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US-12621786-B2 - Apparatuses, methods, and computer program products for fifth-generation system multiple registration with evolved packet system network inter working

US12621786B2US 12621786 B2US12621786 B2US 12621786B2US-12621786-B2

Abstract

Described are apparatuses, methods, and computer program products for enabling splitting, switching, and steering of access traffic in a system, e.g., a fifth-generation (5G) system. Access and mobility management functions (AMF) of the 5G system forward one or more of the registration requests to unified data management (UDM) functions of the PLMNs. UDM function determines whether evolved packet system (EPS) interworking (IWK) is allowed for respective registration requests based on subscription, deployment, system capabilities, a radio access technology (RAT) of an access path between the UE and the 5G system, etc. UE can include an indication that EPS IWK is requested and/or required in a registration request.

Inventors

  • Mohamed Amin Nassar
  • Devaki Chandramouli
  • Pallab GUPTA
  • Georgios GKELLAS
  • Laurent Thiebaut

Assignees

  • NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20221216

Claims (16)

  1. 1 . A user equipment (UE) comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the UE at least to perform operations, the operations comprising: generating a registration request for a registration of the UE with a 5 th generation (5G) core network; sending, to an access and mobility management function (AMF) of the 5G core network, the registration request that is generated; receiving, from the AMF of the 5G core network, a response to the registration request, the response indicating that the registration of UE with the 5G core network is accepted, the response comprising an evolved packet system interworking (EPS IWK) indication indicating whether interworking with an evolved packet system (EPS) is allowed for the registration of the UE; and based on determining that the UE has another registration with another 5G core network, the UE received another EPS IWK indication indicating that interworking with the EPS is not allowed for the another registration of the UE, the UE is subject to handover from the 5G core network to the EPS, and that the EPS IWK indication indicates that interworking with the EPS is allowed for the registration of the UE, sending, to the EPS, a tracking area update (TAU) request to initiate the handover of the registration of the UE to EPS.
  2. 2 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise: sending to the AMF of the 5G core network, one or more other registration requests for one or more other registrations of the UE with the 5G core network; and receiving, from the AMF of the 5G core network, one or more other responses to the one or more other registration requests, wherein a respective other response of the one or more other responses for a respective other registration of the one or more other registrations indicates acceptance of the respective other registration of the UE.
  3. 3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the respective other response comprises an EPS IWK indication indicating that interworking with the EPS is not allowed for the respective other registration of the UE.
  4. 4 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the 5G core network and the another 5G core network are in a mobile network.
  5. 5 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the 5G core network is in a mobile network and the another 5G core network is in another mobile network of the UE.
  6. 6 . The UE of claim 5 , wherein the another mobile network is a home network of the UE.
  7. 7 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise: receiving, from the 5G core network, a security context for the registration of the UE; and after the sending, to the EPS, the tracking area update request to initiate the handover of the second registration of the UE to EPS, communicating with the EPS using the security context for the registration of the UE.
  8. 8 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the response to the registration request for the registration comprises a registration identifier associated with the registration, and wherein the TAU request includes the registration identifier.
  9. 9 . A user equipment (UE) comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the UE at least to: generate a first registration request for a first registration of the UE with a first 5 th generation (5G) core network; insert, into the first registration request, an indication that the UE requests evolved packet system interworking (EPS IWK) be allowed for the first registration of the UE; send, to an access and mobility management function (AMF) of the first 5G core network, the first registration request; generate a second registration request for a second registration of the UE with the 5G core network; send, to the AMF of the 5G core network, the second registration request; receive, from the AMF of the 5G core network, a first response to the first registration request, the first response comprising an indication indicating that EPS IWK is allowed for the first registration of the UE; receive, from the AMF of the 5G core network, a second response to the second registration request, the second response comprising an indication that EPS IWK is not allowed for second registration of the UE; and in an instance in which the UE is required to move to an EPS, sending, to the EPS, a tracking area update (TAU) request to initiate handover of the first registration of the UE to the EPS.
  10. 10 . The UE of claim 9 , wherein the first 5G core network and the second 5G core network are included in a first mobile network.
  11. 11 . The UE of claim 9 , wherein the first 5G network is included in a first mobile network and the second 5G core network is included in a second mobile network.
  12. 12 . The UE of claim 9 , wherein the first mobile network is a home network of the UE.
  13. 13 . The UE of claim 9 , wherein the response to the first registration request for the first registration comprises a first registration identifier associated with the first registration, and wherein the TAU request includes the first registration identifier.
