User discovery method, user equipment, and proximity service function entity

• US 10,306,701 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2017
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: He, Yue, Jin, Hui, Ouyang, Guowei, Yi, Qiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Wei, Siren
• Application Number:
  US15/483,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20170215061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/30 for supporting lawful interception, monitoring or retaining of communications or communication related information circuit switched telephony call monitoring H04M3/2281
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses a user discovery method, user equipment, and a proximity service function entity, and pertains to the field of mobile communications technologies. The method includes: receiving a first message sent by monitoring UE; sending a second message to monitored UE; receiving a third message sent by the monitored UE; allocating a broadcast code word to the monitored UE; and sending a fourth message to the monitoring UE.

Claims

1. A method of user discovery, comprising:

receiving a first message sent by a first terminal device, wherein the first message is used to request to monitor a second terminal device, the first message carries a command word, and the command word is used to apply for monitoring authorization;

sending a second message to the second terminal device, wherein the second message is used to apply to the second terminal device for monitoring authorization, and the second message carries an identity of the first terminal device;

allocating a broadcast code word to the second terminal device;

receiving a third message sent by the second terminal device, wherein the third message is used to indicate whether the second terminal device agrees to be monitored by the first terminal device, and the third message carries an identity of the second terminal device;

if when the third message indicates that the second terminal device agrees to be monitored by the first terminal device, sending a fourth message to the first terminal device, wherein the fourth message carries the identity of the second terminal device and the broadcast code word of the second terminal device; and

receiving an additional message used to initiate a deactivation request, and the additional message carries the broadcast code word of the second terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

saving a monitoring-related context, wherein the monitoring-related context comprises the identity of the second terminal device, the identity of the first terminal device, the broadcast code word of the second terminal device, and a life cycle of the broadcast code word of the second terminal device.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprises:

when the life cycle of the broadcast code word of the second terminal device expires, allocating a new broadcast code word to the second terminal device; and

sending the new broadcast code word to the first terminal device according to the saved monitoring-related context.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a fifth message sent by the first terminal device, wherein the fifth message is used to prompt that the first terminal device cannot monitor the second terminal device, and the fifth message carries the broadcast code word of the second terminal device or the identity of the second terminal device; and

sending an alarm to the second terminal device according to the fifth message.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the additional message sent by the first terminal device is a sixth message, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving the sixth message sent by the first terminal device, wherein the sixth message is used by the first terminal device to initiate the deactivation request, and the sixth message carries the broadcast code word of the second terminal device; and

sending a seventh message to the second terminal device according to the sixth message and the monitoring-related context, wherein the seventh message is used to instruct the second terminal device to stop broadcasting.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the additional message sent by the first terminal device is an eighth message and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving the eighth message sent by the second terminal device, wherein the eighth message is used by the second terminal device to initiate the deactivation request, and the eighth message carries the broadcast code word of the second terminal device; and

sending a ninth message to the first terminal device according to the eighth message and the monitoring-related context, wherein the ninth message is used to instruct the first terminal device to stop monitoring the second terminal device.

7. A user discovery method, wherein the method comprises:

receiving a first message sent by a proximity service function entity, wherein the first message is sent after the proximity service function entity receives a second message sent by first terminal device, the second message is used by the first terminal device to request to monitor second terminal device, the second message carries a command word, the command word is used to apply for monitoring authorization, the first message is used to apply for monitoring authorization, and the first message carries an identity of the first terminal device;

receiving a broadcast code word allocated by the proximity service function entity; and

sending a third message to the proximity service function entity, wherein the third message is used to indicate whether monitoring by the first terminal device is agreed, and the third message carries an identity of the second terminal device; and

sending a fourth message to the proximity service function entity, wherein the fourth message is used to initiate a deactivation request, and the fourth message carries the broadcast code word of the second terminal device.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

when the second terminal device agrees to be monitored by the first terminal device and receives the broadcast code word, sending a broadcast message, wherein the broadcast message carries the broadcast code word of the second terminal device.

