translator (DS-TT) port of the first UE with a second DS-TT port of the second UE when the first PDU session and the second PDU session are served by the same UPF, wherein the pairing is based on the monitoring of the first and second PDU sessions and when the first DS-TT and second DS-TT ports are paired, communicating the packets between the first UE and the second UE in a UE-UE communication without traversing the TSN.

Claims:
What is claimed: 
     
       1. A method of configuring time sensitive communications (TSC), comprising:
 monitoring, by a user plane function (UPF), a source and destination of packets in a first protocol data unit (PDU) session of a first user equipment (UE), wherein the packets are communicated through a time sensitive network (TSN); 
 monitoring, by the UPF, a source and destination of packets in a second PDU session of a second UE, wherein the packets are communicated through the time sensitive network (TSN); 
 pairing a first device side TSN translator (DS-TT) port of the first UE with a second DS-TT port of the second UE when the first PDU session and the second PDU session are served by the same UPF, wherein the pairing is based on the monitoring of the first and second PDU sessions; 
 assigning, by the UPF, port numbers to all DS-TTs served by the UPF, wherein the UPF maintains a database of the port numbers; 
 sharing, by the UPF, the database of the port numbers with a session management function (SMF),
 wherein the second UE includes a flag in a request for the second PDU session, 
 wherein the flag indicates to the SMF that the second UE seeks a port pair to transfer data via UE-UE communication, and 
 wherein the SMF pairs the first DS-TT port and the second DS-TT port; and 
 
 when the first DS-TT and second DS-TT ports are paired, communicating the packets between the first UE and the second UE in a UE-UE communication without traversing the TSN. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 reporting, by the UPF to an application function (AF), the pairing of the first DS-TT and second DS-TT ports. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 determining, by the AF, total bridge delay information for the first PDU session and the second PDU session, wherein the total bridge delay information comprises a sum of a first residence time between the first DS-TT and the first UE, a first packet delay budget (PDB) of the first PDU session, a second residence time between the second DS-TT and the second UE, and a second PDB of the second PDU session; and 
 determining, by the AF, a quality of service (QoS) for uplink and downlink links of the UE-UE communication based on the total bridge delay information. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 reporting, by the AF to a policy control function (PCF), the QoS for the uplink and downlink links of the UE-UE communication; and 
 reporting, by the AF to the PCF, TSC assistance information (TSCAI). 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein pairing of the first DS-TT port and the second DS-TT port is based on a source port number and a destination port number. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sharing, by the SMF, the database of the port numbers with an access and mobility management function (AMF); 
 broadcasting, by the AMF, a list of available port numbers for pairing to all UEs served by the same UPF, 
 wherein one of the first UE or second UE selects a port number for the pairing. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second UE indicates a desired port pair and a direction of data transfer when requesting the second PDU session. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein details of the first DS-TT port are hard-coded on the second UE. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein details of the first DS-TT port are stored on the second UE from a previous UE-UE communication with the first UE. 
     
     
       10. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media comprising a set of instructions that when executed cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 monitoring, by a user plane function (UPF), a source and destination of packets in a first protocol data unit (PDU) session of a first user equipment (UE), wherein the packets are communicated through a time sensitive network (TSN); 
 monitoring, by the UPF, a source and destination of packets in a second PDU session of a second UE, wherein the packets are communicated through the time sensitive network (TSN); 
 pairing a first device side TSN translator (DS-TT) port of the first UE with a second DS-TT port of the second UE when the first PDU session and the second PDU session are served by the same UPF, wherein the pairing is based on the monitoring of the first and second PDU sessions; 
 assigning, by the UPF, port numbers to all DS-TTs served by the UPF, wherein the UPF maintains a database of the port numbers; 
 sharing, by the UPF, the database of the port numbers with a session management function (SMF),
 wherein the second UE includes a flag in a request for the second PDU session, 
 wherein the flag indicates to the SMF that the second UE seeks a port pair to transfer data via UE-UE communication, and 
 wherein the SMF pairs the first DS-TT port and the second DS-TT port; and 
 
 when the first DS-TT and second DS-TT ports are paired, communicating the packets between the first UE and the second UE in a UE-UE communication without traversing the TSN. 
 
     
     
       11. The computer readable storage media of  claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 sharing, by the UPF, the database of the port numbers with a session management function (SMF), 
 sharing, by the SMF, the database of the port numbers with an access and mobility management function (AMF); and 
 broadcasting, by the AMF, a list of available port numbers for pairing to all UEs served by the same UPF, 
 wherein one of the first UE or second UE selects a port number for the pairing. 
 
     
     
       12. The computer readable storage media of  claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 reporting, by the UPF to an application function (AF), the pairing of the first DS-TT and second DS-TT ports. 
 
