WO2025091480A1

WO2025091480A1 - Systems and methods for energy data collection

Info

Publication number: WO2025091480A1
Application number: PCT/CN2023/129660
Authority: WO
Inventors: Zhendong Li; Jinguo Zhu
Original assignee: ZTE Corp
Current assignee: ZTE Corp
Priority date: 2023-11-03
Filing date: 2023-11-03
Publication date: 2025-05-08
Anticipated expiration: 2026-05-03

Abstract

At least one aspect is directed to a system, method, apparatus, or a computer-readable medium of the following. A wireless communication method includes a first network entity configured to receive a first message subscribing to energy consumption data associated with a user equipment device (UE), a group of UEs, a service for a UE, or a service for a group of UEs, from a second network entity. In some embodiments, the second network entity can receive a third message, from a third network entity. In some embodiments, the second network entity can send a fourth message including the obtained energy consumption data to a third network entity. The first network entity can be an Energy Consumption and Efficiency Function (ECEF) entity, the second network entity is a Network Exposure Function (NEF) entity or an Application Function (AF), and the third network entity is an Application Function (AF) entity. The first network entity can obtain the energy consumption data. The first network entity can send a second message including the obtained energy consumption data.

Description

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ENERGY DATA COLLECTION

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, including but not limited to systems and methods for energy data collection.

BACKGROUND

The standardization organization Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is currently in the process of specifying a new Radio Interface called 5G New Radio (5G NR) as well as a Next Generation Packet Core Network (NG-CN or NGC) . The 5G NR will have three main components: a 5G Access Network (5G-AN) , a 5G Core Network (5GC) , and a User Equipment (UE) . In order to facilitate the enablement of different data services and requirements, the elements of the 5GC, also called Network Functions, have been simplified with some of them being software based, and some being hardware based, so that they could be adapted according to need.

Electrical energy consumption is an important factor in the operating costs of Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) . According to statistics, electricity bills are already the highest expense among operators’ operation and maintenance costs. Climate change and increasing energy consumption are prompting mobile network operators to improve energy efficiency. Energy efficiency is a strategic priority for telecom operators around the world. In the future, the Energy usage for user equipment or one service may be limited to an energy quota limit. In the 3GPP, some scenarios and requirements have been studied to improve energy efficiency and energy saving in the 5G system (5GS) . The principle is that Energy efficiency will be treated as a service criterion allowing services to be delivered in accordance with diverse energy efficiency and energy consumption policies.

To achieve controlling the service delivery or policy control based on the energy usage quota and energy consumption, it is imperative to determine the energy consumption that one or more UE (s) or service has consumed in the 5G system. The energy consumption data that one or more UE (s) or service has consumed can be collected by an operation administration and maintenance (OAM) system. The disadvantage of OAM mechanism is non real-time. The data collection via OAM often has hourly level delays. The present disclosure proposes a method to collect the energy consumption data in real-time manner.

SUMMARY

The example embodiments disclosed herein are directed to solving the issues relating to one or more of the problems presented in the prior art, as well as providing additional features that will become readily apparent by reference to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompany drawings. In accordance with various embodiments, example systems, methods, devices and computer program products are disclosed herein. It is understood, however, that these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not limiting, and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art who read the present disclosure that various modifications to the disclosed embodiments can be made while remaining within the scope of this disclosure.

At least one aspect is directed to a system, method, apparatus, or a computer-readable medium of the following. A wireless communication method includes a first network entity configured to receive a first message subscribing to energy consumption data associated with a user equipment device (UE) , a group of UEs, a service for a UE, or a service for a group of UEs, from a second network entity. In some embodiments, the second network entity can receive a third message, from a third network entity. In some embodiments, the second network entity can send a fourth message including the obtained energy consumption data to a third network entity. The first network entity can be an Energy Consumption and Efficiency Function (ECEF) entity, the second network entity is a Network Exposure Function (NEF) entity or an Application Function (AF) , and the third network entity is an Application Function (AF) entity. The first network entity can obtain the energy consumption data. The first network entity can send a second message including the obtained energy consumption data.

