CN-122029903-A - Method and apparatus for non-seamless WLAN offload interworking between independent non-public networks

Abstract

The user equipment forms a registration request comprising a decorated network access identifier, NAI, indicating a cellular subscription of the user equipment and indicating an interworking indication for causing a non-seamless WLAN offload, NSWO, interworking from the first independent non-public network SNPN to the second SNPN, sends the registration request to the first SNPN, and receives an indication of a result of the registration request from the first SNPN after the registration request. The mobility management entity of the first SNPN receives the registration request including the decorated NAI, forms an authentication request including the decorated NAI and an indication of the first SNPN name, sends the authentication request to the second SNPN, receives an authentication response from the second SNPN, and indicates the result of the registration request to the user equipment in accordance with the authentication response.

Inventors

• S. Carrey
• B. H. bujerum
• R. Mawuleidi Danasekalan

Assignees

• 诺基亚技术有限公司

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20241008

Priority Date

20231009

Claims (20)

1. 1. An apparatus for a user equipment, wherein the apparatus comprises: cellular radio circuitry for communicating with a cellular network; at least one processor, and At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: Forming a registration request comprising a decorated network access identifier, NAI, indicating a cellular subscription of the user equipment and indicating an interworking indication for causing a non-seamless WLAN offloaded, NSWO, interworking from a first independent non-public network SNPN to a second SNPN; Transmitting the registration request to the first SNPN, and After the registration request, an indication of a result of the registration request is received from the first SNPN.
2. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises or is comprised in the user equipment.
3. 3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the user equipment is a mobile device.
4. 4. An apparatus, comprising: at least one processor, and At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: Receiving a registration request from a user equipment, the registration request comprising a decorated network access identifier, NAI, the decorated NAI indicating a cellular subscription of the user equipment and indicating an interworking indication, the interworking indication being for causing a non-seamless WLAN offloaded, NSWO, interworking of the user equipment from a first SNPN to a second SNPN; Forming an authentication request, the authentication request including the decorated NAI and an indication of the first SNPN name; Sending the authentication request to the second SNPN; receiving an authentication response from the second SNPN, and And indicating the result of the registration request to the user equipment according to the authentication response.
5. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the apparatus comprises or is included in a mobility management entity of the first SNPN.
6. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the mobility management entity is an access and mobility management function, AMF.
7. 7. The apparatus according to any of claims 4 to 6, wherein if the result of a registration request is to reject the registration request, the indicated result of the registration request is that a cause code "SNPN is not allowed".
8. 8. An apparatus, comprising: Communication circuitry for communicating with at least a mobility management entity of the first independent non-public network SNPN; at least one processor, and At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: Receiving an authentication request, the authentication request comprising a decorated network access identifier, NAI, and an indication of the first SNPN name, the decorated NAI indicating a cellular subscription of the user equipment and indicating an interconnection indication, the interconnection indication being for causing a non-seamless WLAN offload, NSWO, interconnection of the user equipment from the first SNPN to the second SNPN; verifying whether the first SNPN is in the allowable access SNPN and accordingly allowing or rejecting the authentication request, and An authentication response is sent to the second SNPN, the authentication response indicating whether the authentication response is allowed or denied.
9. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus comprises the authentication entity of the second SNPN or is included in the authentication entity of the second SNPN.
10. 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the authentication entity is an authentication server function AUSF.
11. 11. The apparatus according to any of claims 8 to 10, wherein the authentication response is message "SNPN unauthorized" if the authentication request is denied.
12. 12. The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein the modified NAI comprises an NSWO interconnection indication.
13. 13. The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein the interconnection indication is a tag that is contained in a home domain portion and other domain portions of the decorated NAI.
14. 14. The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein the modified NAI comprises an indication of the second SNPN, an indication of a home SNPN of the cellular subscription, and a subscriber hidden identifier SUCI of the cellular subscription.
15. 15. A method in an apparatus for a user equipment, comprising: Forming a registration request comprising a decorated network access identifier, NAI, indicating a cellular subscription of the user equipment and indicating an interworking indication for causing a non-seamless WLAN offloaded, NSWO, interworking from a first independent non-public network SNPN to a second SNPN; Transmitting the registration request to the first SNPN, and After the registration request, an indication of a result of the registration request is received from the first SNPN.
16. 16. A method in a mobility management entity for a first independent non-public network SNPN, comprising: Receiving a registration request from a user equipment, the registration request comprising a decorated network access identifier, NAI, the decorated NAI indicating a cellular subscription of the user equipment and indicating an interworking indication, the interworking indication being for causing a non-seamless WLAN offloaded, NSWO, interworking of the user equipment from a first SNPN to a second SNPN; Forming an authentication request, the authentication request including the decorated NAI and an indication of the first SNPN name; Sending the authentication request to the second SNPN; receiving an authentication response from the second SNPN, and And indicating the result of the registration request to the user equipment according to the authentication response.
17. 17. A method in an authentication entity for a second independent non-public network SNPN, comprising: Receiving an authentication request, the authentication request comprising a decorated NAI and an indication of the first SNPN name, the decorated NAI indicating a cellular subscription of a user equipment and indicating an interconnection indication, the interconnection indication being for causing a non-seamless WLAN offloaded NSWO interconnection of the user equipment from the first SNPN to the second SNPN; verifying whether the first SNPN is in the allowable access SNPN and accordingly allowing or rejecting the authentication request, and An authentication response is sent to the second SNPN, the authentication response indicating whether the authentication response is allowed or denied.
18. 18. An apparatus, comprising: means for forming a registration request comprising a decorated network access identifier, NAI, indicating a cellular subscription of the user equipment and indicating an interworking indication for causing a non-seamless WLAN offloaded, NSWO, interworking from a first independent non-public network SNPN to a second SNPN; Means for sending the registration request to the first SNPN, and Means for receiving an indication of a result of the registration request from the first SNPN after the registration request.
19. 19. An apparatus, comprising: Means for receiving a registration request from a user equipment, the registration request comprising a decorated network access identifier, NAI, the decorated NAI indicating a cellular subscription of the user equipment and indicating an interworking indication, the interworking indication being for causing a non-seamless WLAN offloaded, NSWO, interworking of the user equipment from a first SNPN to a second SNPN; Means for forming an authentication request, the authentication request comprising the decorated NAI and an indication of the first SNPN name, and Means for sending the authentication request to the second SNPN; means for receiving an authentication response from the second SNPN, and Means for indicating to the user equipment a result of the registration request in accordance with the authentication response.
20. 20. An apparatus, comprising: Means for receiving an authentication request comprising a decorated network access identifier, NAI, and an indication of the first SNPN name, the decorated NAI indicating a cellular subscription of a user equipment and indicating an interconnection indication for causing a non-seamless WLAN offloaded, NSWO, interconnection of the user equipment from the first SNPN to the second SNPN; Means for verifying whether said first SNPN is in a permissible access SNPN and allowing or rejecting said authentication request accordingly, and Means for sending an authentication response to the second SNPN, the authentication response indicating whether the authentication response is allowed or denied.