     
     
       13. The computer readable storage media of  claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 determining, by the AF, total bridge delay information for the first PDU session and the second PDU session, wherein the total bridge delay information comprises a sum of a first residence time between the first DS-TT and the first UE, a first packet delay budget (PDB) of the first PDU session, a second residence time between the second DS-TT and the second UE, and a second PDB of the second PDU session; and 
 determining, by the AF, a quality of service (QoS) for uplink and downlink links of the UE-UE communication based on the total bridge delay information. 
 
     
     
       14. The computer readable storage media of  claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 reporting, by the AF to a policy control function (PCF), the QoS for the uplink and downlink links of the UE-UE communication; and 
 reporting, by the AF to the PCF, TSC assistance information (TSCAI). 
 
     
     
       15. The computer readable storage media of  claim 10 , wherein pairing of the first DS-TT port and the second DS-TT port is based on a source port number and a destination port number. 
     
     
       16. The computer readable storage media of  claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 sharing, by the SMF, the database of the port numbers with an access and mobility management function (AMF); 
 broadcasting, by the AMF, a list of available port numbers for pairing to all UEs served by the same UPF, 
 wherein one of the first UE or second UE selects a port number for the pairing. 
 
     
     
       17. The computer readable storage media of  claim 10 , wherein the second UE indicates a desired port pair and a direction of data transfer when requesting the second PDU session. 
     
     
       18. The computer readable storage media of  claim 17 , wherein details of the first DS-TT port are hard-coded on the second UE. 
     
     
       19. The computer readable storage media of  claim 17 , wherein details of the first DS-TT port are stored on the second UE from a previous UE-UE communication with the first UE. 
     
     
       20. One or more processors configured to perform operations comprising:
 monitoring, by a user plane function (UPF), a source and destination of packets in a first protocol data unit (PDU) session of a first user equipment (UE), wherein the packets are communicated through a time sensitive network (TSN); 
 monitoring, by the UPF, a source and destination of packets in a second PDU session of a second UE, wherein the packets are communicated through the time sensitive network (TSN); 
 pairing a first device side TSN translator (DS-TT) port of the first UE with a second DS-TT port of the second UE when the first PDU session and the second PDU session are served by the same UPF, wherein the pairing is based on the monitoring of the first and second PDU sessions; 
 assigning, by the UPF, port numbers to all DS-TTs served by the UPF, wherein the UPF maintains a database of the port numbers; 
 sharing, by the UPF, the database of the port numbers with a session management function (SMF),
 wherein the second UE includes a flag in a request for the second PDU session, 
 wherein the flag indicates to the SMF that the second UE seeks a port pair to transfer data via UE-UE communication, and 
 wherein the SMF pairs the first DS-TT port and the second DS-TT port; and 
 