At least one aspect is directed to a system, method, apparatus, or a computer-readable medium of the following. A wireless communication method includes a network entity which can subscribe to energy consumption data from a fourth network entity. The first network entity is an entity is an Energy Consumption and Efficiency Function (ECEF) entity, and the fourth network entity is a Session Management Function (SMF) entity. In some embodiments, the fourth network entity can serve a PDU session corresponding to the energy consumption data. In some embodiments, the fourth network entity can subscribe/request to the energy consumption data from a User Plane Function (UPF) entity and a Radio Access Network node, causing the UPF entity and/or the Radio Access Network node to obtain the energy consumption data and report the obtained energy consumption data to the fourth network entity. In some embodiments, the first network entity can be an Energy Consumption and Efficiency Function (ECEF) entity, and the fourth network entity can be a Policy and Charging Function (PCF) entity. In some embodiments, the fourth network entity can create a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rule for monitoring the energy consumption data and sends the PCC rule to an SMF entity. The SMF entity can subscribe/request to the energy consumption data from a UPF entity and/or a Radio Access Network node, causing the UPF entity and/or the Radio Access Network node to obtain the energy consumption data and report the obtained energy consumption data to the fourth network entity.

In some embodiments, the first network entity can receive a fifth message including the obtained energy consumption data from or through a fourth network entity. the first network entity can be an Energy Consumption and Efficiency Function (ECEF) entity, and the fourth network entity is a first PCF entity. the fourth network entity can subscribe/request the energy consumption data from a second PCF entity. In some embodiments, the first PCF can be the Access and Mobility PCF or UE PCF, and second PCF is the PCF for a PDU session. The second PCF can create a PCC rule for monitoring the energy consumption data and sends the PCC rule to an SMF entity. In some embodiments, the SMF entity can subscribe/request to the energy consumption data from a UPF entity and/or a Radio Access Network node, causing the UPF entity and/or the Radio Access Network node to obtain the energy consumption data and report the obtained energy consumption data to the fourth network entity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various example embodiments of the present solution are described in detail below with reference to the following figures or drawings. The drawings are provided for purposes of illustration only and merely depict example embodiments of the present solution to facilitate the reader's understanding of the present solution. Therefore, the drawings should not be considered limiting of the breadth, scope, or applicability of the present solution. It should be noted that for clarity and ease of illustration, these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example cellular communication network in which techniques disclosed herein may be implemented, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an example base station and a user equipment device, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a 5G energy efficiency architecture in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a method for provisioning an energy credit for a service, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates depicts an example method for collecting energy consumption data, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates an example method to collect energy consumption data, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 illustrates an example method for collecting energy consumption data, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for an energy control, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Mobile Communication Technology and Environment

FIG. 1 illustrates an example wireless communication network, and/or system, 100 in which techniques disclosed herein may be implemented, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the following discussion, the wireless communication network 100 may be any wireless network, such as a cellular network or a narrowband Internet of things (NB-IoT) network, and is herein referred to as “network 100. ” Such an example network 100 includes a base station 102 (hereinafter “BS 102” ; also referred to as wireless communication node) and a user equipment device 104 (hereinafter “UE 104” ; also referred to as wireless communication device) that can communicate with each other via a communication link 110 (e.g., a wireless communication channel) , and a cluster of cells 126, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138 and 140 overlaying a geographical area 101. In FIG. 1, the BS 102 and UE 104 are contained within a respective geographic boundary of cell 126. Each of the other cells 130, 132, 134, 136, 138 and 140 may include at least one base station operating at its allocated bandwidth to provide adequate radio coverage to its intended users.

For example, the BS 102 may operate at an allocated channel transmission bandwidth to provide adequate coverage to the UE 104. The BS 102 and the UE 104 may communicate via a downlink radio frame 118, and an uplink radio frame 124 respectively. Each radio frame 118/124 may be further divided into sub-frames 120/127 which may include data symbols 122/128. In the present disclosure, the BS 102 and UE 104 are described herein as non-limiting examples of “communication nodes, ” generally, which can practice the methods disclosed herein. Such communication nodes may be capable of wireless and/or wired communications, in accordance with various embodiments of the present solution.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an example wireless communication system 200 for transmitting and receiving wireless communication signals (e.g., OFDM/OFDMA signals) in accordance with some embodiments of the present solution. The system 200 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operating features that need not be described in detail herein. In one illustrative embodiment, system 200 can be used to communicate (e.g., transmit and receive) data symbols in a wireless communication environment such as the wireless communication environment 100 of FIG. 1, as described above.

System 200 generally includes a base station 202 (hereinafter “BS 202” ) and a user equipment device 204 (hereinafter “UE 204” ) . The BS 202 includes a BS (base station) transceiver module 210, a BS antenna 212, a BS processor module 214, a BS memory module 216, and a network communication module 218, each module being coupled and interconnected with one another as necessary via a data communication bus 220. The UE 204 includes a UE (user equipment) transceiver module 230, a UE antenna 232, a UE memory module 234, and a UE processor module 236, each module being coupled and interconnected with one another as necessary via a data communication bus 240. The BS 202 communicates with the UE 204 via a communication channel 250, which can be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for transmission of data as described herein.