Description

Method and apparatus for non-seamless WLAN offload interworking between independent non-public networks Technical Field Various example embodiments relate to non-seamless WLAN offload interconnection between independent non-public networks. Background This section describes useful background information, but does not constitute an admission that any of the techniques described herein represent prior art. Mobile communications have evolved from sparse proprietary systems with tremendous scope to high density public networks with smaller and smaller scope for increased capacity. However, there are use cases of non-public systems or networks for service limited user groups. In some cases it may be advantageous to interconnect such non-public systems or to provide a connection to a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) through a separate non-public network (SNPN). Non-seamless WLAN splitting (NSWO) interworking may allow for automatic change of the NSWO used for radio access, but NSWO interworking between independent non-public networks (SNPN) may not currently be supported. In this case, the WLAN may refer to a wireless local area network that is backward compatible with IEEE 802.11 version a. SNPN and NSWO are standardized or being standardized in 3GPP for different 5G versions. It is expected that these SNPN and NSWO will also be available in the next generation 3GPP and other standards. In this document, 3gpp 5g may be considered a baseline system being improved, and is not intended to exclude other and subsequent systems compatible with the examples and aspects presented in this document. Disclosure of Invention The scope of protection sought for the various embodiments of the invention is as set forth in the independent claims. The embodiments and features (if any) described in this specification that do not fall within the scope of the independent claims should be construed as examples useful for understanding the various embodiments of the invention. According to a first example aspect, there is provided an apparatus as defined in appended claim 1. According to a second example aspect, there is provided an apparatus as defined in appended claim 4. According to a third example aspect, there is provided an apparatus as defined in appended claim 8. According to a fourth example aspect, there is provided a method as defined in the appended claim 15. According to a fifth example aspect, there is provided a method as defined in the appended claim 16. According to a sixth example aspect, there is provided a method as defined in the appended claim 17. According to a seventh exemplary aspect, there is provided an apparatus as defined in the appended claim 18. According to an eighth example aspect, there is provided an apparatus as defined in the appended claim 19. According to a ninth example aspect, there is provided an apparatus as defined in the appended claim 20. According to an eleventh exemplary aspect, there is provided a computer program as defined in the appended claim 21. According to a twelfth exemplary aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in the appended claim 22. According to a thirteenth exemplary aspect, there is provided a computer readable medium as defined in the appended claim 23. According to a fourteenth example aspect, there is provided a system as defined in the appended claim 24. According to a fourteenth example aspect, there is provided a system as defined in the appended claim 25. Any of the foregoing storage media may comprise a digital data storage such as a data disk or diskette, optical storage, magnetic storage, holographic storage, magneto-optical storage, phase change memory, resistive random access memory, magnetic random access memory, solid state electrolyte memory, ferroelectric random access memory, organic memory, or polymer memory. The storage medium may be formed as a device having no other substantial function than storage memory, or it may be formed as part of a device having other functions, including but not limited to, storage memory of a computer, a chipset, and a sub-assembly of an electronic device. Various non-limiting example aspects and embodiments have been described in the foregoing. The foregoing embodiments are merely illustrative of selected aspects or steps that may be utilized in an implementation. Some embodiments may be presented with reference only to certain example aspects of the invention. It should be appreciated that the corresponding embodiments may also be applicable to other example aspects. Drawings For a more complete understanding of the example embodiments, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a process of an example embodiment. Fig. 2 shows a flow chart of a procedure in a user equipment according to an example embodiment. Fig. 3 shows a simplified flow chart of a procedure in a mobility management entity for a