 when the first DS-TT and second DS-TT ports are paired, communicating the packets between the first UE and the second UE in a UE-UE communication without traversing the TSN.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     In industrial internet of things (IIoT) applications, various UEs transmit and receive time sensitive communications (TSC) to/from one another. These communications are typically performed via a time sensitive networking (TSN) network. The UEs may include industrial devices/machinery that are networked together. This connectivity allows for data collection, exchange, analysis, and/or control over the various UEs. To facilitate communication from a first UE to a second UE, a TSN bridge is established between each UE and the TSN network. The data packet(s) are then transmitted over the TSN bridge on the transmission side from the first UE to the TSN network and then received over the TSN bridge on the reception side by the second UE. 
     SUMMARY 
     Some exemplary embodiments include a method of configuring time sensitive communications (TSC). The method includes monitoring, by a user plane function (UPF), a source and destination of packets in a first protocol data unit (PDU) session of a first user equipment (UE), wherein the packets are communicated through a time sensitive network (TSN), monitoring, by the UPF, a source and destination of packets in a second PDU session of a second UE, wherein the packets are communicated through the time sensitive network (TSN), pairing a first device side TSN translator (DS-TT) port of the first UE with a second DS-TT port of the second UE when the first PDU session and the second PDU session are served by the same UPF, wherein the pairing is based on the monitoring of the first and second PDU sessions and when the first DS-TT and second DS-TT ports are paired, communicating the packets between the first UE and the second UE in a UE-UE communication without traversing the TSN. 
     Other exemplary embodiments provide a system having one or more network components configured to provide a fifth-generation core network (5GC) providing 5G radio access network (RAN) services to a first user equipment (UE) and a second UE in a time-sensitive communications (TSC) network (TSN). The one or more network components are configured to monitor, by a user plane function (UPF), a source and destination of packets in a first protocol data unit (PDU) session of the first UE, monitor, by the UPF, a source and destination of packets in a second PDU session of the second UE, pair a first device side TSN translator (DS-TT) port of the first UE with a second DS-TT port of the second UE when the first PDU session and the second PDU session are served by the same UPF, wherein the pairing is based on the monitoring of the first and second PDU sessions and when the first DS-TT and second DS-TT ports are paired, communicate the packets between the first UE and the second UE in a UE-UE communication without traversing the TSN. 
     Still further exemplary embodiments provide one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media that include a set of instructions. When the instructions are executed it causes one or more processors to perform operations. The operations include monitoring, by a user plane function (UPF), a source and destination of packets in a first protocol data unit (PDU) session of a first user equipment (UE), wherein the packets are communicated through a time sensitive network (TSN), monitoring, by the UPF, a source and destination of packets in a second PDU session of a second UE, wherein the packets are communicated through the time sensitive network (TSN), pairing a first device side TSN translator (DS-TT) port of the first UE with a second DS-TT port of the second UE when the first PDU session and the second PDU session are served by the same UPF, wherein the pairing is based on the monitoring of the first and second PDU sessions and when the first DS-TT and second DS-TT ports are paired, communicating the packets between the first UE and the second UE in a UE-UE communication without traversing the TSN. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    shows an exemplary network arrangement according to various exemplary embodiments. 
         FIG.  2    shows an exemplary UE according to various exemplary embodiments. 
         FIG.  3    shows an exemplary network architecture for TSC data exchange according to various exemplary embodiments. 
         FIG.  4    shows a signaling diagram for UE to UE communications according to various exemplary embodiments. 
         FIG.  5    shows a signaling diagram for a user plane function (UPF) reporting a port pair to an application function (AF) according to various exemplary embodiments. 
         FIG.  6    shows a second exemplary signaling diagram for the UPF reporting a port pair to the AF according to various exemplary embodiments. 
         FIG.  7    shows a signaling diagram for UE-initiated port pairing according to various exemplary embodiments. 
         FIG.  8    shows a signaling diagram for SMF port pairing in response to UE request according to various exemplary embodiments. 
         FIG.  9    shows a signaling diagram for AMF/SMF broadcasting of available port pairing for UE selection according to various exemplary embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The exemplary embodiments may be further understood with reference to the following description and the related appended drawings, wherein like elements are provided with the same reference numerals. The exemplary embodiments relate to a first user equipment (UE) sending a time sensitive communication (TSC) to a second UE. The exemplary embodiments allow for a user plane function (UPF) on the 5G new radio (NR) core network to bypass a time sensitive networking (TSN) network if the first UE and the second UE are served by the same UPF, thus saving time between transmission and reception of TSC data. 