As would be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art, system 200 may further include any number of modules other than the modules shown in FIG. 2. Those skilled in the art will understand that the various illustrative blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented in hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability and compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are described generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software can depend upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those familiar with the concepts described herein may implement such functionality in a suitable manner for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

In accordance with some embodiments, the UE transceiver 230 may be referred to herein as an "uplink" transceiver 230 that includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and a RF receiver each comprising circuitry that is coupled to the antenna 232. A duplex switch (not shown) may alternatively couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in time duplex fashion. Similarly, in accordance with some embodiments, the BS transceiver 210 may be referred to herein as a "downlink" transceiver 210 that includes a RF transmitter and a RF receiver each comprising circuity that is coupled to the antenna 212. A downlink duplex switch may alternatively couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to the downlink antenna 212 in time duplex fashion. The operations of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time such that the uplink receiver circuitry is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 for reception of transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250 at the same time that the downlink transmitter is coupled to the downlink antenna 212. Conversely, the operations of the two transceivers 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time such that the downlink receiver is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 for reception of transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250 at the same time that the uplink transmitter is coupled to the uplink antenna 232. In some embodiments, there is close time synchronization with a minimal guard time between changes in duplex direction.

The UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to communicate via the wireless data communication link 250 and cooperate with a suitably configured RF antenna arrangement 212/232 that can support a particular wireless communication protocol and modulation scheme. In some illustrative embodiments, the UE transceiver 210 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to support industry standards such as the Long Term Evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards, and the like. It is understood, however, that the present disclosure is not necessarily limited in application to a particular standard and associated protocols. Rather, the UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 may be configured to support alternate, or additional, wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variations thereof.

In accordance with various embodiments, the BS 202 may be an evolved node B (eNB) , a serving eNB, a target eNB, a femto station, or a pico station, for example. In some embodiments, the UE 204 may be embodied in various types of user devices such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA) , tablet, laptop computer, wearable computing device, etc. The processor modules 214 and 236 may be implemented, or realized, with a general purpose processor, a content addressable memory, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described herein. In this manner, a processor may be realized as a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, or the like. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

Furthermore, the steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in firmware, in a software module executed by processor modules 214 and 236, respectively, or in any practical combination thereof. The memory modules 216 and 234 may be realized as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, memory modules 216 and 234 may be coupled to the processor modules 210 and 230, respectively, such that the processors modules 210 and 230 can read information from, and write information to, memory modules 216 and 234, respectively. The memory modules 216 and 234 may also be integrated into their respective processor modules 210 and 230. In some embodiments, the memory modules 216 and 234 may each include a cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions to be executed by processor modules 210 and 230, respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also each include non-volatile memory for storing instructions to be executed by the processor modules 210 and 230, respectively.

The network communication module 218 generally represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and/or other components of the base station 202 that enable bi-directional communication between base station transceiver 210 and other network components and communication nodes configured to communication with the base station 202. For example, network communication module 218 may be configured to support internet or WiMAX traffic. In a typical deployment, without limitation, network communication module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface such that base station transceiver 210 can communicate with a conventional Ethernet based computer network. In this manner, the network communication module 218 may include a physical interface for connection to the computer network (e.g., Mobile Switching Center (MSC) ) . The terms “configured for, ” “configured to” and conjugations thereof, as used herein with respect to a specified operation or function, refer to a device, component, circuit, structure, machine, signal, etc., that is physically constructed, programmed, formatted and/or arranged to perform the specified operation or function.

The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Model (referred to herein as, “open system interconnection model” ) is a conceptual and logical layout that defines network communication used by systems (e.g., wireless communication device, wireless communication node) open to interconnection and communication with other systems. The model is broken into seven subcomponents, or layers, each of which represents a conceptual collection of services provided to the layers above and below it. The OSI Model also defines a logical network and effectively describes computer packet transfer by using different layer protocols. The OSI Model may also be referred to as the seven-layer OSI Model or the seven-layer model. In some embodiments, a first layer may be a physical layer. In some embodiments, a second layer may be a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer. In some embodiments, a third layer may be a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer. In some embodiments, a fourth layer may be a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer. In some embodiments, a fifth layer may be a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer. In some embodiments, a sixth layer may be a Non Access Stratum (NAS) layer or an Internet Protocol (IP) layer, and the seventh layer being the other layer.

Various example embodiments of the present solution are described below with reference to the accompanying figures to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the present solution. As would be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, after reading the present disclosure, various changes or modifications to the examples described herein can be made without departing from the scope of the present solution. Thus, the present solution is not limited to the example embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. Additionally, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein are merely example approaches. Based upon design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps of the disclosed methods or processes can be re-arranged while remaining within the scope of the present solution. Thus, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or acts in a sample order, and the present solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented unless expressly stated otherwise.

