Non-standalone cellular user equipment

Abstract

An apparatus configured to generate data for transmission to a base station via a direct cellular radio link in a cellular network, and to process data received from the base station via the direct cellular radio link, where the apparatus is configured to support a finite set of cellular functionality, the limited set is less than a complete set of cellular functionalities of the cellular network, and wherein the device or a user of the device does not have an active cellular subscription for enabling cellular services with the cellular network.

Description

Priority / Citation

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63 / 586,803, filed on September 29, 2023, entitled “Non-Standalone Cellular User Equipment,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0002] The use of wireless communication systems is growing rapidly. In recent years, wireless devices, such as smartphones and tablets, have become increasingly sophisticated. In addition to supporting phone calls, many mobile devices (i.e., user equipment or UE) now offer access to the internet, email, text messaging, and navigation using the Global Positioning System (GPS), and are capable of operating complex applications that leverage these functionalities. The current telecommunications standard that surpasses previous standards is called 5G mobile networks or 5G wireless systems, known as 3GPP NR (or 5G-NR or NR-5G for 5G new radio, and also simply NR). NR provides higher capacity for higher density mobile broadband users while supporting device-to-device, ultra-reliable and massive machine-type communications, as well as lower latency and lower battery consumption than the LTE standard.

[0003] In certain situations, such as when multiple devices are used over a large or expansive area (e.g., a large farm, a distance learning facility, a factory, or a remote region), the different devices requiring internet access may be scattered in different locations relatively far apart (e.g., up to several kilometers). When a user uses multiple devices to perform a task within this area, continuous or only temporary internet access may be required (e.g., as in the farm example). Sometimes, in these situations, internet access is unavailable and / or unreliable. In these circumstances, providing devices with access to external networks via cellular networks would be beneficial. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Some example implementations relate to an apparatus having processing circuitry configured to generate data for transmission to a base station via a direct cellular radio link in a cellular network, and to process data received from the base station via the direct cellular radio link, wherein the apparatus is configured to support a finite set of cellular functionalities smaller than the full set of cellular functionalities of the cellular network, and wherein the apparatus or its user does not have an active cellular subscription for enabling cellular services using the cellular network.

[0005] Other example implementations relate to an apparatus having processing circuitry configured to: support a full set of cellular functionalities of a cellular network; establish a secure communication link with a non-standalone user equipment (UE), wherein the non-standalone UE is configured to support a finite set of cellular functionalities smaller than the full set of cellular functionalities of the cellular network; establish a connection with a base station in the cellular network when no connection has been established, and request a direct cellular radio link for the non-standalone UE; process a cellular configuration for data transmission between the non-standalone UE and the cellular network based on signaling from the cellular network on the connection; and generate a message including the cellular configuration to be used by the non-standalone UE to exchange data with the cellular network via the direct cellular radio link for transmission to the non-standalone UE.

[0006] A further example embodiment relates to an apparatus having processing circuitry configured to: support a full set of cellular functionalities of a cellular network; establish a secure communication link with a user equipment (UE), wherein the UE is configured to support a limited set of cellular functionalities smaller than the full set of cellular functionalities of the cellular network; establish a connection with a base station in the cellular network when no connection has been established, and request a direct cellular radio link for the UE; process cellular configurations for data transmission between the UE and the cellular network based on signaling from the cellular network on the connection; and generate a message including the cellular configurations to be used by the UE to exchange data with the cellular network via the direct cellular radio link for transmission to the UE. Attached Figure Description

[0007] To facilitate the identification of any particular element or action in the discussion, one or more of the most significant digits in the figure reference numerals refer to the figure number in which the element was first introduced.

[0008] Figure 1 Example network layouts according to various exemplary implementations are shown.

[0009] Figure 2 Example user equipment (UE) based on various example implementation schemes is shown.

[0010] Figure 3 Example base stations based on various example implementation schemes are shown.

[0011] Figure 4 An example UE cluster with at least one standalone UE (SA-UE) and one or more non-standalone UEs (NSA-UE) according to various example implementations is shown for providing access to external networks via a cellular network.

[0012] Figure 5 Example flowcharts are shown for communication between an NSA-UE and an external network via an associated SA-UE on a cellular network, according to various example implementations.

[0013] Figure 6A illustrates an example cellular network with one or more base stations according to various example implementations, which are configured to communicate with SA-UE and NSA-UE via example interfaces.

[0014] Figure 6B shows an example flowchart of communication between the SA-UE and NSA-UE in Figure 6A via one or more base stations of an example cellular network, according to various example implementations.

[0015] Figure 6C shows an example cellular signaling over-the-air message used in the flowchart of Figure 6B.

[0016] Figure 7 Example security architectures for SA-UE, NSA-UE, and cellular networks are shown according to various example implementation schemes.

[0017] Figure 8 Example user plane data architectures for NSA-UE cellular bearer management are illustrated according to various example implementation schemes.

[0018] Figure 9 Example configuration architectures for NSA-UE cellular bearer management via example service SA-UE are shown according to various example implementation schemes.

[0019] Figure 10 Example methods for establishing and managing NSA-UE cellular data exchange sessions are shown according to various example implementation schemes.

[0020] Figure 11 Example methods for activating cellular data exchange sessions for NSA-UEs according to various example implementation schemes are illustrated.

[0021] Figure 12 Example methods based on various example implementations are illustrated, where an example NSA-UE receives data from a cellular network.

[0022] Figure 13 Examples of use of an NSA-UE as an access point to provide advanced cellular features are shown, based on various example implementations.

[0023] Figure 14 Example usage of example SA-UE and example NSA-UE in a game environment according to various example implementation schemes is shown.

[0024] Figure 15Another example of use is illustrated in wide-area activities using multiple devices, including SA-UEs and multiple NSA-UEs, according to various example implementation schemes. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The exemplary embodiments can be further understood by referring to the following description and related figures, wherein similar elements have the same reference numerals. The exemplary embodiments relate to providing access to external networks via a cellular network according to various exemplary embodiments. Access to external networks via a cellular network can be provided using at least one standalone UE and one or more non-standalone UEs, as discussed in more detail below.

[0026] Example embodiments are described with reference to user equipment (UE). However, references to the UE are provided for illustrative purposes only. The example embodiments can be used with any electronic component that can establish a connection to a network and is configured with hardware, software, and / or firmware for exchanging information and data with the network. Therefore, the UE described herein is used to represent any suitable type of electronic component.

[0027] Example implementations are also described with reference to fifth-generation (5G) new radio (NR) networks and next-generation node B (gNB). However, the references to 5G NR networks and gNBs are provided for illustrative purposes only. The example implementations can be utilized with any suitable type of network (e.g., 5G Advanced, 6G, etc.) and base station.

[0028] The example implementation describes providing access to an external network (e.g., the Internet) via a cellular network by associating at least one standalone UE with full cellular functionality with one or more non-standalone UEs having only limited, necessary, or mandatory cellular capabilities. A single standalone UE may be associated with one or more non-standalone UEs in a UE cluster, which is considered a single UE entity within the cellular network.

[0029] Before discussing UE clusters that include standalone UEs and one or more non-standalone UEs, an example network layout using one or more typical UEs will be described. Figure 1 An example network arrangement 100 according to various example implementations is shown. The example network arrangement 100 includes a UE 110. Those skilled in the art will understand that the UE 110 can be any type of electronic component configured to communicate via a network, such as a mobile phone, tablet computer, desktop computer, smartphone, phablet, embedded device, wearable device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc. It should also be understood that a practical network arrangement can include any number of UEs used by any number of users. Therefore, the example of a single UE 110 is provided for illustrative purposes only.

[0030] UE 110 can be configured to communicate with one or more networks. In the example of network configuration 100, the network with which UE 110 can wirelessly communicate is 5G NR Radio Access Network (RAN) 120. However, UE 110 can also communicate with other types of networks, such as sixth-generation (6G) RAN, 5G cloud RAN, next-generation RAN (NG-RAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE) RAN, legacy cellular networks, wireless local area networks (WLANs), etc., and UE 110 can also communicate with the network via a wired connection. Referring to the example implementation, UE 110 can establish a connection with 5G NR RAN 120. Therefore, UE 110 may have at least a 5G NR chipset to communicate with 5G NR RAN 120.

[0031] 5G NR RAN 120 can be part of a cellular network that can be deployed by network operators (e.g., Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, etc.). 5G NR RAN 120 may include base stations or access nodes (NodeB, eNodeB, HeNB, eNB, gNB, gNodeB, macro cell, micro cell, small cell, femtocell, etc.) configured to transmit and receive traffic from UEs equipped with appropriate cellular chipsets.

[0032] In network deployment 100, a 5G NR RAN 120 deploys a gNB 120A. The gNB 120A can be configured with multiple Transmit and Receive Points (TRPs). Throughout this specification, a TRP generally refers to a group of components configured to transmit and / or receive beams. In some implementations, multiple TRPs may be deployed locally on the gNB 120A. In other implementations, multiple TRPs may be distributed across different locations and connected to the gNB 120A via backhaul connections. For example, multiple small cells may be deployed at different locations and connected to the gNB 120A. However, these examples are provided for illustrative purposes only. Those skilled in the art will understand that TRPs are configured to adapt to a variety of different conditions and deployment scenarios. Therefore, any reference to a TRP as a specific network component or to multiple TRPs deployed in a particular deployment is merely illustrative. The TRPs described herein can represent any type of network component configured to transmit and / or receive beams.

