Multi-access edge computing service for mobile user equipment method and apparatus

1. A computing system, comprising:

communication circuitry;

memory circuitry to store program code of a connection selection function, wherein the connection selection function is a system layer function that is below an application layer of the computing system; and

processor circuitry connected with the memory circuitry and the communication circuitry, wherein the processor circuitry is to operate the connection selection function to:

obtain a connection selection policy from a set of mobility service providers (MSPs) via a first interface between the computing system and individual MSPs of the set of MSPs;

obtain access network (AN) information about a set of ANs via a second interface between the computing system and individual ANs of the set of ANs, wherein the first interface is different than the second interface;

select, based on the AN information and according to the connection selection policy, individual ANs of the set of ANs to provide network connectivity for a vehicle system prior to and during movement of the vehicle system; and

initiate, via the communication circuitry, connection establishment with the selected ANs as the individual ANs become available to the vehicle system.

2. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is to operate the connection selection function to:

obtain the AN information from the individual ANs via an access layer of the computing system.

3. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the AN information includes one or more of AN measurement reports, radio link measurements, communication history, AN charging policies, access network charging history, network status, location information of the vehicle system, location information of the set of MSPs, service-related information, and service context.

4. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the connection selection policy governs the selection of the individual ANs.

5. The computing system of claim 4 , wherein the connection selection policy includes one or more of quality-based conditions for selecting access networks, location-based conditions for selecting access networks, traffic-based conditions for selecting ANs, and operational conditions for selecting ANs.

6. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is to operate the connection selection function to:

identify, as the individual ANs, ANs along a geographic route as the vehicle system travels along the geographic route.

7. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the computing system is disposed in the vehicle system.

8. The computing system of claim 7 , wherein the computing system is an embedded system in the vehicle system or the computing system is a handheld device within the vehicle system.

9. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the computing system is an MSP.

10. The computing system of claim 9 , wherein the MSP is an MSP center server or an MSP edge server.

11. The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the MSP edge server is a Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) host or MEC server in a MEC framework.

12. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the set of ANs include one or more cellular network base stations and one or more wireless local area network (WLAN) access points.

13. The computing system of claim 12 , wherein at least one AN of the set of ANs supports interworking between at least one of the one or more cellular network base stations and at least one of the one or more WLAN access points.

14. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media (NTCRM) comprising instructions of a connection selection function, wherein execution of the instructions by one or more processors of a computing system is to cause the computing system to operate the connection selection function to:

prior to and during movement of a vehicle system,

identify a set of access networks (ANs) along a geographic route of the vehicle system before and during vehicular movement along the geographic route;

obtain a connection selection policy from a set of mobility service providers (MSPs) via a first interface, wherein the connection selection policy governs how ANs are to be selected to provide network connectivity for the vehicle system;

obtain AN information about the set of ANs from the set of ANs via a second interface, wherein the first interface is different than the second interface;

select, based on the AN information and the connection selection policy, individual ANs of the set of ANs to serve the vehicle system;

establish connections with the individual ANs as the individual ANs become available to the vehicle system; and

establish or transfer MSP instances with one or more MSPs of the set of MSPs via the individual ANs when the connections with the individual ANs are established.

15. The one or more NTCRM of claim 14 , wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the computing system to operate the connection selection function to, one or both of:

obtain the connection selection policy from an MSP application in an application layer of the computing system, and the first interface is between the MSP application and at least one MSP of the set of MSPs; and

obtain the AN information from one or more of an access layer of the vehicle system and the second interface is between the access layer of the vehicle and individual ANs of the set of ANs.

16. The one or more NTCRM of claim 14 , wherein the AN information includes one or more of radio link measurements, AN measurement reports, communication history, AN charging history, AN charging policies, network status, location information of the vehicle system, location information of the set of MSPs, service-related information, and a service context.

17. The one or more NTCRM of claim 14 , wherein the connection selection policy includes one or more of quality-based conditions for selecting access networks, location-based conditions for selecting access networks, traffic-based conditions for selecting access networks, and operational conditions for selecting access networks.

18. The one or more NTCRM of claim 14 , wherein the computing system is an embedded system of the vehicle system or the computing system is a handheld device within a cabin of the vehicle system.

19. The one or more NTCRM of claim 14 , wherein the computing system is an MSP, wherein the MSP is an MSP center server or an MSP edge server.

20. The one or more NTCRM of claim 14 , wherein the set of MSPs include a set of MSP center servers and a set of MSP edge servers.

21. The one or more NTCRM of claim 20 , wherein the set of ANs include one or more cellular network base stations and one or more wireless local area network (WLAN) access points, and at least one AN of the set of ANs supports interworking between at least one of the one or more cellular network base stations and at least one of the one or more WLAN access points.

22. A method of operating a connection selection function by a vehicle system, the method comprising:

identifying a set of access networks (ANs) along a geographic route of the vehicle system before and while the vehicle system travels along the geographic route;

obtaining a connection selection policy from a mobility service provider (MSP) application in an application layer via a first interface, wherein the connection selection policy governs how ANs are selected to provide network connectivity for the vehicle system;

obtaining AN information about the set of ANs from an access layer of the vehicle system via a second interface, wherein the first interface is different than the second interface;

selecting, based on the connection selection policy and the AN information, individual ANs of the set of ANs for network connectivity along the geographic route; and

causing connection establishment with the selected ANs as the individual ANs become available to the vehicle system.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the AN information includes:

one or more of radio link measurements, AN measurement reports, communication history, AN charging history, AN charging policies, network status, location information of the vehicle system, location information of the set of MSPs, service-related information, and a service context; and

the connection selection policy includes one or more of quality-based conditions for selecting access networks, location-based conditions for selecting access networks, traffic-based conditions for selecting access networks, and operational conditions for selecting access networks.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the set of ANs include one or more cellular network base stations and one or more wireless local area network (WLAN) access points, and at least one AN of the set of ANs supports interworking between at least one of the one or more cellular network base stations and at least one of the one or more WLAN access points.