Method for Energy data collection

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a 5G energy efficiency architecture. The system can include a Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN 322 (e.g., 5G Radio Access Network) ) , an Access and Mobility Control Function (referred to as AMF 314 from herein) , a session management function (referred to as SMF 312 from herein) , a user plane function (referred to as UPF 320 from herein) , a unified data management (referred to as UDM 304 herein) , a policy control function (referred to as PCF 302 from herein) , a network exposure function (referred to as NEF 306 from herein) . The system further includes an application function (referred to as AF 308 from herein) , an ununified data repository (referred to as a UDR 310 from herein) , a network repository function (referred to as NRF 318 from herein) , and an energy consumption and efficiency function (referred to as ECEF 316 from herein) .

The UE 104 can access the 5G system (referred to as 5GS from herein) and can obtain services via NG-RAN 322 (e.g., 5G Radio Access Network) and the AMF 314 of the core network via the NAS signaling. For ease of description, the AMF 314 can include registration, connection, reachability, and mobility management. Furthermore, the AMF 314 can perform authentication and authorization. The NG-RAN 322 can enforce the air interface resource scheduling and connection management of the network interacting with the UE 104.

The SMF 312 can include session management (e.g., session establishment) , modify and release, UE IP address allocation &management, selection and control of UP function, and downlink data notification. The UPF 320 can include anchor point Intra-/Inter-RAT mobility, packet routing &forwarding, traffic usage reporting, QoS handling for user plane, downlink packet buffering, and downlink data notification triggering. The UDM 304 can manage a subscription profile for one or more of the UE 104. The subscription can include the data used for mobility management and session management. In some arrangements, the AMF 314 and the SMF 312can receive the subscription from the UDM 304.

The PCF 302 can support a unified policy framework to govern network behavior, provide police rules to one or more control place function to enforce one or more policy rules. The NEF 306 can be used for exchanging information between 5GC and external third party, The AF 308 and the AS provide the service of the 5GS. The UDR 310 supports storage and retrieval of subscription data by the UDM 304, by the PCF 302, and for exposure. The NRF 318 can support a network function (referred to as NF from herein) instance profile registration and service directory. The NRF 318 can receive an NF discovery request form from a consumer NF. Furthermore, the NRF 318 can provide the information of the discovered NF instances to the consumer NF. The ECEF 316 can store energy related information into the 5GS. The energy related information can include energy consumption, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and carbon emissions. The ECEF 316 can calculate and store the energy usage status and transmits the energy related information to authorized consumers.

In some arrangements, the ECEF 316 may be standalone NF, all, or part of ECEF 316 can be part of other 5G Network functions (e.g., PCF 302, UDR 310, NEF 306) . For example, the ECEF 316 can be part of another 5G Network function. The ECEF 316 can be replaced by the other 5G network functions. In some arrangements, the ECEF 316 can be part of the UDR 310. For example, if the ECEF 316 is part of UDR 310, the ECEF 316 can be replaced by UDR 310 and the interaction between ECEF 316 and UDR 310 occurs within the UDR 310. In some embodiments, there can be energy quota limits (e.g., energy credit) for a UE 104 or another certain service (e.g., internet service such as Facebook, Instagram, X) . For example, if the energy usage exceeds the energy quota, the network will cease the service for the UE and the packet service for the certain service. The 3GPP may not define the ECEF 316 and the other procedures defined in the ECEF 316. The embodiment of this disclosure provide a method to dynamically configure the energy quota (e.g., energy credit) for one or more UE 104 or the certain service and a method to control energy usage 5GS. For ease of description, the energy usage (in some arrangements, the energy usage can be the energy consumption) can be expressed in Joules (J) or Watthour (Wh) .

In the present disclosure, data (e.g., energy consumption, energy quota, remaining energy quota, etc. ) can be collected from the network entities (e.g., BS 102, UE 104) particularly from Radio Access Network (RAN) nodes 322 and UPF 320. The primary source of energy consumption occurs at said RAN nodes 322 and the UPF 320. The ECEF 316 can calculate the whole energy consumption by taking the energy consumption in other network functions into consideration. For example, the ECEF 316 can collect the energy consumption from a Control Plane Network function in an OAM system and apporting the energy consumption to each UE 104.