[0033] Those skilled in the art will understand that any relevant procedures can be performed for UE 110 to connect to 5G NR RAN 120. For example, as described above, 5G NR RAN 120 can be associated with a specific cellular provider, where UE 110 and / or its user have protocol and credential information (e.g., stored on a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card). Upon detecting the presence of 5G NR RAN 120, UE 110 can send the corresponding credential information to associate with 5G NR RAN 120. More specifically, UE 110 can be associated with a specific base station (e.g., gNB 120A).

[0034] Network deployment 100 also includes a cellular core network 130, an Internet 140, an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) 150, and a network services backbone 160. The cellular core network 130 can refer to an interconnected set of components that manage the operation and traffic of the cellular network. It may include an evolved packet core (EPC) and / or a 5G core (5GC). The cellular core network 130 also manages the traffic flowing between the cellular network and the Internet 140. The IMS 150 can generally be described as an architecture for delivering multimedia services to the UE 110 using IP protocols. The IMS 150 can communicate with the cellular core network 130 and the Internet 140 to provide multimedia services to the UE 110. The network services backbone 160 communicates directly or indirectly with the Internet 140 and the cellular core network 130. The network services backbone 160 can generally be described as a collection of components (e.g., servers, network storage deployments, etc.) that implement a set of services that can be used to extend the functionality of the UE 110 in communicating with various networks.

[0035] Figure 2 Example UE 110 according to various example implementations is shown. (Refer to...) Figure 1 The network layout 100 is used to describe UE 110. UE 110 may include a processor 205, a memory layout 210, a display device 215, an input / output (I / O) device 220, a transceiver 225, and other components 230. Other components 230 may include, for example, audio input devices, audio output devices, power supplies, data acquisition devices, ports for electrically connecting UE 110 to other electronic devices, etc.

[0036] Processor 205 may be configured to execute multiple engines of UE 110. For example, an engine may include UE capability engine 235. UE capability engine 235 may perform various operations related to the capabilities of UE 110. To provide some general examples, UE capability engine 235 may perform operations such as, but not limited to, determining the operational capabilities of UE 110, determining when the capabilities of UE 110 should change, and notifying the network of the capabilities of UE 110. In addition, UE capability engine 235 may perform operations such as initiating, establishing, and conducting voice calls and / or video sessions.

[0037] The UE 110 may also include an L1 measurement reporting engine 245. The L1 measurement reporting engine 245 can perform operations including performing measurements (such as L1 measurements) and preparing measurement reports to be transmitted to the base station for beam management that it relies on.

[0038] The UE 110 may also include an enhanced 5G NR mobility engine 255. The enhanced 5G NR mobility engine 255 can perform various operations related to implementing the example mobility framework described herein. These operations may include, but are not limited to, receiving configuration information, performing measurements, sending measurement reports, receiving DCI, and receiving MAC CE.

[0039] The engines 235, 245, and 255 referenced above, each as an application (e.g., a program) executed by processor 205, are provided for illustrative purposes only. The functionality associated with each of engines 235, 245, and 255 may also be represented as a separate combined component of UE 110, or as a modular component coupled to UE 110, such as an integrated circuit with or without firmware. For example, the integrated circuit may include input circuitry for receiving signals and processing circuitry for processing signals and other information. An engine may also be embodied as one application or multiple independent applications. Furthermore, in some UEs, the functionality described for processor 205 is split between two or more processors, such as a baseband processor and an application processor. In particular, in some examples, the capabilities of UE 110, typically handled by the baseband processor, may be reduced when UE 110 operates in low-power mode. Example implementations may be implemented according to any of these or other configurations of the UE.

[0040] Memory arrangement 210 may be a hardware component configured to store data related to operations performed by UE 110. Display device 215 may be a hardware component configured to display data to a user, while I / O device 220 may be a hardware component enabling a user to input data. Display device 215 and I / O device 220 may be separate components or may be integrated together (such as a touchscreen). Transceiver 225 may be a hardware component configured to establish connections with 5G NR-RAN 120, LTE-RAN (not shown), legacy RAN (not shown), WLAN (not shown), etc. Accordingly, transceiver 225 may operate on a variety of different frequencies or channels (e.g., a continuous set of frequencies).

[0041] Transceiver 225 includes circuitry configured to transmit and / or receive signals (e.g., control signals, data signals). Such signals may be encoded using information used to implement any of the methods described herein. Processor 205 may be operatively coupled to transceiver 225 and configured to receive signals from and / or transmit signals to transceiver 225. Processor 205 may be configured to encode, decode, and / or process signals (e.g., signaling from a base station in a network) for use in implementing any of the methods described herein.

[0042] Figure 3 An example base station 300 is shown according to various example implementations. Base station 300 may represent a gNB 120A or any other type of access node that UE 110 can use to establish connections and manage network operations.

[0043] Base station 300 may include processor 305, memory arrangement 310, input / output (I / O) devices 315, transceiver 320, other components 325, and one or more transmit and receive points (TRPs) 330. Other components 325 may include, for example, audio input devices, audio output devices, batteries, data acquisition devices, ports for electrically connecting base station 300 to other electronic devices and / or power sources, TxRUs, transceiver chains, antenna elements, antenna panels, etc.

[0044] Processor 305 can be configured to execute multiple engines of base station 300. For example, an engine may include UE capability engine 335. UE capability engine 335 can perform various operations related to the capabilities of UE 110 for base station 300. To provide some general examples, UE capability engine 335 can perform operations such as, but not limited to, sending signals to inquire about the capabilities of UE 110, triggering UE 110 to dynamically switch to different sets of capabilities, sending configuration information to UE 110 to perform operations based on the current capabilities of UE 110, etc. In addition, UE capability engine 335 can perform operations such as initiating, establishing, and conducting voice calls and / or video sessions.

[0045] The base station 300 may also include an L1 measurement processing engine 345. The L1 measurement reporting engine 345 can perform operations including receiving and processing measurement reports from the UE and relying on them to perform beam management.

[0046] Multiple engines may include an enhanced 5G NR mobility engine 355. The enhanced 5G NR mobility engine 355 can perform various operations related to the example mobility framework described herein. These operations may include, but are not limited to, sending a handover preparation request to another gNB, receiving capability information, sending configuration information, receiving measurement data, allocating resources, sending reference signals, sending DCI, and sending MAC CE, etc.

[0047] The engines 335, 345, and 355 mentioned above, each acting as an application (e.g., a program) executed by processor 305, are merely examples. The functionality associated with engines 335, 345, and 355 may also be represented as separate combined components of base station 300, or as modular components coupled to base station 300, such as integrated circuits with or without firmware. For example, the integrated circuit may include input circuitry for receiving signals and processing circuitry for processing signals and other information. Furthermore, in some base stations, the functionality described for processor 305 is split among multiple processors (e.g., baseband processor, application processor, etc.). In particular, in some examples, when UE 110 operates in low-power mode, operations typically handled by the baseband processor for communicating with UE 110 may be reduced. Example implementations may be implemented according to any of these or other configurations of the base station.

[0048] Memory 310 may be a hardware component configured to store data related to operations performed by base station 300. I / O device 315 may be a hardware component or port enabling a user to interact with base station 300. Transceiver 320 may be a hardware component configured to exchange data with UE 110 and any other UE in network arrangement 100. Transceiver 320 may operate on a variety of different frequencies or channels (e.g., a continuous set of frequencies). Therefore, transceiver 320 may include one or more components to enable data exchange with various networks and UEs.

[0049] Transceiver 320 includes circuitry configured to transmit and / or receive signals (e.g., control signals, data signals). Such signals may be encoded using information used to implement any of the methods described herein. Processor 305 may be operatively coupled to transceiver 320 and configured to receive signals from and / or transmit signals to transceiver 320. Processor 305 may be configured to encode, decode, and / or process signals (e.g., signaling from a UE) for use in implementing any of the methods described herein.

[0050] In certain situations, such as when multiple devices (UEs) are used in a large or expansive area (e.g., a large farm, a distance learning facility, a factory, or a remote area), the different devices requiring internet access may be scattered in different locations relatively far apart (e.g., up to several kilometers). When a user uses multiple devices to perform a task within this area, continuous or only temporary internet access may be required (e.g., as in the farm example). Sometimes, in these situations, internet access is unavailable and / or unreliable. Furthermore, some devices within the setup may not have cellular capabilities. In these situations, providing the devices with access to external networks via a cellular network would be beneficial.

[0051] Various mechanisms have been proposed, but these mechanisms often have drawbacks that reduce their predictability. For example, one option is to add WiFi (or Bluetooth) access points to each cluster, where the WiFi access points connect to the internet via a cellular connection. However, this approach has several drawbacks. First, the setup cost is high because it requires introducing many WiFi access points, each with a cellular SIM card to obtain internet access via the cellular network. This is especially true when access is only needed temporarily, making this approach very cost-inefficient for users. Second, latency issues may arise because data needs to be processed by the WiFi access points first and then transmitted over the cellular network. This will be a particular problem for latency-critical devices and / or applications. A third drawback is the low flexibility and reliability of mobile devices, as a new cluster may need to be established if any device changes location and moves outside the coverage area of ​​its corresponding cluster.

