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EP-4094538-B1 - CONNECTION CONTROL FOR MUSIM DEVICES

EP4094538B1EP 4094538 B1EP4094538 B1EP 4094538B1EP-4094538-B1

Inventors

  • KANNEATH ABRAHAM, Aby
  • KOSKINEN, JUSSI-PEKKA

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20201230

Claims (13)

  1. A method, performed by a multiple universal subscriber identity module, MUSIM, device including a first universal subscriber identity module, USIM, and a second USIM, wherein the first and the second USIM belong to the same operator, the method comprising: obtaining (S110, S210, S3120, S3220) a connection rejection and a connection request inhibition time information in response to a connection request for the first USIM at a connection control instance of the first USIM, associating/forwarding (S120, S220, S3130, S3230) at least part of the connection request inhibition time information with/to a connection control instance of the second USIM, applying (S130, S230, S3150, S3250) the associated or forwarded connection request inhibition time information for the second USIM for inhibiting a connection request for the second universal subscriber identity module, and applying (S240) at least part of the connection request inhibition time information for the first universal subscriber identity module for inhibiting a connection request for the first universal subscriber identity module.
  2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the connection request inhibition time information comprises a wait time, and applying at the connection control instance of the second USIM the connection request inhibition time information comprises starting a timer with a timer value corresponding to the wait time and inhibiting a connection request while the timer is running, and/or the connection request inhibition time information comprises an extended wait time, and applying at the connection control instance of the second USIM the connection request inhibition time information comprises associating the extended wait time with one or more upper layers for inhibiting a connection request for a time corresponding to the extended wait time by the one or more upper layers.
  3. The method according to claim 2, wherein in applying the connection request inhibition time information for the first or second universal subscriber identity module, the extended wait time is associated with the one or more upper layers of said universal subscriber identity module if said universal subscriber identity module supports delay tolerant access.
  4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein applying the connection request inhibition time information in any one of operations S130, S230 and S240 comprises selectively using the connection request inhibition time information for at least one of a specified condition and a specified connection type.
  5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: checking applicability of the connection request inhibition time information for the second universal subscriber identity module on the basis of applicability information designating applicability of connection request inhibition time information for one or more universal subscriber identity modules, including the first and second universal subscriber identity modules, and applying the associated/forwarded connection request inhibition time information or part thereof, which is applicable for the second universal subscriber identity module, for the second universal subscriber identity module, at the connection control instance of the second USIM.
  6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: obtaining the applicability information designating applicability of at least part of the obtained connection request inhibition time information for one or more universal subscriber identity modules, including the first and second universal subscriber identity modules.
  7. A multiple universal subscriber identity module, MUSIM, device including a first universal subscriber identity module, USIM, and a second USIM, wherein the first and the second USIM belong to the same operator, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the device to perform at least the following: obtaining (S110, S210, S3120, S3220) a connection rejection and a connection request inhibition time information in response to a connection request for the first USIM at a connection control instance of the first USIM, associating/forwarding (S120, S220, S3130, S3230) at least part of the connection request inhibition time information with/to a connection control instance of the second USIM, applying (S130, S230, S3150, S3250) the associated or forwarded at least part of the connection request inhibition time information for the second universal subscriber identity module for inhibiting a connection request for the second universal subscriber identity module, and applying (S240) at least part of the connection request inhibition time information for the first universal subscriber identity module for inhibiting a connection request for the first universal subscriber identity module.
  8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the connection request inhibition time information comprises a wait time, and applying at the connection control instance of the second USIM the connection request inhibition time information comprises starting a timer with a timer value corresponding to the wait time and inhibiting a connection request while the timer is running, and/or the connection request inhibition time information comprises an extended wait time, and applying at the connection control instance of the second USIM the connection request inhibition time information comprises associating the extended wait time with one or more upper layers for inhibiting a connection request for a time corresponding to the extended wait time by the one or more upper layers.
  9. The device according to claim 8, wherein in applying the connection request inhibition time information for the first or second universal subscriber identity module, the extended wait time is associated with the one or more upper layers of said universal subscriber identity module if said universal subscriber identity module supports delay tolerant access.
  10. The device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein applying the connection request inhibition time information in any one of operations S130, S230 and S240 comprises selectively using the connection request inhibition time information for at least one of a specified condition and a specified connection type.
  11. The device according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the device to perform: checking applicability of the connection request inhibition time information for the second universal subscriber identity module on the basis of applicability information designating applicability of connection request inhibition time information for one or more universal subscriber identity modules, including the first and second universal subscriber identity modules, and applying the associated/forwarded connection request inhibition time information or part thereof, which is applicable for the second universal subscriber identity module, for the second universal subscriber identity module, at the connection control instance of the second USIM.
  12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the device to perform: obtaining the applicability information designating applicability of at least part of the obtained connection request inhibition time information for one or more universal subscriber identity modules, including the first and second universal subscriber identity modules.
  13. A computer program product comprising computer program code which, when the computer program code is executed on a computer at a multiple universal subscriber identity module, MUSIM, device, is configured to cause the computer to carry out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