FIG. 4 depicts an example of a method 400 for provisioning an energy credit for a service. The AF 308 can subscribe to energy consumption data from the 5GS. the subscription can be in at least one of the UE 104, a group of UE 104, or services for a UE 104, or services for a group of UE 104. The method 400 can include the ECEF 316, UDR 310, UDM 304, NEF 306, and the AF 308. At step 402, the AF 308 subscribes/requests to NEF 306 for energy consumption data. The subscribe message indicates this subscription is for a UE 104 (identified by a Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI) or a Generic Public Subscription Identifier (GPSI) ) , or a group UE 104 (e.g., one or more UEs 104 identified by an external group ID) , services for the UE 104, or services for the group of UEs 104. The service can be identified by an application identifier, IP address information (e.g., IP Address, FQDN, or IP port) , Data Network Name (DNN) , or Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) . The message can contain a timestamp (e.g., start time, end time, access time, etc. ) , a report condition (e.g., periodic reporting, threshold reporting) . This message can contain a renewable energy indication or a carbon emission information indication.

The renewable energy indication can indicate that the AF 308 requests the amount of energy consumed. The AF 308 can calculate how much of the energy consumed is renewable energy. The carbon emission information indication can indicate that the AF 308 requests the amount of carbon emission information during an energy consumption period. In some arrangements, a target can include a service for the UE 104 or the UE 104 IP address. In some arrangements, when service information is detected, the AF 308 can measure the energy consumption of the detected service. Conversely, when service information is not detected, the AF 308 can measure the whole energy consumption for the UE 104 or the group of UE 104.

At step 404, the NEF 306 can authorize the AF 308 request. The NEF 306 can translate (e.g., parse, decrypt, extrapolate) , via the UDM 304 or UDR 310, the external group identifier to an internal group identifier. The translation can translate the GPSI to the SUPI. In some arrangement, if the target indicates the group of UE 104, the NEF 306 can translate the external group identifier to list of UE 104. The list of UE 104 can be identified by the SUPI. At step 406, the NEF 306 subscribes to the ECEF 316 for energy consumption data. The message can include parameters for the energy consumption data. The subscription can include such parameters. A target UE 104 can be identified by the SUPI, a list of SUPI, or an internal group ID. In some arrangements, if the UEs 104 are identified by an internal group ID, the ECEF 316 translates the internal group identifier to the list of UE 104.

At step 408, the ECEF 316 can collect the energy consumption data for each target UE 104 or services for each target UE 104 received in step 406. The ECEF 316 can calculate energy consumption data and can capture the energy consumption in other network functions. In some arrangements, the report condition can be satisfied. For example, if the report condition is satisfied, the ECEF 316 can report the energy consumption data to NEF 306. The energy consumption data can include the renewable energy consumption data and carbon emission information in the whole energy consumption data. At step 410, the NEF 306 can report the energy consumption to the AF 308.

The ECEF 316 can collect energy data when a subscription for energy consumption data is received from one or more UEs 104. FIG. 5 depicts an example method 500 for collecting energy consumption data. The method 500 can show the process for the ECEF 316 collecting the energy consumption data from the SMF 312 serving the PDU session of the UE 104. The method 500 can include the NG-RAN 322, AMF 314, UPF320, SMF 312, UDM 304, and ECEF 316. The method is executed for each target UE 104 received in step 406 in FIG. 4.

At step 502, for each UE 104, the ECEF 316 retrieves the SMF 312 information of the UE 104 from the UDM 304 using a Nudm_SDM_Get/Subscribe service operation. Each UE 104 can have one or more PDU sessions. The SMF 312 information can include a PDU session ID, SMF 312 ID, a PCF 302 ID, DNN, and S-NSSAI for each PDU session. For each PDU session of the UE 104, the ECEF 316 can execute the subsequent steps of method 500. At step 504, for each PDU session of the UE 104, the ECEF 316 can subscribe or request to the SMF 312 to receive the energy consumption data for the PDU session. The energy consumption data contains the parameters received in step 406 in FIG. 4. The parameters can include service information, timestamps, report conditions, renewable energy indication, carbon emission information indication, and ECEF 316 information.

At step 506, the SMF 312 can subscribe or request the UPF 320 to report the energy consumption data with the parameters received in step 504. The ECEF 316 information can be included in the message. At step 508, the SMF 312 subscribes to the NG-RAN 322 node to report the energy consumption with the parameters in step 504 via the AMF 314. At step 510, the NG-RAN 322 can measure the energy consumption data according to the parameters received in step 508. Furthermore, the NG-RAN 322 can transmit the reports to the SMF 312, via the AMF 314, when the report conditions are met.

At step 512, the UPF 320 can measure the energy consumption data according to the parameters received in step 508. Furthermore, the UPF 320 can transmit the reports to the SMF 312 when the report conditions are met. At step 514, the SMF 312 can report the energy consumption data to the ECEF 316. At step 516, the UPF 320 can report the energy consumption data to the ECEF 316, if ECEF 316 information was obtained from step 506.