[0052] Another approach is to have a cellular modem (i.e., UE) within each device. This approach may include one or more of the following disadvantages. First, a large chip size may be required because each device will need a standalone UE that supports full cellular modem functionality in order to exchange data with the cellular network. Although data exchange with the cellular network may only require a limited set of cellular functionalities, there are still many control plane and data plane mandatory features that need to be supported by the device in order to be an independently operating cellular device. This will result in a large chip size for the device, which can negatively impact device size, power consumption, and device cost. Second, there may be setup costs because each device requires a SIM card, which can impose maintainability overhead on the users / owners of these devices and may result in additional costs per device. Third, from the cellular network's perspective, there may be high cellular network overhead because the cellular network (especially the core network) needs to handle each device individually, including cellular activities such as registration / deregistration, tracking area updates, paging, connection establishment, and maintaining the UE context for each device. Given the ever-increasing number of cellular devices connected to the network and how they grow exponentially over time, this could lead to bottlenecks in cellular network resources, especially in non-urban areas where cellular base stations may cover a wide area and serve many UEs.

[0053] There may be other emerging 6G use cases where the shortcomings of the options mentioned above could be a problem. For example, smart glasses and XR devices have stringent requirements, such as low latency. Additionally, the size, cost, and power consumption of smart glasses and XR devices could be drawbacks of the aforementioned cellular-based approach, as they would require a fully cellular UE modem. Furthermore, the user maintainability overhead of these devices could be a drawback of the aforementioned cellular-based approach, as users today typically have to pay extra for each device added to their cellular subscription (e.g., a watch). For example, if a user has a collection of multiple wearable devices and XR gaming devices (i.e., gloves, AR glasses, shoes), maintaining a SIM card for each device could be a considerable expense. In another scenario (the hotspot use case), user intervention is required to enable a hotspot and provide internet access to other devices.

[0054] In summary, previous methods for providing devices with access to external networks (e.g., the internet) have shortcomings. Methods using short-range wireless protocols (e.g., WiFi and Bluetooth) suffer from limited coverage, potential mobility issues, limited Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees, relatively high latency due to the need for anchor devices (e.g., access points), high setup costs, and the need to introduce numerous anchor devices, each equipped with a cellular SIM card, to enable internet access via the cellular network. In cellular methods, there are relatively high costs due to the mandatory characteristics of cellular protocols that are not required by the device in all use cases but must be supported. This negatively impacts device size, cost, and power consumption. Furthermore, cellular methods require the insertion / loading of a subscriber identification module (e.g., SIM card, eSIM, etc.) to represent the UE within the cellular network.

[0055] The embodiments disclosed herein avoid the drawbacks of the methods described above by using non-standalone cellular UEs to provide access to external networks (e.g., the Internet) via a cellular network. Specifically, the embodiments disclosed herein allow users with a group of devices equipped with cellular UEs (referred to as a UE cluster) to enable all UEs within the UE cluster to simultaneously perform data transmission with external networks (e.g., the Internet) via a direct radio link (i.e., without any anchor) between each UE and the cellular network.

[0056] Figure 4 An example arrangement 400 with an example UE cluster 405 is shown, which has at least one standalone UE 410 and one or more non-standalone UEs 415. The example UE cluster 405 may include: a single UE 410, referred to as a standalone UE (“SA-UE”), which is a common UE supporting all cellular functionality (at least mandatory cellular functionality) and having an active cellular subscription (e.g., necessary for enabling cellular service via a SIM card, eSIM, or any similar device), such as a mobile phone, access point, or any other suitable device; and one or more new types of UEs, referred to as non-standalone UEs 415 (“NSA-UE”). In one embodiment, the SA-UE 410 may be a UE such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 UE110 in the cellular network 435. In the cellular network 435, each of the SA-UE 410 and NSA-UE 415 has a direct radio link 420 with the base station 430 to obtain access to an external network 440 (e.g., the Internet).

[0057] NSA-UE 415 must be able to perform data transmission with external networks via a direct radio link to the cellular network and therefore should be associated with an SA-UE, referred to as the serving SA-UE. NSA-UE 415 does not require a SIM card, eSIM, or equivalent to enable cellular service on a cellular device card. In some implementations, the NSA-UE only exchanges real-time data with base stations in the cellular network. Example serving SA-UEs (such as 410) require an active connection or active connection configuration (e.g., 5G AS context) with the cellular network; otherwise, the NSA-UE cannot be directly reached from the cellular network (e.g., via paging) because the NSA-SA cellular configuration is part of the serving SA-UE connection configuration. The NSA-UE can be served by the same cellular node (e.g., RAN-BS) or a different cellular node serving the SA-UE. Example NSA-UEs do not require a cellular subscription, cellular plan, or anything similar necessary to enable cellular service on the device. Instead, NSA-UE cellular service is associated with a serving SA-UE cellular subscription. The example NSA-UE only needs to support the limited cellular functionality necessary for transmitting and / or receiving higher-layer data payloads to the cellular network ingress node (e.g., 5G RAN-BS) over the cellular radio link. Accordingly, the example NSA-UE does not need to support any of the cellular functionalities associated with the cellular core network. For example, not all 5G NAS layer services / functionalities are required, such as registration / deregistration, tracking area updates, session and mobility management, etc.

[0058] The example NSA-SA only needs to support mandatory cellular control plane functions related to radio access network access (e.g., 5G RAN), which are necessary for handling cellular user plane and physical layer cellular configurations. All other RAN control plane functions are not required, but they may be present. For example, up to 70% of 5G RRC layer functions are not mandatory for NSA-UE support, such as RRC idle and inactive modes, paging, SIB acquisition, RRC connection establishment, security management, measurement, mobility, connection re-establishment, connection release, etc. The example NSA-UE can be configured to support the mandatory cellular user plane and physical layer functions necessary for transmitting and / or receiving higher-layer data payloads to the cellular network ingress node (e.g., 5G gNB) on the cellular radio link. In summary, the cellular network can treat a “UE cluster of SA-UEs” as a single logical UE, where, during connection, the UE needs to exchange data with the external network via direct cellular radio access from multiple physical devices (i.e., SA-UEs and one or more NSA-UEs).

[0059] Once a UE trunking is formed, communication on the cellular network can proceed between the UE trunking and the NSA-UE. (Reference) Figure 5 An example flowchart 500 for this communication is shown. A secure communication link (505) can be established between the NSA-UE and the serving SA-UE. For example, this link can be via Bluetooth, WiFi, D2D cellular communication protocol, or other suitable mechanisms. At 510, when the NSA-UE needs to transmit user plane data with an external network (e.g., the Internet) via a direct cellular radio link, the NSA-UE requests (520) the serving SA-UE to establish a cellular data exchange session, through which data transmission can be performed via a direct radio link with the cellular network (i.e., see step 580). When the serving SA-UE receives the NSA-UE request, the serving SA-UE establishes a connection with the cellular network (530) if it has not yet been established, and requests a direct cellular radio link for the NSA-UE (540). The cellular network prepares any NSA-UE cellular configuration necessary for data transmission and provides it back to the serving SA-UE (550). The serving SA-UE processes the NSA-UE configuration and transmits the configuration back to the NSA-UE to enable cellular network access (560). In some implementations, the serving SA-UE can then enter a power-saving mode.

[0060] At 570, the NSA-UE applies its cellular configuration and can subsequently initiate data transmission with the cellular network (580). No further pending data transmission is required to the serving SA-UE or any NAS-UE within the UE cluster (585). When data transmission with all UEs within the UE cluster of the serving SA-UE is complete, the cellular network can release its connection to the serving SA-UE (590), and correspondingly, the direct data transmission session of the NSA-UE will terminate (595). Note that, relative to... Figure 5 Each action discussed can be achieved through one or more signals or messages.

[0061] Now, additional details regarding the architecture of the UE cluster according to the disclosed implementation will be discussed. As discussed above, the UE cluster may include at least one standalone UE and one or more NSA-UEs. An example SA-UE may be a cellular UE capable of supporting all cellular user plane and control plane functionalities (i.e., at least the mandatory cellular user plane and control plane functionalities) and having an active cellular subscription (e.g., via a SIM card or equivalent).

[0062] In addition to normal UE cellular functionality, the example SA-UE may be associated with one or more NSA-UEs and will need to support the following new functionality. The SA-UE can be configured to support the establishment, maintenance (i.e., activation and deactivation), and release of NSA-UE cellular data exchange sessions with one or more NSA-UEs. In one implementation, this can be implemented on the SA-UE<->NSA-UE interface (IF), which can be implemented via an appropriate secure communication protocol. Acceptable protocols may include, but are not limited to, Bluetooth, WiFi, or D2D cellular communication protocols. The SA-UE<->NSA-UE IF is configured to exchange information (e.g., NSA-UE data session management and configuration). Furthermore, one or more interfaces (referred to as UE<->CellularNW IF) may exist between the cellular network and each of the SA-UE and one or more NSA-UEs. These interfaces may be radio interfaces between the cellular network (e.g., RAN) and the UE configured for payload transmission, signaling air messages, and / or user plane data.

[0063] SA-UEs can also be configured to support the addition, modification, and release of one or more NSA-UEs using the cellular network. For example, this functionality may include activities such as a serving SA-UE requesting the addition / modification / release of one or more NSA-UEs to the SA-UE's NSA-UE cluster from the cellular core network. Where an SA-UE can maintain more than one NSA-UE cluster, an identifier (ID) can be associated with each created UE cluster. The cellular network can also initiate NSA-UE releases (such as when further data transmission to the device is no longer desired).

[0064] In addition, the SA-UE is also responsible for receiving and processing any cellular configurations or reconfigurations from the NSA-UE and transmitting them to the NSA-UE. This may also include NSA-UE security context establishment, as discussed in more detail later.