     The exemplary embodiments are also described with regard to a network that includes 5G new radio NR radio access technology (RAT). However, in some embodiments, the network may also include a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) RAT even though the following description will focus primarily on 5G NR RAT. Although the UE can communicate with the network over both licensed and unlicensed bands of the spectrum, the following description will focus primarily on NR-U communications between the UE and the network. 
     A first issue with TSC data is that this data is always routed through the TSN network, regardless of whether or not the transmitting UE and the receiving UE are served by the same UPF. As a result, time, which is critical for TSC, is wasted. 
     According to exemplary embodiments, if the UPF determines that the device side TSN translator (DS-TT) port of the first UE (UE 1 ) and the DS-TT of the second UE (UE 2 ) are served by the same UPF, the UPF can pair these two DS-TT ports instead of routing the communication through the TSN network. 
     According to further exemplary embodiments, a first UE 1  may have the DS-TT port of a second UE 2  hardcoded (e.g., via an update or stored in a memory device of the UE 1 ) or the UE 1  may know the details of the DS-TT port of the UE 2  from previous TSC communications. In such an embodiment, the UE 1  may send the port pairing to a session management function (SMF) of the 5G NR core network during a PDU session establishment. 
     According to further exemplary embodiments, the UPF maintains a database of all of the DS-TT ports that the UPF serves. The UPF shares this database with the SMF. When the UE 1  establishes a PDU session with the SMF, the UE 1  requests a port pairing for the UE 2 . In response, the SMF selects the port pair suitable for the UE selected by the UE 1  (e.g., the UE 2 ). 
     According to further exemplary embodiments, the SMF notifies an access and mobility management function (AMF) on the 5G NR core network of the DS-TT port database shared by the UPF with the SMF. The AMF broadcasts a list of available ports for pairing to all UEs served by the same UPF. When UE 1  establishes a PDU session with the SMF, the UE 1  may send the port pairing to the SMF based on the broadcasted list. 
       FIG.  1    shows an exemplary network arrangement  100  according to various exemplary embodiments. The exemplary network arrangement  100  includes a UE  110  and a UE  112 . Although the following description focuses primarily on Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices, those skilled in the art will understand that the UEs  110  and  112  may alternatively be any type of electronic component that is configured to communicate via a network, e.g., mobile phones, tablet computers, smartphones, phablets, embedded devices, wearable devices, Cat-M devices, Cat-M1 devices, MTC devices, eMTC devices, other types of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, etc. It should also be understood that an actual network arrangement may include any number of UEs being used by any number of users. Thus, the example of two UEs  110  and  112  is merely provided for illustrative purposes. 
     The UEs  110  and  112  may be configured to communicate with one or more networks. In the example of the network configuration  100 , the networks with which the UEs  110  and  112  may wirelessly communicate are a 5G New Radio (NR) radio access network (5G NR-RAN)  120 , an LTE radio access network (LTE-RAN)  122  and a wireless local access network (WLAN)  124 . However, it should be understood that the UEs  110  and  112  may also communicate with other types of networks and the UEs  110  and  112  may also communicate with networks over a wired connection. Therefore, the UEs  110  and  112  may include a 5G NR chipset to communicate with the 5G NR-RAN  120 , an LTE chipset to communicate with the LTE-RAN  122  and an ISM chipset to communicate with the WLAN  124 . 
     The 5G NR-RAN  120  and the LTE-RAN  122  may be portions of cellular networks that may be deployed by cellular providers (e.g., Verizon, AT&amp;T, Sprint, T-Mobile, etc.). These networks  120 ,  122  may include, for example, cells or base stations (Node Bs, eNodeBs, HeNBs, eNBS, gNBs, gNodeBs, macrocells, microcells, small cells, femtocells, etc.) that are configured to send and receive traffic from UEs that are equipped with the appropriate cellular chip set. The WLAN  124  may include any type of wireless local area network (WiFi, Hot Spot, IEEE 802.11x networks, etc.). 
     The UEs  110  and  112  may connect to the 5G NR-RAN  120  via the gNB  120 A. The gNB  120 A may be configured with the necessary hardware (e.g., antenna array), software and/or firmware to perform massive multiple in multiple out (MIMO) functionality. Massive MIMO may refer to a base station that is configured to generate a plurality of beams for a plurality of UEs. During operation, the UEs  110  and  112  may be within range of a plurality of gNBs. Thus, either simultaneously or alternatively, the UEs  110  and  112  may also connect to the 5G NR-RAN  120  via the gNB  120 B. Reference to two gNBs  120 A,  120 B is merely for illustrative purposes. The exemplary embodiments may apply to any appropriate number of gNBs. Further, the UEs  110  and  112  may communicate with the eNB  122 A of the LTE-RAN  122  to transmit and receive control information used for downlink and/or uplink synchronization with respect to the 5G NR-RAN  120  connection. 