The ECEF 316 can receive the subscription for energy consumption data for each UE 104 in the subscription. FIG. 6 depicts an example method 600 to collect energy consumption data. The method 600 can include the NG-RAN 322, UPF 320, SMF 312, PCF 302, UDM 304, and ECEF 316. The ECEF 316 can collect energy consumption data from the PCF 302 for the PDU session of the UE. Each step for method 600 can be performed for each target UE 104 received in step 406 in FIG. 4.

At step 602, for each UE 104, the ECEF 316 can retrieve the SMF 312 information of the UE 104 from the UDM 304 using a Nudm_SDM_Get/Subscribe service operation. Each UE 104 can have one or more PDU sessions. The SMF 312 information can include a PDU session ID, SMF 312 ID, a PCF 302 ID, DNN, and S-NSSAI for each PDU session. For each PDU session of the UE 104, the ECEF 316 can execute the subsequent steps of method 600.

At step 604, for each PDU session of the UE 104, the ECEF 316 can subscribe to the PCF 302 for the PDU session for the energy consumption data. The energy consumption data contains the parameters received in step 406 in FIG. 4. The parameters can include service information, timestamps, report conditions, renewable energy indication, carbon emission information indication, and ECEF 316 information. At step 606, the PCF 302 can create a PCC rule based on the received parameters in step 604. The PCC rule can be used to monitor the energy consumption. The PCF 302 can send a monitoring rule for energy consumption data to the SMF 312 and can use the Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify request.

At step 608, the SMF 312 can subscribe/request to the UPF 320 to report the energy consumption with the parameters received in the PCC rule of step 606. At step 610, the SMF 312 can subscribe/request to the NG-RAN 322 to report the energy consumption data according to the parameters received in the PCC rule of step 606, via the AMF 314. At step 612, the NG-RAN 322 can measure the energy consumption data according to the parameters received at step 610. The NG-RAN 322 can send the report to the SMF 312 when the report conditions are satisfied. At step 614, the UPF 320 can measure the energy consumption data according to the parameters received at step 608. The UPF 320 can send the report to the SMF 312 when the report conditions are satisfied. At step 616, the SMF 312 can report the energy consumption data to the PCF 302. At step 618, the PCF 302 can report the energy consumption data to the ECEF 316.

FIG. 7 depicts an example method 700 for collecting energy consumption data. The method can include any functions described herein. The ECEF 316 can collect the energy consumption data from the PCF 302 of the UE 104 (referred to as AM-PCF 704 herein) . The AM-PCF 704 can collect the energy consumption data from the PCF 302 for each PDU session (referred to as SM-PCF 702 herein) of the UE 104. The steps of method 700 can be executed for each target UE 104 received in step 406 in FIG. 4.

At step 708, the AM-PCF 704 can generate an association with SM-PCF 702 of each PDU session of the UE 104. At step 710, for each UE 104, the ECEF 316 can search the AM-PCF 704 for the UE using Nbsf_Management_Subscribe with the SUPI as an input parameter. The input parameter can indicate that the ECEF 316 is actively searching for the AM-PCF 704 which has an AM Policy Association of the UE, The BSF can notify the AM-PCF 704 of the UE 104 to the ECEF 316. At step 712, the ECEF 316 can subscribe with the AM-PCF 704 for the UE 104 for the energy consumption data. The energy consumption data contains the parameters received in step 406 in FIG. 4. The parameters can include service information, timestamps, report conditions, renewable energy indication, carbon emission information indication, and ECEF 316 information.

The subsequent steps of method 700 can be executed on each SM-PCF 702 of each PDU session of the UE 104. At step 714, the AM-PCF 704 subscribes or requests with the SM-PCF 702 of the PDU session for the energy consumption data, for each SM-PCF 702 of each PDU session of the UE 104. The parameters received in step 712 can be sent to the SM-PCF 702 in a message. At step 716, the SM-PCF 702 can create a PCC rule based on the received parameters in step 714. The PCC rule can be used to monitor the energy consumption. The SM-PCF 702 can send a monitoring rule for energy consumption data to the SMF 312 and can use the Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify request. At step 718, the SMF 312 subscribes to the UPF 320 to report the energy consumption with the parameters received in the PC rule at step 716. At step 720, the SMF 312 subscribes to the NG-RAN 322 to report the energy consumption with the parameters received in the PCC rule at step 716, via the AMF 314. At step 722, the NG-RAN 322 measures the energy consumption data according to the conditions received in the step 720. The NG-RAN 322 can send the reports to the SMF 312, via the AMF 314, when the report conditions are met. At step 724, the UPF 320 measures the energy consumption data according to the conditions received in the step 718. The UPF 320 can send the reports to the SMF 312 when the report conditions are met. At step 726, the SMF 312 can report the energy consumption data to the SM-PCF 702. At step 728, the SM-PCF 702 can report the energy consumption data to the AM-PCF 704. At step 730, the AM-PCF 704 can report the energy consumption data to the ECEF 316.