[0065] The UE trunking architecture may also include one or more NSA-UEs, which may be cellular UEs supporting a reduced number of functionalities compared to SA-UEs. For example, an NSA-UE may only need to support new services related to cellular data exchange sessions, such as the establishment, maintenance (i.e., activation and deactivation), and release of cellular data exchange sessions with serving SA-UEs. In other implementations, the NSA-UE may also need to support limited mandatory cellular functionality, such as cellular configuration handling, including applications that require cellular configuration or reconfiguration of the user plane and physical layer for cellular radio access networks (e.g., 5G RAN).

[0066] The NSA-UE may also need to support cellular link failure detection (detection of cellular link failures with the cellular network, which may be as simple as data interruption detection (e.g., 5G RLC retransmission to maximum)). When the NSA-UE detects a cellular link failure, it can re-trigger the serving SA-UE to activate a cellular data exchange session. When the cellular network detects a cellular link failure with the NSA-UE, it can assume the cellular link with the NSA-UE is lost and accordingly map any NSA-UE data traffic back to the serving SA-UE, or notify the serving SA-UE that the NSA-UE is unreachable, and the serving SA-UE can accordingly trigger the NSA-UE cellular data exchange session reconstruction.

[0067] In some implementations, the NSA-UE may also support cellular data transmission functionality, such as the cellular data plane and physical layer functionality necessary to send / receive higher-layer data payloads to / from the cellular network ingress node (e.g., RAN-BS).

[0068] Additional optional NSA-UE cellular functionalities may exist. Specifically, it should be noted that these functionalities are not essential for the NSA-UE of the disclosed embodiment to achieve the advantages of the disclosed embodiment. Optional NSA-UE functionalities may include the following functionalities that might be desired in the case of advanced category NSA-UEs (e.g., non-stationary NSA-UEs that may be located far from serving SA-UEs): • Cellular search, detection, and reporting of results to the SA-UE may be required to prepare the initial NSA-UE cellular configuration for cellular network access.

[0069] • Perform cellular measurements and report the results to the cellular network (e.g., similar to a 5G L3 RRC measurement report). • Receive cellular reconfiguration updates directly via the cellular network.

[0070] • Advanced radio link failure detection services (e.g., similar to 5G radio link monitoring) • When the NSA-UE detects a cellular link failure, the NSA-UE can directly re-establish the cellular data exchange session with the cellular network.

[0071] Activities may include searching for suitable cellular network cells and submitting cellular data exchange session reconstruction requests with information such as the SA-UE identifier (e.g., 5G gNB ID+SA-UE CRNTI), cluster ID, and NSA-UE ID.

[0072] Additional optional NSA-UE cellular functionality may include features that might be necessary in situations where NSA-UE user plane traffic can be served by different cellular bearers (e.g., different 5G DRBs, QoS streams, PDU sessions), such as user plane data traffic classification and mapping to different cellular network bearers (e.g., 5G QoS streams). A basic NSA-UE may not need to perform any traffic classification because all data traffic (e.g., internet traffic) will be mapped to a single cellular network bearer.

[0073] In a UE cluster, NSA-UEs and serving SA-UEs can communicate via a cellular network. Figures 6A through 6C illustrate how this communication works. Figure 6A shows an example cellular network 635 with one or more base stations 630-1 and 630-2 (e.g., RAN-BS1 and RAN-BS2), which are configured to communicate with SA-UE 610 and one or more NSA-UEs 615 via interface 650 (referred to as SA-UE<->NSA-UE IF). SA-UE<->NSA-UE IF 650 is the interface between SA-UE 610 and NSA-UE 615, which is configured to exchange information (e.g., NSA-UE data session management and configuration) between the SA-UE and NSA-UE.

[0074] Figure 6B illustrates an example flowchart for communication between serving SA-UE 610 and NSA-UE 615 via base stations 630-1 and 630-2 (RAN-NS1 and RAN-BS2) of cellular network 635. When the NAS-UE cellular data exchange session is active (i.e., a direct cellular link between the NSA-UE and the cellular network has been established and is active) (660), the NSA-UE can exchange one or more payloads (e.g., cellular data exchange session management messages) with the serving SA-UE via / on the cellular network by transmitting messages associated with the serving SA-UE to RAN-BS1 (665). This payload may be referred to as the UE cluster payload. If the distance between the NAS-UE and the serving SA-UE exceeds the communication link (e.g., Wi-Fi or Bluetooth) used for the initial establishment and activation of the cellular data exchange session, a UE cluster payload may be required. As seen in Figure 6C, example cellular signaling air message 670 may include an optional UE cluster ID 672, a source / destination UE ID within the cluster (674), and a UE cluster payload 676. In some implementations, the destination UE ID within the UE cluster should be sufficient to enable the cellular network to route data to the destination device. In cases where the serving SA-UE has multiple UE clusters, the UE cluster ID 672 may be associated with the payload to be transmitted to identify which UE cluster is transmitting data. Furthermore, in some implementations, the UE cluster payload may be carried in a cellular signaling air message (e.g., an RRC signaling air message transmitted over a signaling radio bearer).

[0075] Referring back to Figure 6B, base station RAN-BS1 is configured to route data to NSA-UE 615 (675) via RAN-BS2 serving NSA-UE. RAN-BS1 transmits a message to RAN-BS2 serving NSA-UE containing a cluster ID (if present), the ID of the destination NSA-UE, and the UE cluster payload (680). RAN-BS2 then transmits a message to NSA-UE containing the ID of the serving SA-UE sending the data and the UE cluster payload (685). NSA-UE is configured to process the UE cluster payload and transmit a response if necessary (690). If a message is needed, NSA-UE transmits a message including the SA-UE ID and the UE cluster payload back to serving RAN-BS2 (692). RAN-BS2 transmits a message to RAN-BS1 serving SA-UE (694), which may include the cluster ID (if present), the ID of the destination SA-UE, and the UE cluster payload. RAN-BS1 then sends a message to the serving SA-UE, which may include the UE cluster payload and the ID (695) of the NSA-UE that initially sent the data.

[0076] If needed, the same scheme can be used to exchange data between various NSA-UEs within the same or different service SA-UE clusters.

[0077] In some implementations, a security architecture for communication between SA-UE and NSA-UE over a cellular network may be desired, as disclosed above. Figure 7 An example security architecture 700 for SA-UE, NSA-UE, and cellular network is shown (note that although only one NSA-UE is shown, multiple NSA-UEs may exist). Figure 7 At 710, the serving SA-UE and the cellular NW (e.g., both the RAN and the core network) can perform the processes necessary for mutual authentication and establishing a secure link between them (e.g., via 5G NAS and AS security processes). At 720, the NSA-UE and the serving SA-UE perform mutual authentication and establish a secure communication link via any suitable communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth, WiFi, D2D cellular protocol, etc.). In the context of the serving SA-UE being added between the serving SA-UE and the cellular network, the cellular network can provide the serving SA-UE with the security configuration (730) necessary for protecting the NSA-UE's cellular network radio link access (i.e., NSA-UE-cellular network data transmission protection). For example, in 5G, this might resemble the AS security configuration, including information such as security algorithms (i.e., encryption and integrity protection algorithms) used to protect signaling, user plane data, and key generation counters.

[0078] Based on the NSA-UE security configuration received from the cellular network, the serving SA-UE prepares an NSA-UE security context necessary for the NSA-UE to protect the data transmission exchange between the NSA-UE and the cellular network. This NSA-UE security context includes security parameters (e.g., security keys, algorithms, etc.). This preparation may include activities such as the serving SA-UE generating an NSA-UE cellular security key (735) from its serving SA-UE cellular key and the NSA-UE security parameters (e.g., NSA-UE identity, key generation counter) received from the cellular network. Since the NSA-UE does not perform any activities with the core network, the NSA-UE does not need to have any security context for signaling data exchange with the core network (e.g., no 5G NAS security context is required). In another embodiment, the serving SA-UE may generate secret NSA-UE keys from its cellular key and the NSA-UE security parameters, which are then provided to the NSA-UE. The NSA-UE can use this secret key information to generate its cellular key. The serving SA-UE then provides the prepared cellular security context (740) to the NSA-UE.

[0079] At point 750, the NSA-UE can apply the security configuration received from the serving SA-UE during data transmission / switching activities with the cellular network. In some implementations, this may include further key derivation if the serving SA-UE has not yet completed all operations. Based on the NSA-UE capabilities, after the initial security configuration of the NSA-UE, the NSA-UE may optionally receive further security configuration updates directly from the cellular network, through which a new NSA-UE security context (e.g., keys and algorithms) can be established. In this use case, the serving SA-UE can derive the NSA-UE key from the initially generated NSA-UE key.

