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EP-4740522-A1 - METHODS AND APPARATUS OF IMPROVING USER EQUIPMENT BEHAVIOR TO DEREGISTER AND REGISTER DURING DISCONTINUOUS COVERAGE OVERLOAD CONDITION

EP4740522A1EP 4740522 A1EP4740522 A1EP 4740522A1EP-4740522-A1

Abstract

Techniques pertaining to improving user equipment (UE) behavior to deregister and register during a discontinuous coverage overload condition in mobile communications are described. An apparatus (e.g., a UE) switches off when a timer is running. The UE behaves according to values of a first time and a second time when switching on with a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) in the UE remaining unchanged. The first time (t1) denotes an amount of time remaining for the timer to time out at switch-off of the UE. The second time (t) denotes an amount of time elapsed between switch-off and switch-on of the UE.

Inventors

  • Puneet
  • NIEMI, Marko

Assignees

  • MediaTek Singapore Pte. Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240626

Claims (12)

  1. A method, comprising: switching, by a processor of a user equipment (UE) , off the UE when a timer for disaster roaming wait range is running; and behaving, by the processor, according to values of a first time and a second time when switching on the UE with a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) in the UE remaining unchanged, wherein the first time (t1) denotes an amount of time remaining for the timer for disaster roaming wait range to time out at switch-off of the UE, and wherein the second time (t) denotes an amount of time elapsed between switch-off and switch-on of the UE.
  2. The method of claim 1, wherein the behaving comprises restarting the timer with a value of t1 –t responsive to t1 being greater than t.
  3. The method of claim 1, wherein the behaving comprises not restarting the timer responsive to t1 being equal to or less than t.
  4. The method of claim 1, wherein the behaving comprises restarting the timer with a value of t1 responsive to a value of t being undetermined.
  5. A method, comprising: switching, by a processor of a user equipment (UE) , off the UE when a timer for disaster return wait range is running; and behaving, by the processor, according to values of a first time and a second time when switching on the UE with a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) in the UE remaining unchanged, wherein the first time (t1) denotes an amount of time remaining for the timer for disaster return wait range to time out at switch-off of the UE, and wherein the second time (t) denotes an amount of time elapsed between switch-off and switch-on of the UE.
  6. The method of claim 5, wherein the behaving comprises restarting the timer with a value of t1 –t responsive to t1 being greater than t.
  7. The method of claim 5, wherein the behaving comprises not restarting the timer responsive to t1 being equal to or less than t.
  8. The method of claim 5, wherein the behaving comprises restarting the timer with a value of t1 responsive to a value of t being undetermined.
  9. A method, comprising: switching, by a processor of a user equipment (UE) , off the UE when a discontinuous coverage maximum time offset timer is running; and behaving, by the processor, according to values of a first time and a second time when switching on the UE with a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) in the UE remaining unchanged, wherein the first time (t1) denotes an amount of time remaining for the discontinuous coverage maximum time offset timer to time out at switch-off of the UE, and wherein the second time (t) denotes an amount of time elapsed between switch-off and switch-on of the UE.
  10. The method of claim 9, wherein the behaving comprises restarting the discontinuous coverage maximum time offset timer with a value of t1 –t responsive to t1 being greater than t.
  11. The method of claim 9, wherein the behaving comprises not restarting the discontinuous coverage maximum time offset timer responsive to t1 being equal to or less than t.
  12. The method of claim 9, wherein the behaving comprises restarting the discontinuous coverage maximum time offset timer with a value of t1 responsive to a value of t being undetermined.

Description

METHODS AND APPARATUS OF IMPROVING USER EQUIPMENT BEHAVIOR TO DEREGISTER AND REGISTER DURING DISCONTINUOUS COVERAGE OVERLOAD CONDITION CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION (S) The present disclosure claims the priority benefit of Indian Patent Application Nos. 202321045846 and 202321045848, filed 07 July 2023 and 07 July 2023, respectively, the contents of which herein being incorporated by reference in their entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure is generally related to mobile communications and, more particularly, to improving user equipment (UE) behavior to deregister and register during a discontinuous coverage overload condition in mobile communications. BACKGROUND In wireless communications such as mobile communications under the current 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) specification, a UE and a network may support minimization of service interruption (MINT) , which aims to enable the UE to obtain services from a public land mobile network (PLMN) offering disaster services when a disaster condition applies to the UE’s determined PLMN with disaster condition. Upon selecting a PLMN for disaster roaming, the UE starts a timer with a randomly generated timer value within a disaster roaming wait range. Upon timer expiry, the UE is to perform a registration procedure for disaster roaming services. Subsequently, upon determining that a disaster condition has ended, the UE is to perform a PLMN selection procedure, and the UE starts a timer with a randomly generated timer value within a disaster return wait range. Upon timer expiry, the UE is to perform a registration procedure on the selected PLMN. On the other hand, deployment option for satellite Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) access or satellite next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN) access, in which shorter periods of satellite E-UTRAN access or satellite NG-RAN access radio coverage are followed by longer periods of satellite E-UTRAN access or satellite NG-RAN access coverage gaps. During coverage gaps,  the access stratum may be deactivated. These coverage gaps is referred to as discontinuous coverage. If for discontinuous coverage a UE has stored a discontinuous coverage maximum non-access stratum (NAS) signaling wait time (herein interchangeably referred to as discontinuous coverage maximum time offset time) as described in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 24.501 subclause 5.4.4.3, 5.5.1.2.4, and 5.5.1.3.4, upon returning in coverage after being out of coverage due to discontinuous coverage, the UE sets the discontinuous coverage maximum NAS signaling wait time value to a random value up to and including the stored discontinuous coverage maximum time offset timer for this PLMN and satellite NG-RAN radio access technology (RAT) type, and starts this timer. However, there are certain details that have yet to be defined at the time of the present invention. For instance, when a random timer (either within the range of disaster roaming wait range or the disaster return wait range) is running, it is not clear as to: (i) whether a de-registration procedure is allowed or not; and (ii) when the UE enters a de-registration state, whether the running timer should be stopped or not. Moreover, when a discontinuous coverage maximum NAS signaling wait timer (or a discontinuous coverage maximum time offset timer) is running, it is also not clear as to: (i) whether a de-registration procedure is allowed or not; and (ii) when the UE enters a de-registration state, whether the running timer should be stopped or not. Therefore, there is a need for solutions of improving UE behavior to deregister and register during a discontinuous coverage overload condition in mobile communications. SUMMARY The following summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. That is, the following summary is provided to introduce concepts, highlights, benefits, and advantages of the novel and non-obvious techniques described herein. Select implementations are further described below in the detailed description. Thus, the following summary is not intended to identify essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended for use in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. An objective of the present disclosure is to propose solutions or schemes that address the issue (s) described herein. More specifically, various schemes proposed in the present disclosure are believed to provide solutions pertaining to improving UE  behavior to deregister and register during a discontinuous coverage overload condition in mobile communications. It is believed that implementations of one or more of the schemes proposed herein may address or otherwise alleviate the issues described above. In one aspect, a method may involve a UE switching off when a timer for disaster roaming wait range is running. The method may also involve the UE behaving according to values of a first time and a s