It should be understood that one or more features from the above/following implementation examples are not exclusive to the specific implementation examples, but can be combined in any manner (e.g., in any priority and/or order, concurrently or otherwise) .

FIG. 8 illustrates a flow diagram of a method 800 for an energy control. The method 1000 may be executed by any one or more of the components and devices detailed herein in conjunction with FIGs. 1–7. In overview, the method 800 may be performed by a wireless communication node (e.g., a base station (BS) or a radio access network (RAN) node) , in some embodiments. Additional, fewer, or different operations may be performed in the method 800 depending on the embodiment. At least one aspect of the operations is directed to a system, method, apparatus, or a computer-readable medium.

A wireless communication method includes a second network entity can send a first message subscribing to energy consumption data associated with a user equipment device (UE) , a group of UEs, a service for a UE, or a service for a group of UEs, to a first network entity. The second network entity can receive a third message, from a third network entity. The second network entity can send a fourth message including the obtained energy consumption data to a third network entity. The first network entity can be an Energy Consumption and Efficiency Function (ECEF 316) entity, the second network entity is a Network Exposure Function (NEF 306) entity or an Application Function (AF 308) , and the third network entity is an Application Function (AF 308) entity. The first network entity can obtain the energy consumption data. The first network entity can send a second message including the obtained energy consumption data.

A wireless communication method includes a network entity which can subscribe to energy consumption data from a fourth network entity. The first network entity is an entity is an Energy Consumption and Efficiency Function (ECEF 316) entity, and the fourth network entity is a Session Management Function (SMF 312) entity. The fourth network entity can serve a PDU session corresponding to the energy consumption data. The fourth network entity can subscribe/request to the energy consumption data from a User Plane Function (UPF 320) entity and a Radio Access Network node 322, causing the UPF 320 entity and/or the Radio Access Network node 322 to obtain the energy consumption data and report the obtained energy consumption data to the fourth network entity. The first network entity can be an Energy Consumption and Efficiency Function (ECEF 316) entity, and the fourth network entity can be a Policy and Charging Function (PCF 302) entity. The fourth network entity can create a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rule for monitoring the energy consumption data and sends the PCC rule to an SMF 312 entity. The SMF 312 entity can subscribe/request to the energy consumption data from a UPF 320 entity and/or a Radio Access Network node 322, causing the UPF 320 entity and/or the Radio Access Network node 322 to obtain the energy consumption data and report the obtained energy consumption data to the fourth network entity.

The first network entity can receive a fifth message including the obtained energy consumption data from or through a fourth network entity. the first network entity can be an Energy Consumption and Efficiency Function (ECEF 316) entity, and the fourth network entity is a first PCF 302 entity. the fourth network entity can subscribe/request the energy consumption data from a second PCF 302 entity. The first PCF 302 can be the Access and Mobility PCF 302 or UE PCF 302, and second PCF 302 is the PCF 302 for a PDU session. The second PCF 302 can create a PCC rule for monitoring the energy consumption data, and sends the PCC rule to an SMF 312 entity. The SMF 312 entity can subscribe/request to the energy consumption data from a UPF 320 entity and/or a Radio Access Network node 322, causing the UPF 320 entity and/or the Radio Access Network node 322 to obtain the energy consumption data and report the obtained energy consumption data to the fourth network entity.

While various embodiments of the present solution have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not by way of limitation. Likewise, the various diagrams may depict an example architectural or configuration, which are provided to enable persons of ordinary skill in the art to understand example features and functions of the present solution. Such persons would understand, however, that the solution is not restricted to the illustrated example architectures or configurations but can be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. Additionally, as would be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art, one or more features of one embodiment can be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described illustrative embodiments.

It is also understood that any reference to an element herein using a designation such as "first, " "second, " and so forth does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. Rather, these designations can be used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of an element. Thus, a reference to first and second elements does not mean that only two elements can be employed, or that the first element must precede the second element in some manner.