[0080] Figure 8 An exemplary user plane data architecture 800 for NSA-UE cellular bearer management is illustrated. UE cluster 805 may include SA-UE 810 and multiple NSA-UEs 815-1 to 815-n. Cellular RAN 820 and cellular core network (CN) 825 can be configured to allow UE cluster 805 to communicate with an external network 840 (i.e., the Internet). Cellular RAN 820 is associated with base stations 830-1 and 830-2 (BS 1 and BS 2). See also Figure 8The Serving SA-UE 810 can create SA-UE data sessions (e.g., 5G PDU sessions) and / or SA-UE cellular CN bearers (e.g., 5G QoS flows) necessary for Serving NSA-UE data traffic, such as based on NSA-UE cellular data exchange session data transmission requirements. Serving SA-UE 810 associates NSA-UE 815 with one or more SA-UE data sessions (850-1 to 850-n) and / or one or more SA-UE cellular CN bearers (860-1 to 860-2) within the data session. Serving SA-UE 810 is configured to notify the cellular network of the SA-UE data sessions and / or cellular CN bearers associated with NSA-UE 815. If the serving cell node of the SA-UE (e.g., RAN-BS1) is different from the serving cell node of the NSA-UE (e.g., RAN-BS2), the serving cell node (RAN-BS1) of the SA-UE can update the cellular CN bearers of the SA-UE to the cell node that routes the traffic of the NSA-UE (e.g., 5G UPF), and these bearers should be routed to the serving cell node of the NSA-UE (RAN-BS2).

[0081] On the cellular radio interface (e.g., between the NSA-UE and RAN-BS2), each NSA-UE within the UE cluster can have its own radio bearer with the cellular network ingress node (e.g., a 5G RAN radio bearer). While data transmission between the NSA-UE and the cellular network is in progress, if the serving SA-UE does not need to perform any data transmission with the cellular network, it can enter its power-saving state because it does not participate in data transmission between the cellular network and the NSA-UE. For example, a new RRC state could be introduced in 3GPP, or 5G RRC inactivity could be extended to cover this scenario.

[0082] Based on traffic classification, the cellular network can map received downlink (DL) data traffic to a cellular CN bearer within the SA-UE's cellular CN bearer. If the SA-UE's cellular CN bearer is associated with the NSA-UE, the DL data will be delivered directly to the NSA-UE's serving cellular node (e.g., the NSA-UE's RAN-BS). The NSA-UE's serving cellular node will then deliver the data to the NSA-UE via the NSA-UE's radio bearer associated with that SA-UE's cellular CN bearer (e.g., a RAN AS layer radio bearer). If the serving SA-UE receives DL data on a cellular CN bearer associated with the NSA-UE (e.g., when the NSA-SA cellular data exchange session is not yet active or is lost), the serving SA-UE can forward the DL data to the NSA-UE via a D2D communication link. The same or similar approach applies to the uplink (UL) direction, where the cellular network can route received UL data on one of the NSA-UE's radio bearers to the corresponding SA-UE's cellular CN bearer associated with it during NSA-UE addition.

[0083] Still referencing Figure 8 In one implementation, SA-UE 810 can be configured to notify its serving RAN-BS "RAN-BS1" 830-1 which cellular CN bearers (e.g., CN bearer 1 in SA-UE data session 4) should be mapped to NSA-UE2 (815-2) (e.g., during NSA-UE addition). RAN-BS1 can notify the CN (e.g., 5G AMF and UPF via PDU session path update procedures) about the cellular network bearers of the SA-UE assigned to NSA-UE2 (e.g., CN bearer 1 in SA-UE data session 4) for RAN-BS (e.g., RAN-BS2) to serve the NSA-UE. Accordingly, the CN function updates the routing of traffic from SA-UE CN bearer 1 in SA-UE data session 4 to RAN-BS2. When RAN-BS2 receives DL data on CN bearer 1 (assigned to NSA-UE2) associated with SA-UE data session 4, RAN-BS2 transmits the DL data to NSA-UE2 via NSA-UE2 RAN radio bearer 1. In the UL direction, when RAN-BS2 receives UL data from NSA-UE2 on NSA-UE2 RAN radio bearer 1, RAN-BS2 routes the received UL data to CN bearer 1 associated with SA-UE data session 4.

[0084] Figure 9An example configuration architecture for NSA-UE cellular bearer management via an example serving SA-UE is illustrated. Arrangement 900 includes SA-UE 910, NSA-UE 915, and cellular network 935. In one embodiment, cellular network 935 communicates with NSA-UE 915 via SA-UE 910. For the initial cellular configuration of NSA-UE 915, NSA-UE 915 notifies serving SA-UE 910 of the need for a cellular data exchange session via a direct radio link with the cellular network. Serving SA-UE 910 requests the addition of an NSA-UE from cellular network 935. In one embodiment, this request may include information to support cellular network 935 in preparing the NSA-UE cellular configuration, such as NSA-UE cellular capabilities, information about the SA-UE data session and / or cellular CN bearer to be mapped to the NSA-UE, the cells detected by the NSA-UE, and their power values, etc. In another implementation, it can be assumed that NSA-UE 915 has similar cellular radio conditions to serving SA-UE 910, and accordingly, serving SA-UE cellular measurements can be used to determine the optimal serving cell for the NSA-UE. The list of candidate NSA-UE serving frequencies can be broadcast by the cellular network or provided specifically to the serving SA-UE.

[0085] Based on the information received from the serving SA-UE regarding the NSA-UE, the cellular network can prepare the initial cellular configuration for the NSA-UE and provide it back to the serving SA-UE (950). This may include interaction with other cellular network nodes, such as with other RAN-BSs (e.g., 5G gNBs) that should serve the NSA-UE to prepare the cellular configuration for the NSA-UE, or with cellular nodes responsible for traffic routing (e.g., 5G PCFs) to update their traffic routing information based on the SA-UE data session and / or cellular CN bearer associated with the NAS-UE. At 960, the serving SA-UE 910 transmits the configuration required for cellular network access to the NSA-UE 915.

[0086] For further modifications to the NSA-UE's cellular configuration, the cellular network may transmit the updated cellular configuration of the NSA-UE to the SA-UE. In another embodiment, the cellular network may transmit the updated cellular configuration of the NSA-UE directly to the NSA-UE (970). The SA-UE 910 may perform any processing necessary for the NSA-UE's cellular configuration, such as SA-UE activities necessary for the NSA-UE's cellular security context, as previously discussed, or the SA-UE 910 may group configurations from different entities (e.g., CN and RAN) associated with the NSA-UE 915 in the cellular network and provide them to the NSA-UE 915 in a single message. After the SA-UE completes the NSA-UE's cellular configuration processing, the SA-UE 910 may provide the NSA-UE 915 with the configuration necessary for cellular network access (960). The NSA-UE 915 may apply these configurations and begin using them for cellular network access and data transmission.

[0087] In another implementation, the configuration of the NSA-UE 915 can be managed via the serving cellular network 935, depending on the capabilities of the NSA-UE 915. In one implementation, the NSA-UE 915 can receive cellular configuration updates (970) directly from the cellular network 935, in addition to the initial configuration.

[0088] As disclosed herein, NSA-UE cellular configuration may include one or more of the following: • Information related to cellular network radio access (e.g., RAN in 4G / 5G), such as physical layer configuration and data layer configuration. For example, in 5G, this could include: • NSA-SA UE ID within the cluster, 1...MAX_NSA_UE.

[0089] • ID zero can always be reserved for serving SA-UE.

[0090] • MAC / RLC / PDCP / SDAP entity configuration • Service cell physical layer configuration • Security parameters required to establish an NSA-UE security context.

[0091] • Information that enables NSA-UEs to accelerate access to cellular networks, such as information on the serving cell of the SA-UE that will also serve the NSA-UE, such as frequency timing, power gain, and UL time advance information.

[0092] • Information relating to how NSA-UE user plane traffic is served within the cellular network. This may include: information about external network access assigned to the NSA-UE (e.g., external network addresses (e.g., IP addresses)); optionally, information about traffic classification that the NSA-UE can perform to map user plane traffic to corresponding assigned cellular network bearers; a list of cellular network data sessions and CN bearers (e.g., similar to 5G PDU sessions and QoS flows) assigned to each NSA-UE and their corresponding configurations; a traffic classification template that can be used to map user plane traffic to cellular network bearers; and a mapping of NSA-UE RAN bearers (e.g., 5G radio bearers) to assigned cellular network CN bearers.

[0093] Figure 10 An example method 1000 for establishing and managing an NSA-UE cellular data exchange session is illustrated. The goal is to establish a stream / bearer (e.g., a 5G PDU session and QoS stream) in the cellular network, which is necessary for NSA-UE data transmission over the cellular network. Once a secure communication link (1040) is established between SA-UE 1010 and NSA-UE 1015, NSA-UE 1015 requests SA-UE 1010 to establish a cellular session (i.e., a cellular data exchange session), through which the NSA-UE can directly perform data transmission over the cellular network 1035 (1050). This request may include information such as the NSA-UE's data session QoS requirements and the relevant capabilities of NSA-UE 1015. This request may be as simple as "internet connection needed," as all the cellular protocol complexities from the NSA-UE are extracted by SA-UE 1010. The SA-UE 1010 processes the information received from the NSA-UE 1015 (e.g., by mapping the NSA-UE request to a cellular QoS request) and establishes a new data session for the NSA-UE and / or identifies the bearer stream within an existing data session (1060).

[0094] Serving SA-UE 1010 sends a request to cellular network 1035 to establish a data session and / or cellular stream (e.g., if there are insufficient established data sessions and / or cellular streams) or to modify an existing data session and / or cellular stream (1070). SA-UE 1010 may notify cellular network 1035 that the reason for the request is to establish an NSA-UE data exchange. Cellular network 1035 may accept or reject the request based on the services supported by the SA-UE, such as the maximum allowed number of NSA-UEs supported by the SA-UE, or the maximum allowed number of SA-UE data sessions and / or cellular streams / bearers that can be established for the NSA-UE. If accepted, cellular network 1035 may send an acknowledgment message to serving SA-UE 1010 (1080). Once acknowledgment is received from the cellular network, SA-UE 1010 sends a confirmation message back to NSA-UE 1015 confirming the completion of the cellular data exchange session (1090). SA-UE 1010 can provide NSA-UE 1015 with information about the established data session and / or cellular flow / bearer, such as the NSA-UE IP address and / or traffic filtering template (if needed). For basic NSA-UE devices, no special measures may be required, as all traffic will be mapped to a single cellular network bearer. A data exchange session (1095) is then established for NSA-UE 1015.