Description

Field The present disclosure relates to connection control for devices with multiple universal subscriber identity modules (USIMs), referred to as MUSIM devices. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to measures/mechanisms (including methods, apparatuses (i.e. devices, elements and/or functions) and computer program products) for enabling/realizing efficient connection control for MUSIM devices. Background Basically, the present disclosure addresses connection control in mobile communication systems. As an example, the present disclosure is applicable in a 3GPP-standardized mobile communication system, such as a 5G/NR or a 4G/LTE/eLTE system. Patent publication US20140010180A1 describes a method and appzaratus for service access barring. Patent publication US20150098445A1 describes an apparatus and method for enhanced multi-sim tune-away operation. In mobile communication systems, a communication element or function, herein referred to as a device (such as e.g. a UE), is provided with network connectivity/access by a communication network control element or function, herein referred to as a base station (such as e.g. a gNB or eNB), which belongs to a cell on which the device is currently camped on. To this end, the device requests connection establishment from the base station (e.g. by a RRC Setup Request message), and the base station either accepts or rejects the request (e.g. by a RRC Setup message or a RRC Reject message). Hence, connection control is accomplished by way of signaling between the devices and the base stations, e.g. RRC signaling. Base stations typically have limits on active users and call attempts per second. If a new users cannot be admitted due to these limits, for e.g. during a mass event, the base station rejects the connection request of his/her device. After such rejection, the device may again attempt connection setup by re-/initiating a subsequent connection establishment procedure so that signaling load (e.g. RRC signaling load) will increase, further aggravating network performance, e.g. the 'call attempts per second' KPI. To prevent this, it is proposed to inhibit the next connection setup attempt by the rejected device for some time. On the one hand, 3GPP specification (3GPP TS 38.331, V15.7.0, cf. section 5.3.15.2) specifies that the base station includes a parameter waitTime in the RRC Reject message to the device, and the device, upon reception thereof, starts timer T302 with a timer value corresponding to waitTime (which can be up to 16 seconds) so as to delay RRC setup repetitions by the RRC of the device until lapse of the timer T302. On the other hand, e.g. for mMTC control, 3GPP specification (3GPP TS 36.331, V15.7.0, cf. section 5.3.3.8) specifies that the base station includes a parameter extendedWaitTime in the RRC Reject message to the device, and the device, upon reception thereof, forwards the extendedWaitTime to its upper layers so as to delay RRC setup repetitions by the upper layers of the device for the extendedWaitTime duration (which can be up to 1800 seconds). In mobile communication systems, support of MUSIM devices, i.e. devices with multiple universal subscriber identity modules (USIMs), is currently investigated. Namely, it is requested that devices supporting more than one USIM, i.e. more than one subscription of a user, in which the USIMs may be from the same operator or from different operators, shall be specified by 3GPP specification. In view of network connectivity/access, it is for example found that totally independent cell selection/reselection for different USIMs will waste power and may extend the cell selection/reselection time for a MUSIM device, especially a MUSIM device implementation which uses common radio and baseband components which are shared among the multiple USIMs. If two different USIMs belong to the same operator, some coordination would be conceivable, e.g. the cell selection and reselection of the secondary USIM could follow the cell selection and reselection of the primary USIM. Thereby, a scenario could easily occur, in which the primary and secondary USIMs are camped on the same cell such that the same base station provides for network connectivity/access for the two USIMs or their subscriptions. When two USIMs belonging to the same operator are involved in one MUSIM device, it is highly likely that they camp on the same cell, e.g. due to the aforementioned approach of following cell selection and reselection. In such scenario, the above-described proposal for inhibiting the next connection setup attempt by the rejected device however fails. In a MUSIM device implementation which uses separate radio and baseband components, the multiple USIMs can (continue to) initiate connection establishment procedures independently. In a MUSIM device implementation which uses common radio and baseband components, when the connection request by one of the USIMs is rejected, the remaining USIM or USIMs can immediately re-/i