BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to a wireless communication system, and more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for providing a local area data network service based on a non-subscription model in a cellular wireless communication system (5G system).

2. Description of the Related Art

To meet the increasing demand for wireless data traffic since the deployment of 4G communication systems, efforts have been made to develop an improved 5G or pre-5G communication system. Therefore, the 5G or pre-5G communication system is also called a “beyond 4G network” communication system or a “post LTE System.”

Implementation of the 5G communication system in ultrahigh frequency (mmWave) bands, e.g., 60 GHz bands, is being considered in order to accomplish higher data rates. To mitigate a path loss of the radio waves and increase the transmission distance on the radio waves in the ultrahigh frequency, beamforming, massive multiple-input multiple-output (massive MIMO), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beamforming, and large scale antenna techniques are being discussed for 5G communication systems.

In addition, in 5G communication systems, development for system network improvement is under way based on evolved small cells, advanced small cells, cloud radio access networks (cloud RANs), ultra-dense networks, device-to-device (D2D) communication, wireless backhaul, moving network, cooperative communication, coordinated multi-points (CoMP), reception-end interference cancellation, and the like. In addition, in the 5G system, hybrid FSK and QAM modulation (FQAM) and sliding window superposition coding (SWSC), as advanced coding modulation (ACM) systems, and filter bank multi carrier (FBMC), non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), and sparse code multiple access (SCMA), as advanced access technologies, have been developed.

Meanwhile, the Internet, which is a human centered connectivity network where humans generate and consume information, is now evolving to the Internet of things (IoT) where distributed entities, such as things, exchange and process information without human intervention. The Internet of everything (IoE), which is a combination of IoT technology and big data processing technology through connection with a cloud server, has emerged. Technology elements, such as “sensing technology”, “wired/wireless communication and network infrastructure”, “service interface technology”, and “security technology” have been demanded for IoT implementation; therefore, recently there has been research on technologies, such as a sensor network for connection between machines, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, and machine type communication (MTC).

Such an IoT environment may provide intelligent Internet technology (IT) services that create a new value for human life by collecting and analyzing data generated among connected things. IoT may be applied to a variety of fields including smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car or connected car, smart grid, health care, smart appliances, and advanced medical services through convergence and combination between existing information technology (IT) and various industrial applications.

In line with this, various attempts have been made to apply 5G communication systems to IoT networks. For example, technologies such as a sensor network, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, and machine type communication (MTC) may be implemented by beamforming, MIMO, and array antennas, which correspond to 5G communication technology. Application of a cloud radio access network (cloud RAN) as the above-described big data processing technology may also be considered to be an example of convergence between the 5G technology and the IoT technology.

Meanwhile, in order to achieve evolution from the existing 4G LTE system into the 5G system, 3GPP that takes charge of the cellular mobile communication standard has named a new core network structure a 5G core (5GC) and has proceeded with the standardization thereof.

As compared with an evolved packet core (EPC) that is an existing 4G network core, the 5GC supports the following discriminated functions.

First, in the 5GC, a network slice function is introduced. As the 5G requirements, the 5GC should support various types of terminals and services: e.g., enhanced mobile broadband (EMBB), ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine type communications (mMTC).

Such terminals/services have different requirements in respective core networks. For example, in case of an eMBB service, high data rate may be required, whereas in case of a URLLC service, high stability and low latency may be required. A technology proposed to satisfy such various service requirements is a network slice scheme.

Network slice is a method for virtualizing one physical network to make several logic networks, and respective network slice instances (NSIs) may have different characteristics. Accordingly, the respective NSIs have network functions (NF) that suit the characteristics thereof, and thus they can satisfy various service requirements. Several 5G services can be efficiently supported by allocating, to respective terminals, the NSIs that suit the characteristics of services required for the respective terminals.

Second, the 5GC can easily support network virtualization paradigms through separation between a mobility management function and a session management function. In the existing 4G LTE, all terminals can be provided with services in a network through signaling exchange with single-core equipment that is called a mobility management entity (MME) taking charge of registration, authentication, mobility management, and session management functions.

However, in the 5G, since the number of terminals is explosively increased, and mobility and traffic/session characteristics to be supported are subdivided in accordance with terminal types, scalability to add entities for necessary functions is lowered in case where all functions are supported by the single equipment such as the MME. Accordingly, in order to improve the scalability in function/implementation complexity of the core equipment taking charge of control plane and signaling load, various functions have been developed based on a structure for separating the mobility management function and the session management function from each other.

