EP-4740592-A1 - METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PERFORMING HANDOVER FROM WLAN TO NEW RADIO (NR) IN A WIRELESS NETWORK

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method and a system for performing handover from WLAN to 5 New Radio (NR) in a wireless network is shown. The disclosure encompasses: receiving, from a user equipment (UE) [102], a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session establishment request, wherein the PDU session establishment request comprises a PDU Identifier (PDU ID) of an existing PDU session on a first type of network; identifying, by the network node, an existing network node corresponding to the PDU ID tagged in the PDU session establishment request; and initiating, by 0 the network node, a new PDU session establishment procedure via a target network node based on a failure of the identification of the existing network node corresponding to the PDU ID.

Inventors

• SINGH, MUKESH
• Bisht, Birendra Singh
• Naskar, Suman
• KHAKHIL, Pradeep
• Srinivas, Gunna
• JAIN, SOURABH
• BHATNAGAR, AAYUSH
• NATALI, Fenil
• MUKHERJEE, KOUSHIK
• EDAKKARA, Jim
• Ghag, Arpita Jaywant
• BHATTACHARYA, Dipanjan
• KUMAR, SANDEEP
• Singh, Harbinder Pal

Assignees

• Jio Platforms Limited

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20240612

Claims (15)

1. 1. A method implemented by a network node, the method comprising: receiving, from a user equipment (UE) [102], a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session establishment request, wherein the PDU session establishment request comprises a PDU Identifier (PDU ID) of an existing PDU session on a first type of network; identifying, by the network node, an existing network node corresponding to the PDU ID tagged in the PDU session establishment request; and initiating, by the network node, a new PDU session establishment procedure via a target network node based on a failure of the identification of the existing network node corresponding to the PDU ID.
2. 2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network node is an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) [106],
3. 3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the existing network node is an existing Session Management Function (SMF) [108] responsible for facilitating the existing PDU session on the first type of network.
4. 4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein failure of the identification of the existing network node corresponding to the PDU ID is based on a failure in mapping of the existing SMF [108] for the received PDU ID
5. 5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the target network node is a new SMF to initiate the new PDU session establishment procedure of the UE with a second type of network.
6. 6. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprises: performing, by the network node, a handover of the UE from the first type of network to a second type of network based on an identification of the existing network node corresponding to the tagged PDU ID.
7. 7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first type of network is a wireless local-area network (WLAN) and the second type of network is a New Radio (NR) Access Network.
8. 8. A network node comprising: a receiving unit [202] configured to receive, from a user equipment (UE) [102], a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session establishment request, wherein the PDU session establishment request comprises a PDU Identifier (PDU ID) of an existing PDU session on a first type of network; an identifying unit [204] configured to identify an existing network node corresponding to the PDU ID tagged in the PDU session establishment request; and an initiating unit [206] configured to initiate a new PDU session establishment procedure via a target network node based on a failure of the identification of the existing network node corresponding to the PDU ID.
9. 9. The network node as claimed in claim 8, wherein the network node is an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) [106],
10. 10. The network node as claimed in claim 8, wherein the existing network node is an existing Session Management Function (SMF) [108] responsible for facilitating the existing PDU session on the first type of network.
11. 11. The network node as claimed in claim 10, wherein failure of the identification of the existing network node corresponding to the PDU ID is based on a failure in mapping of the existing SMF [108] for the received PDU ID.
12. 12. The network node as claimed in claim 8, wherein the target network node is a new SMF to initiate the new PDU session establishment procedure of the UE [102] with a second type of network.
13. 13. The network node as claimed in claim 8 further comprises: a processing unit [208] configured to perform a handover of the UE [102] from the first type of network to a second type of network based on an identification of the existing network node corresponding to the tagged PDU ID.
14. 14. The network node as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first type of network is a wireless local-area network (WLAN) and the second type of network is a New Radio (NR) Access Network.
15. 15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instruction for performing handover from WLAN to New Radio (NR), the storage medium comprising executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system, causes: a receiving unit [202] to receive, from a user equipment (UE) [102], a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session establishment request, wherein the PDU session establishment request comprises a PDU Identifier (PDU ID) of an existing PDU session on a first type of network; an identifying unit [204] to identify an existing network node corresponding to the PDU ID tagged in the PDU session establishment request; and an initiating unit [206] to initiate a new PDU session establishment procedure via a target network node based on a failure of the identification of the existing network node corresponding to the PDU ID.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PERFORMING HANDOVER FROM WLAN TO NEW RADIO (NR) IN A WIRELESS NETWORK FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE [0001] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of wireless communication systems. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to methods and systems for performing handover from WLAN to New Radio (NR) in a wireless network. BACKGROUND [0002] The following description of related art is intended to provide background information pertaining to the field of the disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the present disclosure. However, it should be appreciated that this section be used only to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure, and not as admissions of prior art. [0003] Wireless communication technology has rapidly evolved over the past few decades, with each generation bringing significant improvements and advancements. The first generation of wireless communication technology was based on analog technology and offered only voice services. However, with the advent of the second-generation (2G) technology, digital communication and data services became possible, and text messaging was introduced. 3G technology marked the introduction of high-speed internet access, mobile video calling, and location-based services. The fourth-generation (4G) technology revolutionized wireless communication with faster data speeds, better network coverage, and improved security. Currently, the fifth-generation (5G) technology is being deployed, promising even faster data speeds, low latency, and the ability to connect multiple devices simultaneously. With each generation, wireless communication technology has become more advanced, sophisticated, and capable of delivering more services to its users. [0004] Existing telecommunications networks face several challenges when handling handovers, particularly when transitioning between different types of access networks. For example, when a User Equipment (UE) attempts to handover from a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) access evolved packet data gateway (ePDG) to a New Radio (NR) Access Network, it sends a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) Session Establishment request to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF). This request is meant to indicate that the UE wants to continue using an existing PDU session in the new network environment. However, problems arise when the AMF is unable to find the Session Management Function (SMF) that was responsible for managing the PDU session in the WLAN network. This failure to identify the correct SMF can occur for various reasons, such as network configuration changes, SMF unavailability, or mismatches in the PDU Identifier (PDU ID) provided by the UE. As a result of this failure, the handover process is typically aborted, and the UE receives a negative response from the AMF. This can lead to several issues: • Some devices may persistently reattempt the handover, causing unnecessary network traffic and potential battery drain on the UE. • Other devices may temporarily refrain from attempting any initial PDU Session Establishment after receiving a negative response for the WLAN to NR handover. This can lead to a period during which all call attempts to or from the UE fail, significantly impacting the user experience. [0005] Thus, in order to improve the third generation partnership project (3GPP) radio access network capacity and performance as well the above limitation, there exists an imperative need in the art to efficiently handle handover of UEs from WLAN to New Radio (NR) in a wireless communication network, which the present disclosure aims to address. OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION [0006] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment disclosed herein satisfies are listed herein below. [0007] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method for performing handover from WLAN to NR. [0008] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method for performing handover from WLAN to NR that reduces the likelihood of call failures due to unestablished internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) PDU sessions. [0009] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method for performing handover from WLAN to NR that improves the efficiency of handover procedures by converting failed handover attempts into initial PDU session establishments. [0010] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method for performing handover from WLAN to NR that enhances the user experience by minimizing disruptions in connectivity during network transitions. [0011] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method for performing handover from WLAN to NR that optimizes network resource utilization by preventing unnecessary reattempts of failed handover procedures. [00