     Those skilled in the art will understand that any association procedure may be performed for the UEs  110  and  112  to connect to the 5G NR-RAN  120 . For example, as discussed above, the 5G NR-RAN  120  may be associated with a particular cellular provider where the UEs  110  and  112  and/or the users thereof has a contract and credential information (e.g., stored on a SIM card). Upon detecting the presence of the 5G NR-RAN  120 , the UEs  110  and  112  may transmit the corresponding credential information to associate with the 5G NR-RAN  120 . More specifically, the UEs  110  and  112  may associate with a specific base station (e.g., the gNB  120 A of the 5G NR-RAN  120 ). 
     In addition to the networks  120  and  122  the network arrangement  100  also includes a cellular core network  130 . The cellular core network  130  may be considered to be the interconnected set of components that manages the operation and traffic of the cellular network. In this example, the components include an SMF  131 , an AMF  132 , a UPF  133 , a policy control function (PCF)  134 , an application function (AF)  135 , and a TSN network  136 . However, an actual cellular core network may include various other components performing any of a variety of different functions. 
     The SMF  131  performs operations related to session management (SM), UE IP address allocation and management (including optional authorization), selection and control of user plane function; configuring traffic steering at the UPF  133  to route traffic to the proper destination, termination of interfaces toward policy control functions, controlling part of policy enforcement and quality of service (QoS), downlink data notification; initiating access network specific SM information sent via the AMF  132  to the 5G NR RAN  120 ; and determining session and service continuity (SSC) mode of a session. SM may refer to management of a PDU session. A PDU session may refer to a PDU connectivity service that provides or enables the exchange of PDUs between the UE  110  and the cellular core network  130 . PDU sessions may be established upon request by the UEs  110  and  112 . Reference to a single SMF  131  is merely for illustrative purposes; an actual network arrangement may include any appropriate number of SMFs, as will be discussed below. 
     The AMF  132  performs operations related to mobility management such as, but not limited to, paging, non-access stratum (NAS) management and registration procedure management between the UEs  110  and  112  and the cellular core network  130 . Reference to a single AMF  132  is merely for illustrative purposes; an actual network arrangement may include any appropriate number of AMFs. 
     The UPF  133  performs operations related to intra-RAT and inter-RAT mobility, an external PDU session point of interconnect to the cellular core network  130 , and a branching point to support multi-homed PDU sessions. The UPF  133  may also perform packet routing and forwarding, perform packet inspection, enforce the user plane part of policy rules, lawfully intercept packets (UP collection), perform traffic usage reporting, perform QoS handling for a user plane (e.g., packet filtering, gating, UL/DL rate enforcement), perform uplink traffic verification (e.g., service data flow (SDF) to QoS flow mapping), transport level packet marking in the uplink and downlink, and downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggering. Reference to a single UPF  133  is merely for illustrative purposes; an actual network arrangement may include any appropriate number of UPFs. 
     The PCF  134  performs operations related to the control plane such as, but not limited to, managing policy rules for control plane functions including network slicing, roaming and mobility management. Reference to a single PCF  134  is merely for illustrative purposes; an actual network arrangement may include any appropriate number of PCFs. 
     The AF  135  performs operations related to application influence on traffic routing, access to a network cloud engine (NCE), and interaction with the policy framework for policy control. The NCE may be a mechanism that allows the cellular core network  130  and AF  135  to provide information to each other which may be used for edge computing implementations. In such implementations, the network operator and third-party services may be hosted close to the UEs  110  and  112  access point of attachment to achieve an efficient service delivery through reduced end-to-end latency and load on the transport network. For edge computing implementations, the cellular core network  130  may select a UPF  133  close to the UEs  110  and  112  and execute traffic steering from the UPF  133  to the network. This may be based on the UE subscription data, UE location, and information provided by the AF  135 . In this way, the AF  135  may influence UPF (re)selection and traffic routing. Reference to a single AF  135  is merely for illustrative purposes; an actual network arrangement may include any appropriate number of AFs. 
     The TSN network  136  performs operations related to the guaranteeing of a minimum latency for critical data, reserving resources for critical traffic (e.g., TSC data), and configuring 5G system (5GS) bridge parameters for TSC data. 
       FIG.  2    shows an exemplary UE  110  according to various exemplary embodiments.  FIG.  2    will describe exemplary UE  110  but it should be understood that the description may apply equally to the UE  112 . The UE  110  will be described with regard to the network arrangement  100  of  FIG.  1   . The UE  110  may represent any electronic device and may include a processor  205 , a memory arrangement  210 , a display device  215 , an input/output (I/O) device  220 , a transceiver  225  and other components  230 . The other components  230  may include, for example, an audio input device, an audio output device, a battery that provides a limited power supply, a data acquisition device, ports to electrically connect the UE  110  to other electronic devices, one or more antenna panels, etc. For example, the UE  110  may be coupled to an industrial device via one or more ports. 