SUMMARY

The disclosure enables a local area data network (LADN) service provided by an enterprise to be provided to a terminal that has not subscribed to the LADN service of the enterprise. As described above, in order to provide the LADN of the enterprise to a user who has not subscribed to the LADN, there is a need for a method capable of transferring LADN information to the user regardless of whether the enterprise has subscribed to a specific LADN data network name (DNN) of the user.

In a subscription model, the enterprise determines whether the terminal has subscribed to the LADN, for example, an access and mobility management function (AMF) determines whether the user has subscribed to the LADN DNN through user data management (UDM), and the enterprise transfers the LADN information to the terminal in the case where the user registers for the AMF providing the LADN. In the registration process, the terminal having received the LADN information determines an LADN service available area based on LADN service area information included in the LADN information, and if necessary, the terminal can receive an LADN service by generating a protocol data unit (PDU) session for the LADN DNN.

A method for transferring the LADN information to the terminal is performed in a state where user's intention to use the LADN service is not known. In the subscription model, because the LADN information is transferred to the subscribed terminal only even though the user's intention to use the LADN service is not known, a method is provided, in which the subscribed terminal can use the LADN service at any time.

However, in a non-subscription model, transfer of the LADN information in a situation where the enterprise does not know the terminal's intention to use the LADN service causes heavy traffic to occur due to a lot of registration accept messages. For example, even if it is intended for 100 terminals to use the LADN service in an actual LADN service in a state where 10 LADN areas exist in one registration area, and 1000 terminals are registered, the AMF should transfer 10 pieces of LADN information to 1000 terminals. However, in this case, because 900 terminals do not have intentions to use the LADN service, providing of the SADN information to 900 terminals causes waste of radio resources.

To solve this problem, the disclosure proposes a method for transferring LADN information to a terminal only in the case where a user intends to use an LADN service in order to support a non-subscription model.

In the disclosure, it is necessary for a terminal that has not subscribed to an LADN service to receive transferred LADN information (LADN DNN and LADN service area), as needed, in accordance with a scenario in which an application program uses a network. Further, a method is proposed, in which a terminal requests creation of a PDU session corresponding to an LADN without determining whether or not the terminal is located in an LADN service area in the case where the terminal requests session creation for a designated DNN, and if the terminal is not located in the LADN service area and thus the session creation for the LADN has failed, the terminal can acquire LADN service area information.

The disclosure proposes a method for rejecting session creation if a terminal requests the session creation outside an LADN service area in accord with the original purpose of the LADN service.

Further, the disclosure proposes a method, in which a packet is not transferred to a terminal when the terminal moves out of an LADN service area, whereas the packet is transferred again to the terminal when the terminal re-enters into the LADN service area, in accord with the original purpose of the LADN service.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, a terminal can transmit or receive a packet only in a specific area designated by an enterprise. Through the disclosure, the enterprise provides a service for making a user receive a high-speed service only in the corresponding specific area in a manner that the enterprise provides the high-speed service, for example, only in a large stadium if it is required to support the high-speed service only in the specific area, whereas the enterprise can stop the service provided to the user if the user secedes from the area.

Similarly, the LADN service is applied to an enterprise service for employee's business, and makes it possible to configure a network that guarantees security and is usable only in a business place in a manner that the LADN service allows an access to a network that is accessible in the business place only in the case of a location in the business place, whereas the LADN service stops the network access in the case where a user secedes from the business place.

Further, a network is configured, to which an access is allowed only in a specific area, such as a shopping mall, and an enterprise can provide a network service in the specific area as a service having a different charging system (e.g., free billing) from a 3rdparty.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure to solve the above-described problems, a terminal requests transfer of LADN information including an LADN service area and LADN DNN information from an AMF, and the AMF transfers the LADN information to the terminal, transfers the LADN information to the terminal in response to a terminal's request for PDU session creation for the LADN, or transfers the LADN information to the terminal in the case of rejecting the PDU session creation.

If the terminal according to an embodiment of the disclosure is not located in an LADN service area, in order to reject the PDU session creation requested by the terminal, a method is provided, in which a network (session management function (SMF)) identifies whether the terminal exists in the LADN service area, which is notified by an AMF, and the network determines whether to create the PDU session.

If the terminal according to an embodiment of the disclosure moves out of the LADN service area after creating an LADN session, in order to prevent a packet from being transferred to the terminal, a method is provided, in which an SMF identifies a notification notifying whether the terminal exists in the LADN service area from the AMF, and commands a user plane function (UPF) to perform a drop so that a downlink packet is not transferred to the terminal.