Additionally, a person having ordinary skill in the art would understand that information and signals can be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits and symbols, for example, which may be referenced in the above description can be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

A person of ordinary skill in the art would further appreciate that any of the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, processors, means, circuits, methods and functions described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., a digital implementation, an analog implementation, or a combination of the two) , firmware, various forms of program or design code incorporating instructions (which can be referred to herein, for convenience, as "software" or a "software module) , or any combination of these techniques. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware or software, or a combination of these techniques, depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans can implement the described functionality in various ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions do not cause a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

Furthermore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would understand that various illustrative logical blocks, modules, devices, components and circuits described herein can be implemented within or performed by an integrated circuit (IC) that can include a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP) , an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) , a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof. The logical blocks, modules, and circuits can further include antennas and/or transceivers to communicate with various components within the network or within the device. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration to perform the functions described herein.

If implemented in software, the functions can be stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Thus, the steps of a method or algorithm disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media including any medium that can be enabled to transfer a computer program or code from one place to another. A storage media can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer.

In this document, the term "module" as used herein, refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the associated functions described herein. Additionally, for purpose of discussion, the various modules are described as discrete modules; however, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, two or more modules may be combined to form a single module that performs the associated functions according to embodiments of the present solution.

Additionally, memory or other storage, as well as communication components, may be employed in embodiments of the present solution. It will be appreciated that, for clarity purposes, the above description has described embodiments of the present solution with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable distribution of functionality between different functional units, processing logic elements or domains may be used without detracting from the present solution. For example, functionality illustrated to be performed by separate processing logic elements, or controllers, may be performed by the same processing logic element, or controller. Hence, references to specific functional units are only references to a suitable means for providing the described functionality, rather than indicative of a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

Various modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as recited in the claims below.

Claims

A wireless communication method, comprising:

receiving, by a first network entity from a second network entity, a first message subscribing to energy consumption data associated with a user equipment device (UE) , a group of UEs, a service for a UE, or a service for a group of UEs;

obtaining, by the first network entity, the energy consumption data; and

sending, by the first network entity to the second network entity, a second message including the obtained energy consumption data.
The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the second network entity receives, from a third network entity, a third message subscribing to the energy consumption data, and sends, to the third network entity, a fourth message including the obtained energy consumption data.
The wireless communication method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first network entity is an Energy Consumption and Efficiency Function (ECEF) entity, the second network entity is a Network Exposure Function (NEF) entity or an Application Function (AF) , and the third network entity is an Application Function (AF) entity.
A wireless communication method, comprising:

subscribing, by a network entity from a fourth network entity, to the energy consumption data; and

receiving, by the first network entity from or through the fourth network entity, a fifth message including the obtained energy consumption data.
The wireless communication method of claim 4, wherein the first network entity is an Energy Consumption and Efficiency Function (ECEF) entity, and the fourth network entity is a Session Management Function (SMF) entity.
The wireless communication method of claim 5, wherein the fourth network entity serves a PDU session corresponding to the energy consumption data.
The wireless communication method of claim 6, wherein the fourth network entity subscribes/requests to the energy consumption data from a User Plane Function (UPF) entity and a Radio Access Network node, causing the UPF entity and/or the Radio Access Network node to obtain the energy consumption data and report the obtained energy consumption data to the fourth network entity.
The wireless communication method of claim 4, wherein the first network entity is an Energy Consumption and Efficiency Function (ECEF) entity, and the fourth network entity is a Policy and Charging Function (PCF) entity.
The wireless communication method of claim 8, wherein the fourth network entity creates a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rule for monitoring the energy consumption data and sends the PCC rule to an SMF entity.
The wireless communication method of claim 9, wherein the SMF entity subscribes/requests to the energy consumption data from a UPF entity and/or a Radio Access Network node, causing the UPF entity and/or the Radio Access Network node to obtain the energy consumption data and report the obtained energy consumption data to the fourth network entity.
The wireless communication method of claim 4, wherein the first network entity is an Energy Consumption and Efficiency Function (ECEF) entity, and the fourth network entity is a first PCF entity.
The wireless communication method of claim 11, wherein the fourth network entity subscribes/requests the energy consumption data from a second PCF entity.
The wireless communication method of claim 12, wherein the first PCF is the Access and Mobility PCF or UE PCF, and second PCF is the PCF for a PDU session.
The wireless communication method of claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the second PCF creates a PCC rule for monitoring the energy consumption data and sends the PCC rule to an SMF entity.
The wireless communication method of claim 14, wherein the SMF entity subscribes/requests to the energy consumption data from a UPF entity and/or a Radio Access Network node, causing the UPF entity and/or the Radio Access Network node to obtain the energy consumption data and report the obtained energy consumption data to the fourth network entity.
A wireless communications apparatus comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the processor is configured to read code from the memory and implement a method recited in any of claims 1 to 15.
A computer program product comprising a computer-readable program medium code stored thereupon, the code, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to implement a method recited in any of claims 1 to 15.