Multi-access edge computing (MEC) architecture and mobility framework

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11258873-B2
Application number	US-201816646486-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2018
Priority date	Nov 10, 2017
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

Abstract

An architecture to allow the spatial separation of information sources, information processing, and information consumption using objects and tags, including in mobile/multi-access edge computing (MEC) communication environments, is disclosed. In an example, a request for information provided to a network entity (such as a MEC entity) results in the receipt of an object and a tag, as a device operates in an operational area of an information service. The object provides data for the information service, and the tag provides the metadata related to a context of the information service and the object from another entity, for another entity located within the operational area of the location service. The use of this object, including in the form of an application, data, or user object type, allows a transfer and use of data and context for the information service that is independent from the access network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
communications circuitry to communicate with an access network;
processing circuitry; and
a memory device including instructions embodied thereon, wherein the instructions, which when executed by the processing circuitry, configure the processing circuitry to perform operations to:
transmit a request for information to a Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) entity, via the access network, the request transmitted from the device within an operational area in which an information service is available; and
receive an object and a tag from the MEC entity, via the access network, in response to the request for information;
wherein the object provides data for the information service, and wherein the tag provides metadata related to a context of the information service and the object from another entity, the metadata including information on accessing the information service, the another entity located at another location within the operational area, and the context of the information service being independent from the access network.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the object is a data object, the data object structured to provide a data output from an information source located in the operational area, and the tag of the data object structured to provide a data type and classification of the data output, the information source being connected to the MEC entity.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the object is an application object, the application object structured to enable an application to consume data from an information source located in the operational area and provide an output of data to an information sink located in the operational area, the information source and the information sink being connected to the MEC entity.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the tag of the application object specifies requirements for execution of the application, and requirements for the data from the information source.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the object is a user object, the user object structured to consume data from an application available via the information service, the application being connected to the MEC entity.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the tag of the user object specifies data requirements from the application and connectivity information to consume the data from the application via the information service.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the object has an object type of: a data object type, application object type, or a user object type;
wherein the object is linked to a tag of another object via a logical link, the another object having another object type; and
wherein the object and the another object are spatially distributed through logical links via at least the access network.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the object is communicated among multiple entities in the access network via interfaces of the access network.

9. The device of claim 1 , the operations further to:
transmit the object and the tag to another device in the access network, via the access network, using the MEC entity.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the device is included in a first vehicle moving within the operational area, wherein the another device is a second vehicle moving within the operational area, wherein the object and the tag is made available in the operational area while the first vehicle and the second vehicle are mobile within the operational area.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is a mobile computing device, wherein the MEC entity is a MEC orchestrator, and wherein the access network is a 5G wireless network operating according to a 3GPP standards family.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein use of a MEC application for the information service is based on MEC host information provided in a system information block (SIB) message communicated to the device.

13. A method, performed by a mobile computing device connected to an access network, comprising:
transmitting a request for information to a Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) entity, via the access network, the request transmitted from the mobile computing device within an operational area in which an information service is available; and;
receiving an object and a tag from the MEC entity, via the access network, in response to the request for information;
wherein the object provides data for the information service, and wherein the tag provides metadata related to a context of the information service and the object from another entity, the metadata including information on accessing the information service, the another entity located at another location within the operational area, and the context of the information service being independent from the access network.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the object is a data object, the data object structured to provide a data output from an information source located in the operational area, and the tag of the data object structured to provide a data type and classification of the data output, the information source being connected to the MEC entity.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the object is an application object, the application object structured to enable an application to consume data from an information source located in the operational area and provide an output of data to an information sink operational in the operational area, the information source and the information sink being connected to the MEC entity.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the tag of the application object specifies requirements for execution of the application, and requirements for the data from the information source.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the object is a user object, the user object structured to consume data from an application available via the information service, the application being connected to the MEC entity.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the tag of the user object specifies data requirements from the application and connectivity information to consume the data from the application via the information service.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the object has an object type of: a data object type, application object type, or a user object type;
wherein the object is linked to a tag of another object via a logical link, the another object having another object type; and
wherein the object and the another object are spatially distributed through logical links via at least the access network.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the object is communicated among multiple entities in the access network via interfaces of the access network.

21. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
transmitting the object and the tag to another mobile computing device in the access network, via the access network, using the MEC entity.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the mobile computing device is included in a first vehicle moving within the operational area, wherein the another mobile computing device is a second vehicle moving within the operational area, wherein the object and the tag is made available in the operational area while the first vehicle and the second vehicle are mobile within the operational area.

23. The method of claim 13 , wherein use of a MEC application for the information service is based on MEC host information provided in a system information block (SIB) message communicated to the mobile computing device.

24. A

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Mueck Markus Dominik
• Sabella Dario
• Filippou Miltiadis
• Faerber Michael

Classifications

• H04L67/12 Primary

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title

• H04L67/568

  Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching · CPC title

• H04L67/561 Primary

  Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata · CPC title

• H04L67/56

  Provisioning of proxy services (store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54) · CPC title

• H04L67/2804 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic