EP-4740687-A1 - ENERGY EFFICIENT TRAFFIC STEERING IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Abstract

Various aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method in a user equipment, comprising: transmitting, a first request to a first network entity of a mobile communication network, the first request requesting establishment of a multiaccess data connection with the mobile communication network, wherein the multiaccess data connection supports transmission of data traffic over a plurality of access paths; receiving, from the first network entity, a first response to the first request, wherein the first response comprises one or more first steering rules for steering uplink data over the plurality of access paths, the one or more first steering rules indicating that the steering of the uplink data is to be performed using a steering mode providing energy-efficient data traffic transmission; determining, as matched uplink data, the uplink data of the data traffic that matches the one or more first steering rules; transmitting, the matched uplink data to a second network entity of the mobile communication network, using one or more of the access paths and the steering mode providing energy-efficient data traffic transmission.

Inventors

• SALKINTZIS, APOSTOLIS
• DIMOPOULOS, Dimitris
• Lazaropoulos, Nikolaos

Assignees

• Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20230829

Claims (20)

1. 1. An user equipment ‘UE’ for wireless communication, comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the UE to: transmit, a first request to a first network entity of a mobile communication network, the first request requesting establishment of a multiaccess data connection with the mobile communication network, wherein the multiaccess data connection supports transmission of data traffic over a plurality of access paths; receive, from the first network entity, a first response to the first request, wherein the first response comprises one or more first steering rules for steering uplink data over the plurality of access paths, the one or more first steering rules indicating that the steering of the uplink data is to be performed using a steering mode providing energyefficient data traffic transmission; determine, as matched uplink data, the uplink data of the data traffic that matches the one or more first steering rules; transmit, the matched uplink data to a second network entity of the mobile communication network, using one or more of the access paths and the steering mode providing energy-efficient data traffic transmission.
2. 2. The UE of claim 1, wherein the one or more first steering rules comprise a first steering mode component, and either: the first steering mode component indicates that the first steering mode is a load-balancing steering mode, and the one or more first steering rules further comprise a steering mode additional indicator element set to a value indicating that the load-balancing is to be performed to maximize an energy-efficiency of the data traffic transmission; or the first steering mode component indicates that the first steering mode is an energy-efficient steering mode, wherein the steering of the uplink traffic over the plurality of access paths is performed to maximize the energy-efficiency of the data traffic transmission.
3. 3. The UE of any preceding claim, wherein the multiaccess data connection is a multiaccess ‘MA’ packet data unit ‘PDU’ session, the first request comprises a PDU session establishment request message, the first response comprises a PDU session establishment accept message, and/or the one or more first steering rules comprise Access Traffic Steering, Switching, Splitting ‘ATSSS’ rules.
4. 4. The UE of any preceding claim, wherein the first network entity is an access and mobility management function ‘ AMF’ and/or the second network entity is a user plane function ‘UPF’.
5. 5. The UE of any preceding claim, wherein the first request indicates that the UE supports steering of uplink data using steering modes providing energy-efficient data traffic transmission.
6. 6. The UE of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to: determine, after receiving the first response, an energy-efficiency information for the plurality of access paths; and transmit, to the second network entity, the energy-efficiency information.
7. 7. The UE of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to transmit the energy -efficiency information according to a performance measurement function protocol (PMFP), using either: a PMFP UE assistance data provisioning message containing the energyefficiency information; or a PMFP UE energy-efficiency data provisioning message containing the energyefficiency information.
8. 8. A processor for a UE for wireless communication, comprising: at least one controller coupled with at least one memory and configured to cause the processor to: output a first request, the first request requesting establishment of a multiaccess data connection with a mobile communication network, wherein the multiaccess data connection supports transmission of data traffic over a plurality of access paths; retrieve a first response to the first request, wherein the first response comprises one or more first steering rules for steering uplink data over the plurality of access paths, the one or more first steering rules indicating that the steering of the uplink data is to be performed using a steering mode providing energy-efficient data traffic transmission; obtain, as matched uplink data, uplink data of the data traffic that matches the one or more first steering rules; forward the matched uplink data for transmission using one or more of the access paths and the steering mode providing energy-efficient data traffic transmission.
9. 9. The processor of claim 8, wherein the one or more first steering rules comprise a first steering mode component, and either: the first steering mode component indicates that the first steering mode is a load-balancing steering mode, and the one or more first steering rules further comprise a steering mode additional indicator element set to a value indicating that the load-balancing is to be performed to maximize an energy-efficiency of the data traffic transmission; or the first steering mode component indicates that the first steering mode is an energy-efficient steering mode wherein the steering of the uplink traffic over the plurality of access paths is to be performed to maximize the energy-efficiency of the data traffic transmission.
10. 10. The processor of any one of claims 8-9, wherein the multiaccess data connection is a MA PDU session, the first request comprises a PDU session establishment request message, the first response comprises a PDU session establishment accept message, and/or the one or more steering rules comprise ATSSS rules.
11. 11. The processor of any one of claims 8-10, wherein the first request indicates the UE supports steering of uplink data using steering modes providing energy-efficient data traffic transmission.
12. 12. The processor of any one of claims 8-11, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to cause the processor to: obtain, after retrieving the first response, an energy-efficiency information for the plurality of access paths; and forward, the energy-efficiency information.
13. 13. The processor of claim 12, wherein the at least one controller is configured to cause the processor to forward the energy efficiency information as either: a PMFP UE assistance data provisioning message containing the energyefficiency information; or a PMFP UE energy-efficiency data provisioning message containing the energyefficiency information.
14. 14. A UPF for wireless communication, comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the UPF to: receive, from a third network entity, a second request to establish user-plane resources for a multiaccess data connection for a UE, wherein the multiaccess data connection supports transmission of data traffic over a plurality of access paths, wherein the second request comprises one or more second steering rules for steering downlink data over the plurality of access paths, the one or more second steering rules indicating that the steering of the downlink data is to be performed using a steering mode providing energyefficient data traffic transmission; determine, as matched downlink data, the downlink data of the data traffic that matches the one or more second steering rules; and transmit the matched downlink data to the UE, using one or more of the access paths and the steering mode providing energy-efficient data traffic transmission.
15. 15. The UPF of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the UPF to: receive, from the UE, energy-efficiency information for the plurality of access paths.
16. 16. The UPF of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the UPF to receive the energy-efficiency information as either: a PMFP UE assistance data provisioning message containing the energyefficiency information; or a PMFP UE energy-efficiency data provisioning message containing the energyefficiency information.
17. 17. The UPF of any one of claims 14-16, wherein the multiaccess data connection is a MA PDU session, the second request comprises a packet forwarding control protocol (PFCP) session establishment request message, and/or the one or more second steering rules comprise Multiaccess Rules (MARs).
18. 18. The UPF of any one of claims 14-17, wherein the third network entity is a SMF.
19. 19. The UPF of any one of claims 14-18, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the UPF to: transmit, to a network repository function ‘NRF’, a registration information indicating that the UPF supports steering of downlink data using steering modes providing energy-efficient data traffic transmission.
20. 20. A PCF for wireless communication, comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the PCF to: receive, from a fourth network entity, a third request to establish policy control rules for a multiaccess data connection for a UE, wherein the multiaccess data connection supports data traffic transmission over a plurality of access paths; determine whether the UE supports steering of uplink data using steering modes providing energy-efficient data traffic transmission; generate one or more policy control rules indicating how data traffic that matches the one or more policy control rules, is to be steered over the plurality of access paths, the one or more policy control rules further indicating that the steering of the data traffic is to be performed using a steering mode providing energy-efficient data traffic transmission; and transmit the one or more policy control rules to the fourth network entity.

Description

ENERGY EFFICIENT TRAFFIC STEERING IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to the field of implementing energy-efficient traffic steering in a wireless communication system. This document defines a user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, a processor for a UE, a user-plane function (UPF) for wireless communication, and a policy control function (PCF) for wireless communication, and methods of wireless communication. BACKGROUND [0002] A wireless communications system may include one or multiple network communication devices, such as base stations, which may support wireless communications for one or multiple user communication devices, which may be otherwise known as user equipment (UE), or other suitable terminology. The wireless communications system may support wireless communications with one or multiple user communication devices by utilizing resources of the wireless communication system (e.g., time resources (e.g., symbols, slots, subframes, frames, or the like) or frequency resources (e.g., subcarriers, carriers, or the like). Additionally, the wireless communications system may support wireless communications across various radio access technologies including third generation (3G) radio access technology, fourth generation (4G) radio access technology, fifth generation (5G) radio access technology, among other suitable radio access technologies beyond 5G (e.g., sixth generation (6G)). [0003] The Access Traffic Steering, Switching, and Splitting (ATSSS) feature, as defined in the Third Generation Partnership Project (3 GPP) Rel-18 specifications, provides enhanced data communication capabilities by allowing a User Equipment (UE) to utilize multiple access paths simultaneously. This is achieved by establishing a multiaccess data connection (referred to in the 3 GPP specifications as Multiaccess Packet Data Unit (MA PDU) Session) that supports two access paths, one 3 GPP access path, using an access network defined by 3 GPP, such a NG-RAN, and one non-3GPP access path, using an access network not defined by 3 GPP, such as WiFi. Every data packet that should be transmitted via the multiaccess data connection is transmitted either over the 3GPP access path or over the non-3GPP access path, according to multiaccess rules, which are provided to the UE and to a User Plane Function (UPF) during the establishment of the multiaccess data connection. [0004] The ATSSS feature is designed to take advantage of the varied range of communication technologies available, by seamlessly combining multiple access networks (3 GPP and non-3GPP) to provide a more robust and reliable communication experience. SUMMARY [0005] The present disclosure relates to methods, apparatuses, and systems, that support energy-efficient traffic steering in a wireless communication system. [0006] There is provided an user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the UE to: transmit, a first request to a first network entity of a mobile communication network, the first request requesting establishment of a multiaccess data connection with the mobile communication network, wherein the multiaccess data connection supports transmission of data traffic over a plurality of access paths; receive, from the first network entity, a first response to the first request, wherein the first response comprises one or more first steering rules for steering uplink data over the plurality of access paths, the one or more first steering rules indicating that the steering of the uplink data is to be performed using a steering mode providing energy-efficient data traffic transmission; determine, as matched uplink data, the uplink data of the data traffic that matches the one or more first steering rules; transmit, the matched uplink data to a second network entity of the mobile communication network, using one or more of the access paths and the steering mode providing energy-efficient data traffic transmission. [0007] There is further provided, a method in a UE, comprising: transmitting, a first request to a first network entity of a mobile communication network, the first request requesting establishment of a multiaccess data connection with the mobile communication network, wherein the multiaccess data connection supports transmission of data traffic over a plurality of access paths; receiving, from the first network entity, a first response to the first request, wherein the first response comprises one or more first steering rules for steering uplink data over the plurality of access paths, the one or more first steering rules indicating that the steering of the uplink data is to be performed using a steering mode providing energy-efficient data traffic transmission; determining, as matched uplink data, the uplink data of the data traffic that matches the on