     The processor  205  may be configured to execute a plurality of engines of the UE  110 . For example, the engines may include a TSC management engine  235 . The TSC management engine  235  may perform various operations related to configuring TSC data for transmission, establishing a PDU session with an SMF, and processing received TSC data. 
     The above referenced engine being an application (e.g., a program) executed by the processor  205  is only exemplary. The functionality associated with the engine may also be represented as a separate incorporated component of the UE  110  or may be a modular component coupled to the UE  110 , e.g., an integrated circuit with or without firmware. For example, the integrated circuit may include input circuitry to receive signals and processing circuitry to process the signals and other information. The engines may also be embodied as one application or separate applications. In addition, in some UEs, the functionality described for the processor  205  is split among two or more processors such as a baseband processor and an applications processor. The exemplary embodiments may be implemented in any of these or other configurations of a UE. 
     The memory arrangement  210  may be a hardware component configured to store data related to operations performed by the UE  110 . The display device  215  may be a hardware component configured to show data to a user while the I/O device  220  may be a hardware component that enables the user to enter inputs. The display device  215  and the I/O device  220  may be separate components or integrated together such as a touchscreen. The transceiver  225  may be a hardware component configured to establish a connection with the 5G NR-RAN  120 , the LTE-RAN  122 , the WLAN  124 , etc. Accordingly, the transceiver  225  may operate on a variety of different frequencies or channels (e.g., set of consecutive frequencies). 
       FIG.  3    shows an exemplary network architecture  300  for TSC data exchange between a first UE (UE 1   301 ) and a second UE (UE 2   302 ) according to various exemplary embodiments. As illustrated in  FIG.  3   , to send TSC data from one UE (e.g., UE 1   301 ) to another UE (e.g., UE 2   302 ), each UE establishes a PDU session (PDU Session  1  and PDU Session  2 ) with a UPF  304 . As shown in  FIG.  3   , both UEs are electronically coupled to the same TSN end station  306 . The TSN end station  306  may be, for example, an industrial facility where each UE is communicatively coupled to an industrial device. Currently, TSC data is routed from the transmitting UE (UE 1   301  or UE 2   302 ), to the UPF  304 , to a TSN System  308 , back to the same UPF  304 , and to the receiving UE (UE 2   302  or UE 1   301 ). This routing is labeled in  FIG.  3    as “without UE-UE communication.” 
     As will be discussed below, however, according to the exemplary embodiments, because the UPF  304  serves both PDU sessions, the UPF  304  may bypass the TSN system  308  and perform the port pairing of the DS-TT ports of the two UEs. This routing is labeled in  FIG.  3    as “with UE-UE communication.” As a result, time is saved in sending of TSC data from one UE to another UE (UE-UE communication). 
     The following exemplary embodiments include various signaling diagrams that include messages that are exchanged between the various components and/or functions. These messages may be provided with a message name and/or an information element (IE) name. It should be understood that these names are only exemplary and that messages and/or IEs that provide the same information may have different names in different embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand the various functionalities and/or information provided in each message and may apply this to other embodiments. 
       FIG.  4    shows a signaling diagram for UE to UE communications according to various exemplary embodiments. At  401 , a first UE (UE 1   451 ) having a first DS-TT port establishes a PDU session ( 1 ) with a first SMF (SMF 1   454 ). At  402 , a second UE (UE 2   452 ) having a second DS-TT port establishes a PDU session ( 2 ) with a second SMF (SMF 2   455 ). It is determined here that both PDU sessions are served by the same UPF  456  having a network side TT (NW-TT). 
     As such, at  403 , the UPF  456  determines, based on the source and destination MAC addresses, that the traffic flows between the DS-TT port of UE 1   451  and the DS-TT port of UE 2   452 . Thus the two ports are capable of being paired. In some embodiments, the UPF  456  assigns port numbers to the DS-TT port of UE 1   451  and the DS-TT port of UE 2   452  during the respective PDU sessions. The UPF  456  may maintain a database table with all of the port numbers assigned to the different DS-TT that the PDU serves. The UPF  456  will know the source and destination port numbers from the header of an ethernet packet. As a result, the UPF  456  determines that two UEs can be paired for UE-UE communication based on the source and destination port numbers present in the header. 
     At  404 , the UPF  456  conveys the port-pair to an AF  458  via the SMF (SMF 1   454  or SMF 2   455 ) and a PCF  457 . The AF  458  may be a TSN AF. At  405 , the AF  458  calculates the bridge delay information as follows:
 