9. A proximity service function entity, wherein the proximity service function entity comprises:

at least one processor, a memory, a bus, and a communications interface, wherein the memory is configured to store a computer executable instruction, the processor and the memory are connected by using the bus, and the at least one processor is configured to execute the computer executable instruction stored in the memory, wherein the computer executable instruction comprises instructions to;

receive a first message sent by a first terminal device, wherein the first message is used to request to monitor a second terminal device, the first message carries a command word, and the command word is used to apply for monitoring authorization;

send a second message to the second terminal device, wherein the second message is used to apply to the second terminal device for monitoring authorization, and the second message carries an identity of the first terminal device;

allocate a broadcast code word to the second terminal device;

receive a third message sent by the second terminal device, wherein the third message is used to indicate whether the second terminal device agrees to be monitored by the first terminal device, and the third message carries an identity of the second terminal device;

when the third message indicates that the second terminal device agrees to be monitored by the first terminal device, send a fourth message to the first terminal device, wherein the fourth message carries the identity of the second terminal device and the broadcast code word of the second terminal device; and

receive an additional message used to initiate a deactivation request, and the additional message carries the broadcast code word of the second terminal device.

10. The proximity service function entity according to claim 9, wherein the computer executable instruction further comprises instructions to:

save a monitoring-related context, wherein the monitoring-related context comprises the identity of the second terminal device, the identity of the first terminal device, the broadcast code word of the second terminal device, and a life cycle of the broadcast code word of the second terminal device.

11. The proximity service function entity according to claim 10, wherein the computer executable instruction further comprises instructions to:

when the life cycle of the broadcast code word of the second terminal device expires, allocate a new broadcast code word to the second terminal device; and

send the new broadcast code word to the first terminal device according to the saved monitoring-related context.

12. The proximity service function entity according to claim 10, wherein the computer executable instruction further comprises instructions to:

receive a fifth message sent by the first terminal device, wherein the fifth message is used to prompt that the first terminal device cannot monitor the second terminal device, and the fifth message carries the broadcast code word of the second terminal device or the identity of the second terminal device; and

send an alarm to the second terminal device according to the fifth message.

13. The proximity service function entity according to claim 10, wherein the additional message sent by the first terminal device is a sixth message and wherein the computer executable instruction further comprises instructions to:

receive the sixth message sent by the first terminal device, wherein the sixth message is used by the first terminal device to initiate the deactivation request, and the sixth message carries the broadcast code word of the second terminal device; and

send a seventh message to the second terminal device according to the sixth message and the monitoring-related context, wherein the seventh message is used to instruct the second terminal device to stop broadcasting.

14. The proximity service function entity according to claim 10, wherein the additional message sent by the first terminal device is an eighth message and wherein the computer executable instruction further comprises instructions to:

receive the eighth message sent by the second terminal device, wherein the eighth message is used by the second terminal device to initiate the deactivation request, and the eighth message carries the broadcast code word of the second terminal device; and

send a ninth message to the first terminal device according to the eighth message and the monitoring-related context, wherein the ninth message is used to instruct the first terminal device to stop monitoring the second terminal device.

15. A terminal device, comprising:

at least one processor, a memory, a bus, and a communications interface, wherein the memory is configured to store a computer executable instruction, the at least one processor and the memory are connected by using the bus, and the at least one processor is configured to execute the computer executable instruction stored in the memory, wherein the computer executable instruction comprises instructions to;

receive a first message sent by a proximity service function entity, wherein the first message is sent after the proximity service function entity receives a second message sent by other terminal device, the second message is used by the other terminal device to request to monitor the terminal device, the second message carries a command word, the command word is used to apply for monitoring authorization, the first message is used to apply for monitoring authorization, and the first message carries an identity of the other terminal device;

receive a broadcast code word allocated by the proximity service function entity; and

send a third message to the proximity service function entity, wherein the third message is used to indicate whether monitoring by the other terminal device is agreed, and the third message carries an identity of the terminal device; and

send a fourth message to the proximity service function entity, wherein the fourth message is used to initiate a deactivation request, and the fourth message carries the broadcast code word of the terminal device.

16. The terminal device according to claim 15, wherein the computer executable instruction further comprises instructions to:

when the terminal device agrees to be monitored by the other terminal device and receives the broadcast code word, send a broadcast message, wherein the broadcast message carries the broadcast code word of the terminal device.