[0095] Figure 11 An example method for an NSA-UE to activate a cellular data exchange session is illustrated. In method 1100, when a data exchange session is established (1105) and the NSA-UE has UL data to be transmitted via a direct cellular NW radio link (1110), the NSA-UE requests cellular data exchange session activation from the serving SA-UE by transmitting an activation message to the serving SA-UE (1120). This activation message may include information such as cells detected in frequency bands supported by the NSA-UE. The SA-UE establishes a connection with a cellular network (e.g., RAN-BS) and may indicate to the cellular network that the NSA-UE needs to be added (1130). During connection establishment, the cellular network may provide the SA-UE with a list of candidate frequencies for the NSA-UE's serving cells. In another embodiment, the cellular network may broadcast this information in a system information broadcast message. If the SA-UE has a list of candidate frequencies for the NSA-UE's serving cells in parallel with the connection establishment, the SA-UE may request the NSA-UE to scan the list of candidate cellular frequencies for the NSA-UE's serving cells and report the results back (1132). The NSA-UE performs a scan of the candidate frequency list of the serving cell of the NSA-UE and provides the results to the serving SA-UE (1134).

[0096] Once the SA-UE connection is established, the SA-UE requests NSA-UE Addition from the cellular network (1140). This request may include information such as the NSA-UE's cellular radio access capabilities, a list of cells detected by the NSA-UE and their power values, and a list of SA-UE cellular network data sessions and cellular NW bearers (e.g., 5G PDU sessions and / or QoS flows) that can be mapped to the NSA-UE. The cellular network can use this information to perform DL traffic mapping (1145). The cellular network may adjust DL traffic routing based on the cellular network data sessions and cellular NW bearers associated with the NSA-UE. For example, if QoS flow 5 is associated with NSA-UE2, when DL data packets are received and mapped to QoS flow 5, the cellular network routes the DL packets to NSA-UE2 (e.g., via the corresponding RAN-BS associated with NSA-UE2). The cellular network prepares the NSA-UE cellular configuration necessary for cellular NW radio access (e.g., RAN) and transmits the configuration back to the SA-UE along with or in an acknowledgment message (1150).

[0097] Still referencing Figure 11 If the NSA-UE will be served by another cellular node (e.g., another RAN-BS different from the one serving the SA-UE), the cellular entity responsible for traffic routing (e.g., 5G UPF, PCF, SMF) can be updated to take into account the routing of SA-UE data session and cellular NW bearer traffic to the cellular node serving the NSA-UE. When the cellular node serving the NSA-UE (e.g., RAN-BS) receives DL traffic on the cellular network bearer associated with the SA-UE, the cellular node transmits the DL traffic to the NSA-UE via the corresponding RAN bearer. The SA-UE performs any processing necessary for NSA-UE configuration, such as NSA-UE cellular security key generation, verification, and construction of the complete NSA-UE cellular configuration (1160). The SA-UE then prepares the NSA-UE data exchange session configuration and transmits it to the NSA-UE along with or in an acknowledgment message (1170). The NSA-UE applies the received configuration (1180), and the data exchange session is subsequently active (1185). The NSA-UE can then access the cellular network (1190) and can transmit UL data and DL data to and from the cellular network (1195).

[0098] Figure 12An example method for an NSA-UE to receive data from a cellular network is illustrated. In method 1200, when a data exchange session is established (1205) and the cellular network receives DL data (1210), one of the SA-UEs establishes a data session (regardless of whether the session is established for the NSA-UE or the SA-UE (which is transparent to the cellular network at this time)), and the cellular network initiates a connection with the SA-UE (e.g., via a paging message) (1220). Since the SA-UE has an established NSA-UE cellular data exchange session, the SA-UE can indicate the need to add an NSA-UE during connection establishment. After the connection establishment is complete, at 1230, the cellular network forwards the DL data to the SA-UE. The SA-UE processes the DL data and identifies it as one of the cellular network bearers associated with the NSA-UE (1240), and forwards the DL data to the NSA-UE accordingly (1250).

[0099] When the NSA-UE receives DL data, if the NSA-UE determines that a data exchange session needs to be conducted via a direct cellular link, the NSA-UE should initiate the cellular data exchange session activation process with the serving SA-UE in the previously disclosed manner (1260, 1262, 1264, 1270). Once the NSA-UE cellular data exchange session is activated, the cellular network stops forwarding NSA-UE DL data traffic to the serving SA-UE (1275) and confirms the addition of the NSA-UE to the serving SA-UE (1280).

[0100] The SA-UE transmits a DL data forwarding end marker to the NSA-UE (1290). This enables the NSA-UE to initiate sequential processing of DL data to be received directly from the cellular network. The SA-UE also transmits an activation confirmation message to the NSA-UE, which may include the NSA-UE's configuration (1291). The NSA-UE may apply the configuration (1292) to make the data exchange session active (1293). The NSA-UE may initiate a cell access procedure (e.g., RA) (1294), which triggers the cellular network to resume forwarding DL data to the NSA-UE (1295). The NSA-UE may transmit UL data and DL data to and from the cellular network (1296).

[0101] The UE trunking and / or NSA-UE disclosed herein can have numerous applications. In one implementation, such as Figure 13 As shown, NSA-UE can be used as an access point in a cost-effective way to provide users with an experience of advanced cellular features. For example, such as Figure 13As illustrated, a user may have several UEs 1310, such as a 5G mobile phone (1310-1), a 4G device (such as a smartwatch) (1310-2), or a laptop computer without cellular capabilities (1310-3), and need to experience the benefits of 6G cellular protocols (e.g., data throughput) without paying additional money to upgrade their devices (e.g., by purchasing a new device). The 5G mobile phone can be configured to provide 5G service through a 5G cellular network with one or more base stations (1330-1).

[0102] Users can purchase a 6G NSA-UE access point 1315 (i.e., an NSA-UE as disclosed herein). Through this access point, users can experience 6G data throughput and cellular coverage anywhere using the disclosed implementation scheme, by using the 6G access point as an NSA-UE as disclosed herein and by using one or more of their old devices (e.g., old mobile phones, watches, laptops, etc.) as SA-UEs. The 6G NSA-UE access point is configured to provide 6G services (e.g., high-speed internet access) through a 6G network with one or more base stations (1330-2). The 6G NSA-UE access point should be cheaper than a regular 6G router because it does not need to support full 6G cellular modem functionality. Users do not need a separate SIM card / cellular plan for the 6G NSA-UE access point; they only need to include a SIM card that allows access to 6G services in their old device (acting as an SA-UE). In some implementations, devices 1310-1, 1310-2, and 1310-3 are configured to communicate with a 6G NSA-UE access point via a wireless link such as WiFi or Bluetooth.

[0103] In a similar manner, using an SA-UE alongside an NSA-UE allows access to cellular satellite services not supported by the user's mobile phone or other wireless communication device, because Figure 13 The 6G NSA-UE access point shown can have a powerful battery that is better suited for cellular satellite communications. Furthermore, access to cellular networks via certain frequency bands / FR ranges that are not supported by the user's mobile phone or other wireless communication devices but are available at the NSA-UE can be achieved using the NSA-UE access point.

[0104] In additional implementation schemes, such as Figure 14 As shown, the NSA-UE can be used as a gaming station that enables users to have an improved gaming experience by providing a simple solution for connecting all their gaming devices to the Internet via a cellular network with minimal possible latency and granted QoS requirements. Figure 14An example setup using SA-UE and NSA-UE in a gaming environment is shown. Setup 1400 may include a cellular phone or similar device 1410 (which may act as a service SA-UE according to the disclosure herein) and several gaming devices 1415 (which may include NSA-UE in this embodiment).

[0105] SA-UE 1410 and NSA-UE can work together to communicate with an external game server 1420 over an external network 1440 via cellular network 1435. In this use case, each gaming device (glove 1415-1, glasses 1415-2, shoe 1415-3, or similar device) may be equipped with an NSA-UE, and the user uses their mobile phone 1410 or other wireless communication device with full cellular capabilities as the SA-UE, enabling cellular service access to the game server 1420 on all gaming devices. SA-UE 1410 can be used to exchange game data between gaming device 1415 and game server 1420 via cellular network 1435. In some embodiments, gaming devices 1415-1, 1415-2, and 1415-3 are configured to communicate with SA-UE 1410 via a wireless link such as WiFi or Bluetooth.

[0106] Accordingly, deploying the 1400 minimizes latency because gaming devices can access the internet via a direct cellular radio link (without additional hops / anchors). Furthermore, using a cellular QoS framework guarantees certain QoS requirements for gaming devices. Figure 14 Another advantage of this deployment is that gaming devices will not incur unacceptable costs, as each device does not need a complete UE (i.e., a complete cellular modem), but only NSA-UE functionality. The NSA-UE only needs to support a subset of mandatory cellular functionality. Furthermore, a single cellular / carrier plan can be used to enable NSA-UE access to the cellular network for all devices. Additionally, since all data traffic destined for the NSA-UE is served via the serving SA-UE data pipeline (e.g., 5G QoS streaming), the service data on these pipelines can be easily synchronized if needed, such as when different XR data packets need to be processed simultaneously by different devices. In a similar scenario, the disclosed deployment will enable a gaming station with a set of XR glasses that different players can wear while playing the same game.