  14. 14 . An apparatus comprising: one or more processors; and one or more memory storing instructions of a united data management (UDM) function of a 5 th generation (5G) core network, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus at least to perform operations, the operations comprising: receiving, from an access and mobility management function (AMF) of the 5G core network, information regarding a registration request for registration of a user equipment (UE) with the 5G core network; determining whether evolved packet system network interworking (EPS IWK) is allowed for the registration of the UE with the 5G core network based on at least one of: subscription information of the UE, information about capabilities of the 5G core network, or information regarding a radio access technology of an access path between the user equipment and the 5G core network; and providing, to the access and mobility management function, an indication indicating whether EPS IWK is allowed for the registration.
  15. 15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said information regarding the registration request comprises information indicating whether the registration request comprises a request from the UE for EPS IWK for the registration of the UE with the 5G system, and wherein the determining is in response to the information indicating the registration request comprising a request from the UE for EPS IWK for the registration of the UE with the 5G core network.
  16. 16 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise: receiving, from the AMF, information regarding one or more other registrations of the user equipment; and for each respective other registration of the one or more other registrations: determining whether EPS IWK is allowed for the respective other registration of the UE; and in an instance in which EPS IWK is determined to be allowed for the registration of the UE and determined to not be allowed for the respective other registration of the UE, providing, to the AMF, an indication that EPS IWK is not allowed for the respective other registration of the UE.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD Some example embodiments of the subject matter described herein may generally relate to mobile or wireless telecommunication systems, such as a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Universal Mobile Telecommunication System or a fifth-generation communication system (5GS)). BACKGROUND Examples of mobile or wireless telecommunication systems may include the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) comprising UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Long Term Evolution UMTS comprising a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), MulteFire, LTE-A Pro, and/or fifth generation (5G) or New Radio (NR) wireless communication systems. 5G wireless communication systems refer to wireless communication systems that operate using next generation (NG) radio access technology and have system architecture as defined in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project Technical Specifications 23.501 and 23.502. A 5G wireless communication system (5GS) is mostly built on 5th generation (5G) or new radio (NR) radio access technology, but a 5GS can also be built on the 4th generation radio access technology. It is estimated that a 5GS built on 5G or NR radio access technology can communicate with wireless communication devices, such as mobile stations or user equipment, connected thereto at bitrates on the order of 10-20 Gbit/s or higher, and a 5GS can be configured to provide services such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency-communication (URLLC), and as massive machine type communication (mMTC). A 5GS can include a next generation radio access network (NG-RAN), which can provide both NR and LTE (and LTE-Advanced) radio access. It is noted that, in a NG-RAN, a radio access network (RAN) node (otherwise referred to as a base station) can provide radio access to wireless communication devices, such as a user equipment (i.e., in a similar manner as a Node B, NB, in UTRAN or the evolved NB, eNB, in E-UTRAN) and may be named next-generation NB (gNB) when built on NR and may be named next-generation eNB (NG-eNB) when built on E-UTRA. SUMMARY Described herein are apparatuses, methods, and computer program products for fifth-generation communication system (5GS) multiple registrations, and decision-making and signaling regarding selection of a registration for evolved packet system (EPS) network interworking. Described are apparatuses, methods, and computer program products for enabling splitting, switching, and steering of traffic in a system, e.g., a 5GS. A 5GS and/or EPS may be part of a public land mobile network (PLMN), e.g., implemented by a particular operator in a particular country. In some embodiments, an access and mobility management function (AMF) of the 5GS forwards one or more of the registration requests received from a user equipment to a unified data management (UDM) function of the PLMN. In some embodiments, the UDM function determines whether evolved packet system (EPS) interworking (IWK) is allowed for respective registration requests of the one or more registration requests based on subscription data for the user equipment, an architecture of the 5GS, capabilities of the 5GS, and a radio access technology (RAT) of an access the respective registration request is received on. In some embodiments, the UE can include an indication that EPS IWK is requested and/or an indication that EPS interworking is required in a registration request. According to an embodiment, an apparatus can be provided that comprises means, such as at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor cause the apparatus at least to: generate a registration request for a registration of a user equipment with a fifth-generation (5G) system; add, to the registration request, an indication regarding whether evolved packet system network interworking is requested for the registration; and provide, to an access and mobility management function of the 5G system, the registration request comprising the indication regarding whether evolved packet system network interworking is requested for the registration. In some embodiments, the at least one memory and the program codes are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to: receive, from the access and mobility management function of the 5G system, a response to the registration request, the response comprising a further indication regarding whether evolved packet system network interworking is allowed for the registration requested in the registration request. According to another embodiment, a method can be carried out, e.g., by means such as a processor and memory storing program codes, or an apparatus as described above. In some embodiments, the method can comprise: generating, at a user equipment, a registration request for a registration with a fifth-generation (5G) system; adding, to the registration request, an indicatio