Bridge delay information=[UE1-DT-TT residence time+PDB of PDU session (1)]+[UE2-DS-TT residence time+PDB of PDU session (2)]
 
where the residence time is the time it takes for a data packet to travel from a DS-TT to its corresponding UE; and PDB is the packet delay budget of a PDU session.
 
     At  406 , based on the calculated bridge delay information, the AF  458  evaluates the QoS for the UL and DL links for UE-UE communication and shares this information with the PCF  457  along with the TSC assistance information (TSCAI) and requests that the PCF  457  create corresponding policy control and charging (PCC) rules for the SMF to use for the PDU sessions via, for example, an Npcf_Policy Authorization service. TSCAI is information that describes TSC traffic characteristics. 
     At  407 , the PCF  457  creates PCC rules for uplink transmission and updates the SMF 1   454  of PDU session ( 1 ) via, for example, a Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify procedure. At  408 , the SMF 1   454  modifies the PDU session ( 1 ) with the updated QoS being sent to the DS-TT of UE 1   451 . As shown in  FIG.  4   , the PDU session modification to accommodate the UE to UE communications may be performed in the same manner as the PDU session modification is described with respect to 3GPP TS 23.502, Section 4.3.3.2-1. Those skilled in the art will understand that the PDU Session modification described in the 3GPP standard is for a different purpose than the PDU Session modification being described herein. However, the procedure for modifying the session may be the same. 
     At  409 , the PCF  457  creates PCC rules for downlink transmission and updates the SMF 2   455  of PDU session ( 2 ) via a Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify procedure. At  410 , the SMF 2   455  modifies the PDU session ( 2 ) with the updated QoS being sent to the DS-TT of UE 1   452 . Again, the PDU session modification may be performed in the same manner as the PDU session modification is described with respect to 3GPP TS 23.502, Section 4.3.3.2-1. In some embodiments, the PCF  457  may alternatively use the existing TSC configuration provided by the AF  458  during the PDU session establishment procedure and provide the updated PCC Rules and TSCAI to the SMF  455  (for UE-UE Communication) via, for example, the Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify procedure. 
       FIG.  5    shows a first exemplary signaling diagram for the UPF reporting a port pair to the AF according to various exemplary embodiments. At  501 , a UPF  553  determines, based on the source and destination MAC addresses in packets, that traffic flows between the DS-TT port of a first UE (UE 1   551 ) and a DS-TT port of a second UE (not shown in  FIG.  5   ). Thus, because both UEs are connected to the same UPF, the two ports may be paired. 
     At  502 , the UPF  553  reports the port-pair to an SMF  552  via, for example, the N4 Association Update Request. The UPF  553  includes the port-pairs and the PDU session IDs of both UEs to be converted to UE-UE communication. 
     At  503 , the SMF  552  sends an acknowledgment to the UPF  553  via, for example, the N4 Association Update Response. At  504 , the SMF  552  requests that a PCF  554  update the PDU session by providing new PCC rules suitable for UE-UE communication. The SMF  552  also provides the port-pairs along with the 5GS bridge information. The 5GS Bridge Information may be considered the information elements (IEs) that are received by the SMF  134  from the UE and the UPF during the PDU session establishment. The SMF encapsulates these IEs and this may be considered the 5GS bridge information. At  505 , the PCF  554  provides the PCC rules for the PDU sessions with the QoS configuration for uplink and downlink transmissions along with the TSCAI. 
     At  506 , if the PCF  554  does not have the PCC rules for UE-UE communication, the PCF  554  could request that the AF  555  provide the QoS rules and TSCAI via, for example, Npcf_PolicyAuthorisation_Notify by including the port-pairs and 5GS Bridge Information in the request. 
     At  507 , the AF  555  calculates the Bridge delay information using the Bridge delay information equation described above with respect to  FIG.  4   . At  508 , based on the calculated bridge delay information, the AF  555  evaluates the QoS for the UL and DL links for UE-UE communication and shares this information with the PCF  554 . At  509 , the PCF  554  modifies the PDU session with the updated QoS being sent to the DS-TT of UE 1   551 . 
       FIG.  6    shows a second exemplary signaling diagram  600  for the UPF reporting a port pair to the AF according to various exemplary embodiments. The embodiment of  FIG.  6    is substantially similar to that of  FIG.  5    except that in  FIG.  6   , at  601 , the SMF  652  configures the UPF  653  to report any port pairs determined by the UPF  653 . At  602 , the UPF  653  determines, based on the source and destination MAC addresses, that the traffic flows between the DS-TT of UE 1  and the DS-TT port of UE 2 . Thus, the two ports may be paired. At  603 , the UPF  653  communicates the port-pair to the SMF  652  via, for example, the N4 Report. The UPF  653  includes the port-pairs and the PDU session IDs of the UEs to be converted to UE-UE communication. At  604 , the SMF  652  sends an acknowledgment to the UPF  653  via an N4 report ACK. Because  605 - 610  are identical to  504 - 509  described above, a description of these communications is omitted here. 
       FIG.  7    shows a signaling diagram  700  for UE-initiated port pairing according to various exemplary embodiments. At  701 , a first UE (UE 1   751 ) establishes a PDU session ( 1 ) with a SMF  753 . At  702 , a second UE (UE 2   752 ) establishes a PDU session ( 2 ) with the SMF  753 . In some embodiments, the UE 2   752  also includes the port-pair and the direction of the data transfer in the UE-UE communication in the PDU Session ( 2 ) establishment request. In this example, UE 2   752  is the UL side. In some embodiments, port details of UE 1   751  may be hard-coded onto the memory of the UE 2   752  (e.g., through a software update or pre-programmed onto the memory of UE 2 ). In some embodiments, the UE 2   752  may alternatively know the port details of the DS-TT of the UE 1   751  from prior knowledge (e.g., UE 1  and UE 2  have previously been in a UE-UE communication). 
     At  703 , a PDU session is established for UE 2 . The SMF  753  selects the UPF  754  based on the port-pair details shared by UE 2   752 . That is, the SMF  753  will select the UPF that serves PDU session ( 1 ) of the UE 1   751 . In some embodiments, if the SMF  753  is not able to find the UPF that serves the UE identified in the port-pair details shared by the UE 2   752 , the SMF  753  may request that an AF  756  resolve the UPF details for the DS-TT port of the UE 1   751 . 
     At  704 , the AF  756  calculates the bridge delay information using the bridge delay information equation described above with respect to  FIG.  4   . At  705 , the AF  756  evaluates the QoS for the UL and DL links for UE-UE communication along with the TSCAI. The AF  756  also requests that the PCF  755  create corresponding PCC rules for the SMF  753  to use for the PDU sessions ( 1  and  2 ) via Npcf_Policy Authorization service. At  706 , the SMF  753  modifies the PDU session ( 1 ) with the updated QoS being sent to the DS-TT of UE 1   751 . At  707 , similar to  706 , the PDU session ( 2 ) is modified for downlink transmission with the QoS. 