If the terminal according to an embodiment of the disclosure re-enters from an outside into the LADN service area after creating the LADN session, in order to retransfer the downlink packet to the terminal, a method is used, in which the SMF indicates buffering to the UPF or indicates packet forwarding to the SMF to transfer the downlink packet to the terminal.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a method by an access and mobility management function (AMF) in a wireless communication system comprises receiving, from a terminal, a registration request message including information for requesting a list of local area data network (LADN), identifying a subscribed LADN data network name (DNN) of the terminal, based on the registration request message, determining LADN information to be provided to the terminal, based on the subscribed DNN of the terminal, and transmitting, to the terminal, a registration accept message including the determined LADN information, wherein the determined LADN information includes the list of LADN available to the terminal, and wherein the list of LADN available to the terminal is determined based on the information for requesting the list of LADN.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, a method by a terminal in a wireless communication system comprises transmitting, to an access and mobility management function (AMF), a registration request message including information for requesting a list of local area data network (LADN), and receiving, from the AMF, a registration accept message including LADN information for the list of LADN available to the terminal, wherein the LADN information is determined by the AMF based on a subscribed LADN data network name (DNN) of the terminal, and wherein the list of LADN available to the terminal is determined by the AMF based on the information for requesting the list of LADN.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, an access and mobility management function (AMF) in a wireless communication system comprises a transceiver, and a controller configured to control the transceiver to receive, from a terminal, a registration request message including information for requesting a list of local area data network (LADN), identify a subscribed LADN data network name (DNN) of the terminal, based on the registration request message, determine LADN information to be provided to the terminal, based on the subscribed DNN of the terminal, and control the transceiver to transmit, to the terminal, a registration accept message including the determined LADN information, wherein the determined LADN information includes the list of LADN available to the terminal, and wherein the list of LADN available to the terminal is determined based on the information for requesting the list of LADN.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, a terminal in a wireless communication system comprises a transceiver, and a controller configured to control the transceiver to transmit, to an access and mobility management function (AMF), a registration request message including information for requesting a list of local area data network (LADN), and control the transceiver to receive, from the AMF, a registration accept message including LADN information for the list of LADN available to the terminal, wherein the LADN information is determined by the AMF based on a subscribed LADN data network name (DNN) of the terminal, and wherein the list of LADN available to the terminal is determined by the AMF based on the information for requesting the list of LADN.

According to the disclosure, a method is proposed, in which a local enterprise or a visited-network enterprise can transfer LADN information to a non-subscribed terminal so as to provide an LADN service to the terminal. If a large number of terminals exist in a specific area, the LADN information is transferred only to terminals that intend to use the LADN service, and thus unnecessary signaling traffic does not occur.

According to the disclosure, if the terminal that is out of the LADN area requests session creation, the enterprise may reject the session creation request.

According to the disclosure, if the terminal moves out of the LADN service area after the LADN session creation, a downlink packet can be prevented from being transferred to the terminal, whereas if the terminal re-enters into the LADN service area, the downlink packet can be transferred to the terminal to achieve the original purpose of the LADN service.

In the disclosure, both the method for allowing or rejecting the LADN session creation through the information on whether the terminal exists in the LADN service area and the method for preventing packet reception when the terminal moves out of the LADN service area are technologies capable of providing, for example, a high-speed service in a stadium, a security service in an enterprise network, or a free-billing network service at a shopping mall as described above.

Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION below, it may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document: the terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation; the term “or,” is inclusive, meaning and/or; the phrases “associated with” and “associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like; and the term “controller” means any device, system or part thereof that controls at least one operation, such a device may be implemented in hardware, firmware or software, or some combination of at least two of the same. It should be noted that the functionality associated with any particular controller may be centralized or distributed, whether locally or remotely.

Moreover, various functions described below can be implemented or supported by one or more computer programs, each of which is formed from computer readable program code and embodied in a computer readable medium. The terms “application” and “program” refer to one or more computer programs, software components, sets of instructions, procedures, functions, objects, classes, instances, related data, or a portion thereof adapted for implementation in a suitable computer readable program code. The phrase “computer readable program code” includes any type of computer code, including source code, object code, and executable code. The phrase “computer readable medium” includes any type of medium capable of being accessed by a computer, such as read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), a hard disk drive, a compact disc (CD), a digital video disc (DVD), or any other type of memory. A “non-transitory” computer readable medium excludes wired, wireless, optical, or other communication links that transport transitory electrical or other signals. A non-transitory computer readable medium includes media where data can be permanently stored and media where data can be stored and later overwritten, such as a rewritable optical disc or an erasable memory device.

Definitions for certain words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that in many, if not most instances, such definitions apply to prior, as well as future uses of such defined words and phrases.