[0107] Figure 15 Another example use case for example SA-UE and NSA-UE is illustrated. Figure 15In this arrangement 1500, the NSA-UE concept can be used in wide-area activities using multiple devices. For example, a user with a mobile cellular phone 1510 at a large farm or other facility wants to perform an activity requiring input data from multiple UE devices 1515 (such as drones (1510-1 and 1515-4) and other devices 1515-2 and 1515-3 (such as sensors) processed by a server (1550) in an external network 1540 (e.g., the Internet), and the output action is directed from the server 1550 back to the drones and devices performing the agricultural or manufacturing-related activities. In this scenario, latency can be a significant factor, therefore the RTT of the input data should be minimized as much as possible until the output data is received from the processing server. Figure 15 As shown, each device 1515 will be equipped with an NSA-UE with reduced cellular functionality, and cellular access can be enabled via an SA-UE 1510, which can be a mobile phone or other wireless communication device with full cellular functionality. In some embodiments, the SA-UE 1510 and NSA-UE 1515 can communicate with an external server 1550 via the same or different cellular networks 1535-1, 1535-2, 1535-3, and 1535-4. Accordingly, wide-area Internet coverage can be achieved via cellular radio links through one or more cellular networks having one or more base stations 1535-1 to 1535-4.

[0108] Latency is minimized by directly exchanging data between the device with NSA-UE and the cellular network (without an anchor). Furthermore, desired QoS can be granted using a cellular QoS framework. An additional benefit is that a cost-effective version of the UE (NSA-UE) can be used to enable user equipment for cellular access without the hassle of maintaining a cellular plan / SIM card for each device. Moreover, the NSA-UE can support NSA-UE mobility services and accordingly ensure smooth wireless internet coverage over the cellular network.

[0109] Therefore, according to the disclosed embodiments, access to an external network (e.g., the Internet) can be provided via a cellular network by associating at least one standalone UE with full cellular functionality with one or more non-standalone UEs having only limited, necessary, or mandatory cellular capabilities. A single standalone UE may be associated with one or more non-standalone UEs in a UE cluster, which is considered a single UE entity within the cellular network.

[0110] When using a UE cluster with an SA-UE and one or more NSA-UEs, other factors may need to be considered. For example, the NSA-UE may support a different RAT / FR range than the SA-UE. The SA-UE may only support 4G / 5G networks and functionality, while the NSA-UE may support 6G networks and functionality, and vice versa. Additionally, the SA-UE and NSA-UE may be served by the same or different network nodes (e.g., RAN-BS).

[0111] It should be noted that a normal UE with full and complete cellular capabilities (i.e., a standalone UE) can operate in NSA-UE mode based on the user's needs.

[0112] Different information may have different validity / lifetimes compared to NSA-UE cellular data exchange sessions. As long as the serving SA-UE is registered with the CN, information related to the cellular core network (e.g., information similar to PDU sessions in 5G) can be maintained independently of the serving SA-UE's RAN connection state.

[0113] As long as an SA-UE AS context is established (e.g., 5G RRC connection or inactivity), RAN-related information (e.g., NSA-UE RB configuration and serving cell configuration) can be valid. If the SA-UE moves to the state of the stored access stratum UE context (e.g., 5G RRC inactivity), the NSA-UE cellular data exchange session configuration can also be retained and stored for reuse in the next SA-UE connection.

[0114] SA-UEs associated with a UE cluster may have special considerations on the cellular network side. For example, RAN connections (e.g., 5G RRC connections) should not be released as long as one or more NSA-UEs within the same UE cluster require data transmission. Furthermore, RAN connections may be released after a long period of inactivity beginning after the last NSA-UE data transmission stops. If the mobility of the SA-UE is considered and the SA-UE indicates that the UE clusters are very close, the mobility of the associated NSA-UE should also be considered.

[0115] The serving SA-UE can transmit user plane or signaling data to the cellular network via one of its associated NSA-UEs. The same applies in the other direction; the cellular network can transmit user plane or signaling data to the SA-UE via one of its associated NSA-UEs, such as when the SA-UE is outside cellular coverage or in low-power mode (and the communication link with the NSA-UE is more power-efficient), or when the NSA-UE has stronger cellular capabilities (e.g., cellular capabilities necessary to support high throughput).

[0116] Example In a first embodiment, a method includes: generating data for transmission to a base station via a direct cellular radio link in a cellular network, and processing data received from the base station via the direct cellular radio link, wherein a finite set of cellular functionalities is supported, the finite set being smaller than the complete set of cellular functionalities of the cellular network, and wherein a user does not have an active cellular subscription for enabling cellular services using the cellular network.

[0117] In the second embodiment, according to the method of the first embodiment, only cellular functionality is required for sending or receiving certain data payloads to or from the base station on the direct cellular radio link.

[0118] In the third embodiment, according to the method of the first embodiment, there is no module for storing cellular subscription information, wherein the module includes a subscriber identity module (SIM) or an embedded SIM (eSIM).

[0119] In a fourth embodiment, according to the method of the first embodiment, the device is associated with a standalone UE configured to support the complete set of cellular functionality to enable the establishment of the direct cellular radio link between the device and the base station in the cellular network.

[0120] In the fifth embodiment, according to the method described in the fourth embodiment, the method further includes establishing a secure communication link between the device and the standalone UE.

[0121] In a sixth embodiment, according to the method of the fourth embodiment, the method further includes: generating a request for establishing a cellular data exchange session for sending to the standalone UE, via the cellular data exchange session, to perform data transmission via the direct cellular radio link with the cellular network; processing a cellular configuration for the data transmission based on signaling from the standalone UE, wherein the cellular configuration is prepared by the cellular network and transmitted to the standalone UE; and applying the cellular configuration to initiate the data transmission to the cellular network.

[0122] In a seventh embodiment, according to the method of the sixth embodiment, the method further includes exchanging one or more management payloads with the standalone UE by transmitting messages to a base station serving the standalone UE, wherein the base station serving the standalone UE is configured to route data back from the cellular network through the base station serving the device.

[0123] In the eighth embodiment, according to the method of the seventh embodiment, wherein the device and the standalone UE are part of a UE cluster, and the one or more management payloads are transmitted via cellular signaling messages, the cellular signaling messages including one or more of the identifier of the UE cluster, the source / destination identifier of the UE ID within the UE cluster, and the UE cluster payload.

[0124] In the ninth embodiment, the method according to the seventh embodiment is performed by a non-standalone (NSA) UE, the NSA UE and the standalone UE being part of a UE cluster, and one or more payloads being transmitted via cellular signaling messages including one or more of the identifier of the UE cluster, the source / destination identifier of the UE ID within the UE cluster, and the UE cluster payload.

[0125] In the tenth embodiment, the method according to the seventh embodiment is performed by a non-standalone (NSA) UE, the NSA UE and the standalone UE being part of a UE cluster including at least one other NSA UE, and one or more payloads being transmitted via cellular signaling messages including one or more of the UE cluster identifier, the UE ID source / destination identifier within the UE cluster, and the UE cluster payload.

[0126] In the eleventh embodiment, according to the method of the fourth embodiment, the method further includes processing a security configuration provided by the cellular network to the standalone UE on a secure link established via a mutual authentication process between the standalone UE and the cellular network based on signaling received from the standalone UE, wherein the security configuration protects the device's access to the cellular network radio link of the cellular network and is used to protect data exchange between the device and the cellular network.

[0127] In the twelfth embodiment, according to the method of the eleventh embodiment, the method further includes processing one or more cellular security keys generated by the standalone UE based on signaling from the standalone UE.

[0128] In the thirteenth embodiment, according to the method of the eleventh embodiment, the method further includes: processing a secret cellular key generated by the standalone UE based on the cellular key and security parameters of the standalone UE based on signaling from the standalone UE; generating one or more unique cellular keys for the device based on the secret cellular key provided by the standalone UE; and applying the secret cellular key or the one or more unique cellular keys received from the standalone UE to protect data exchanged with the cellular network.

[0129] In the fourteenth embodiment, according to the method of the eleventh embodiment, the method further includes processing further security configuration updates based on signaling received directly from the cellular network after receiving the initial security configuration.

[0130] In the fifteenth embodiment, according to the method of the fourth embodiment, communication with the standalone UE is performed via a local non-cellular communication protocol for the initial establishment of the cellular data radio link.

[0131] In the sixteenth embodiment, according to the method of the fourth embodiment, the method further includes: generating a request for establishing a cellular session for sending to the standalone UE, the device directly performing data transmission with the cellular network through the cellular session, wherein the request includes the device's quality of service requirements and related capabilities; processing an acknowledgment message indicating that the cellular session has been established and information about the established data session, cellular stream, or cellular bearer based on signaling from the standalone UE; and exchanging data with the cellular network based on the information received from the standalone UE.

[0132] In the seventeenth embodiment, according to the method of the sixteenth embodiment, the information received from the standalone UE includes the device's IP address or traffic filtering.