       FIG.  8    shows a signaling diagram for SMF port pairing in response to UE request according to various exemplary embodiments. At  801 , a DS-TT of a first UE (UE 1   851 ) establishes a PDU session ( 1 ) with an SMF  854 . At  802 , a UPF  855  maintains a database table of the port numbers assigned to different DS-TTs which the UPF  855  serves. At  803 , the UPF  855  shares the DS-TT database table with the SMF  854  via N4 Report/Ack SM messages. At  804 , a DS-TT of a second UE (UE 2   852 ) initiates a PDU session ( 2 ) establishment request with the SMF  854 . In the request, the UE 2   852  includes a flag which indicates to the SMF  854  that the UE 2   852  seeks a port-pair to transfer data via UE-UE communication. In this example, UE 2  is the DL side. 
     At  805 , the SMF  854  selects the port suitable for paring for the requested UE. At  806 , a PDU session is established for the UE 2   852 . The SMF  854  selects the UPF  855  based on the port-pair details shared by UE 2 . That is, the SMF  854  selects the UPF which is serving PDU session ( 1 ). In some embodiments, if the SMF  854  is not able to able to find the UPF based on the port-pair details shared by the UE 2   852 , the SMF  854  would request that an AF  857  resolve the UPF details for the DS-TT of the UE 1   851 . 
     At  807 , the AF  857  calculates the Bridge delay information using the Bridge delay information equation described above with respect to  FIG.  4   . At  808 , the AF  857  evaluates the QoS for the UL and DL links for UE-UE communication along with the TSCAI. The AF  857  also requests that the PCF  856  create corresponding PCC rules for the SMF  854  to use for the PDU sessions via Npcf_Policy Authorization service. At  809 , the SMF  854  modifies the PDU session ( 1 ) with the updated QoS being sent to the DS-TT of the UE 1   851 . At  810 , similar to  809 , the PDU session ( 2 ) is modified for downlink transmission with the QoS. 
       FIG.  9    shows a signaling diagram for AMF/SMF broadcasting of available port pairing for UE selection according to various exemplary embodiments. At  901 , a DS-TT of a first UE (UE 1   951 ) establishes a PDU session ( 1 ) with an SMF  954 . At  902 , a UPF  955  maintains a database table of the port numbers assigned to different DS-TTs which the UPF  955  serves. At  903 , the UPF  955  shares the DS-TT database table with the SMF  954  via N4 Report/Ack SM messages. 
     At  904 , the SMF  954  notifies a subscribed AMF  953  of the DS-TT database table. At  905 , the UPF  955  broadcasts a list of available port for pairing to all UEs served by the UPF (5GS Bridge). At  906 , a second UE (UE 2   952 ) selects a suitable DS-TT port for pairing from the broadcasted list. At  907 , a DS-TT of the UE 2   952  establishes a PDU session ( 2 ) with the SMF  954 . In the PDU session establishment request, the UE 2   952  also includes the port-pair and the direction of the data transfer in the UE-UE communication. In this example, the UE 2   952  is on the DL side. 
     At  908 , a PDU session ( 2 ) is established for the UE 2   952 . The SMF  954  selects the UPF  955  based on the port-pair details shared by the UE 2   952 . That is, the SMF  954  will select the UPF  955  that serves PDU session ( 1 ) of the UE 1   951 . In some embodiments, if the SMF  954  is not able to able to find the UPF based on the port-pair details shared by the UE 2   952 , the SMF  954  may request that the AF  957  resolve the UPF details for the DS-TT of the UE 1   951 . 
     At  909 , the AF  957  calculates the bridge delay information using the Bridge delay information equation described above with respect to  FIG.  4   . At  910 , the AF  957  evaluates the QoS for the UL and DL links for UE-UE communication along with the TSCAI. The AF  957  requests that the PCF  956  create corresponding PCC rules for the SMF  954  to use for the PDU sessions via Npcf_Policy Authorization service. At  911 , the SMF  954  modifies the PDU session ( 1 ) with the updated QoS being sent to the DS-TT of the UE 1   951 . At  912 , similar to  911 , the PDU session ( 2 ) is modified for downlink transmission with the QoS. 
     Although this application described various embodiments each having different features in various combinations, those skilled in the art will understand that any of the features of one embodiment may be combined with the features of the other embodiments in any manner not specifically disclaimed or which is not functionally or logically inconsistent with the operation of the device or the stated functions of the disclosed embodiments. 
     It is well understood that the use of personally identifiable information should follow privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or governmental requirements for maintaining the privacy of users. In particular, personally identifiable information data should be managed and handled so as to minimize risks of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly indicated to users. 
     Those skilled in the art will understand that the above-described exemplary embodiments may be implemented in any suitable software or hardware configuration or combination thereof. An exemplary hardware platform for implementing the exemplary embodiments may include, for example, an Intel x86 based platform with compatible operating system, a Windows OS, a Mac platform and MAC OS, a mobile device having an operating system such as iOS, Android, etc. In a further example, the exemplary embodiments of the above described method may be embodied as a program containing lines of code stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that, when compiled, may be executed on a processor or microprocessor. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the present disclosure, without departing from the spirit or the scope of the disclosure. Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure cover modifications and variations of this disclosure provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalent.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20210505
Publication Date: 20230103
Grant Date: 20230103
Priority Date: 20200505
Inventors: PRABHAKAR, ALOSIOUS PRADEEP
PU, Han
KISS, KRISZTIAN
SADIQUE, MOHAMMED
MATOLIA, ROHIT R.
NIMMALA, SRINIVASAN
SUBRAMANIAN, SRIRAM
VENKATARAMAN, VIJAY
ZHANG, WEI
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04W76/12", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L47/28", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W40/24", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W24/08", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W76/14", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W28/0268", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W76/22", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W4/70", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W76/10", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W28/24", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L47/2416", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L43/0852", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W24/08", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W28/24", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W76/14", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W28/0268", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 75659920