[0133] In the eighteenth embodiment, according to the method of the fourth embodiment, when uplink data is to be sent, the method further includes: generating a cellular data exchange session activation request for sending to the standalone UE; processing a request for scanning a candidate cellular frequency list of serving cells based on signaling from the standalone UE; scanning the candidate cellular frequency list and reporting the results back to the standalone UE; processing a configuration for the data exchange session based on signaling from the standalone UE; applying the received configuration; and exchanging data with the cellular network.

[0134] In the nineteenth embodiment, according to the method of the fourth embodiment, the method further includes: processing downlink (DL) data transmitted from the cellular network to the standalone UE based on signaling from the standalone UE, and the standalone UE determining that the DL data is intended for use in the device; determining to use a data exchange session via a direct cellular link; generating a request for establishing a cellular session for sending to the standalone UE, through which data transmission with the cellular network is performed directly; processing an acknowledgment message indicating that the cellular session has been established based on signaling from the standalone UE; processing a DL data forwarding end marker based on signaling from the standalone UE; and initiating sequential processing of the DL data, wherein the DL data is received directly from the cellular network, rather than through the standalone UE.

[0135] In the twentieth embodiment, a processor is configured to perform any of the methods described according to the first to the nineteenth embodiments.

[0136] In the twenty-first embodiment, a user equipment (UE) is configured to perform any one of the methods described according to the first to the nineteenth embodiments.

[0137] In a twenty-second embodiment, a method includes: supporting a complete set of cellular functionalities of a cellular network; establishing a secure communication link with a non-standalone user equipment (UE), wherein the non-standalone UE is configured to support a finite set of cellular functionalities smaller than the complete set of cellular functionalities of the cellular network; establishing a connection with a base station in the cellular network when no connection has been established, and requesting a direct cellular radio link for the non-standalone UE; processing a cellular configuration for data transmission between the non-standalone UE and the cellular network based on signaling from the cellular network on the connection; and generating a message including the cellular configuration to be used by the non-standalone UE to exchange data with the cellular network via the direct cellular radio link for transmission to the non-standalone UE.

[0138] In the twenty-third embodiment, the method described in the twenty-second embodiment is used, wherein an active cellular subscription enables cellular services on the cellular device.

[0139] In the twenty-fourth embodiment, the method according to the twenty-second embodiment is wherein the subscriber identity module (SIM) or electronic SIM (e-SIM) includes subscription information.

[0140] In the twenty-fifth embodiment, according to the method of the twenty-second embodiment, the method further includes entering a power-saving mode after the cellular configuration has been sent to the non-standalone UE.

[0141] In the twenty-sixth embodiment, according to the method described in the twenty-second embodiment, the method further includes establishing a secure communication link between the device and the standalone UE.

[0142] In the twenty-seventh embodiment, according to the method of the twenty-second embodiment, the method further includes exchanging messages including one or more management payloads with the non-standalone UE.

[0143] In the twenty-eighth embodiment, according to the method of the twenty-seventh embodiment, wherein the non-standalone UE is part of a UE cluster, and the one or more management payloads are transmitted via cellular signaling messages, the cellular signaling messages including one or more of the identifier of the UE cluster, the source / destination identifier of the UE ID within the UE cluster, and the UE cluster payload.

[0144] In the twenty-ninth embodiment, according to the method of the twenty-second embodiment, the method further includes performing a process for mutual authentication and establishing a secure link between the device and the cellular network.

[0145] In the thirtieth embodiment, according to the method of the twenty-ninth embodiment, the method further includes performing a mutual authentication process with the non-standalone UE to establish a secure communication link.

[0146] In the thirty-first embodiment, according to the method of the thirty-first embodiment, the security configuration for the non-standalone UE is processed based on signaling from the cellular network to protect the cellular network radio link access and data exchange for the non-standalone UE, and the security configuration is forwarded to the non-standalone UE.

[0147] In the thirty-second embodiment, according to the method of the thirty-first embodiment, the method further includes generating one or more cellular security keys for the non-standalone UE, wherein the one or more cellular security keys are based on the cellular security key of the device and the security parameters of the non-standalone UE.

[0148] In the thirty-third embodiment, according to the method of the thirty-first embodiment, the method further includes generating a secret key to be provided to the non-standalone UE, wherein the secret key is generated based on the cellular key of the device and the security parameters on the non-standalone UE.

[0149] In the thirty-fourth embodiment, according to the method of the twenty-second embodiment, the method further includes communicating with the non-standalone UE via a local non-cellular communication protocol for the initial establishment of the cellular data radio link.

[0150] In the thirty-fifth embodiment, according to the method of the twenty-second embodiment, the method further includes creating one or more data sessions or one or more cellular core network (CN) bearers for disposing of data traffic for the non-standalone UE.

[0151] In the thirty-sixth embodiment, according to the method of the thirty-fifth embodiment, the method further includes associating the non-standalone UE with one or more data sessions in the data session or one or more cellular CN bearers in the cellular CN bearers within the data session, and notifying the cellular network of the data session or the cellular CN bearer associated with the non-standalone UE.

[0152] In the thirty-seventh embodiment, according to the method of the thirty-sixth embodiment, the method further includes updating the cellular node routing data traffic for the non-standalone UE if the serving cellular node for the device is different from the serving cellular node for the non-standalone UE.

[0153] In the thirty-eighth embodiment, according to the method of the thirty-sixth embodiment, the method further includes forwarding the data to the non-standalone UE via a device-to-device (D2D) communication link if the UE receives downlink (DL) data on a cellular CN bearer associated with the non-standalone UE.

[0154] In the thirty-ninth embodiment, according to the method of the twenty-second embodiment, the method further includes: processing a request for establishing a cellular session based on signaling from the non-standalone UE, the non-standalone UE directly performing data transmission with the cellular network through the cellular session, wherein the request includes the quality of service requirements and related capabilities of the non-standalone UE; generating a request for adding the non-standalone UE for sending to the cellular network, the request including information for supporting the cellular network in preparing a cellular configuration; processing an initial cellular configuration for the non-standalone UE based on signaling from the cellular network; and sending the initial cellular configuration to the non-standalone UE.

[0155] In the fortieth embodiment, according to the method of the twenty-second embodiment, wherein when the non-standalone UE has uplink data to transmit, the method further includes: processing a cellular data exchange session activation request based on signaling from the non-standalone UE; establishing a connection with the cellular network and instructing the cellular network of the addition of the non-standalone UE; processing a candidate frequency list of cellular serving cells for the non-standalone UE based on signaling from the cellular network; generating a request for scanning the candidate cellular frequency list for serving cells to send to the non-standalone UE; processing a scan result based on signaling from the non-standalone UE; generating a message including the scan result to send to the cellular network; processing a cellular configuration for the non-standalone UE based on the scan result based on signaling from the cellular network; and generating a message including the cellular configuration to be used for exchanging data with the cellular network to send to the non-standalone UE.

[0156] In the forty-first embodiment, a processor is configured to perform any of the methods described according to the twenty-second to forty-th embodiments.

[0157] In the forty-second embodiment, a user equipment (UE) is configured to perform any one of the methods described according to the twenty-second to forty-th embodiments.

[0158] In a forty-third embodiment, a method includes: supporting a complete set of cellular functionalities of a cellular network; establishing a secure communication link with a user equipment (UE), wherein the UE is configured to support a finite set of cellular functionalities, the finite set being smaller than the complete set of cellular functionalities of the cellular network; when no connection has been established, establishing a connection with a base station in the cellular network and requesting a direct cellular radio link for the UE; processing a cellular configuration for data transmission between the UE and the cellular network based on signaling from the cellular network on the connection; and generating a message including the cellular configuration to be used by the UE to exchange data with the cellular network via the direct cellular radio link for transmission to the UE.

[0159] In the forty-fourth embodiment, according to the method of the forty-third embodiment, the method further includes creating one or more data sessions or one or more cellular core network (CN) bearers for disposing of data traffic for the UE.

[0160] In the forty-fifth embodiment, according to the method of the forty-fourth embodiment, the method further includes associating the UE with one or more data sessions in the data session or one or more cellular CN bearers in the cellular CN bearers within the data session, and notifying the cellular network of the data session or cellular CN bearer associated with the UE.

[0161] In the forty-sixth embodiment, according to the method of the forty-fifth embodiment, the method further includes updating the cellular node routing data traffic for the UE when the serving cellular node for the device is different from the serving cellular node for the UE.

[0162] In the forty-seventh embodiment, according to the method of the forty-fifth embodiment, the method further includes forwarding the data to the UE via a device-to-device (D2D) communication link when the device receives downlink (DL) data on a cellular CN bearer associated with the UE.

[0163] In the forty-eighth embodiment, a processor is configured to perform any one of the methods described according to the forty-second to forty-seventh embodiments.

[0164] In the forty-ninth embodiment, a user equipment (UE) is configured to perform any one of the methods described according to the forty-second to forty-seventh embodiments.

[0165] Those skilled in the art will understand that the example embodiments described above can be implemented with any suitable software or hardware configuration or combination thereof. Example hardware platforms for implementing the example embodiments may include, for example, Intel x86-based platforms with compatible operating systems, Windows OS, Mac platforms and MAC OS, and mobile devices with operating systems such as iOS and Android. The example embodiments described above can be embodied as programs containing lines of code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which, when compiled, can be executed on a processor or microprocessor.

[0166] In some implementations, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory memory element) may be configured to store program instructions and / or data, wherein if these program instructions are executed by a computer system, the computer system performs a method, such as any method implementation of the method implementations described herein, or any combination of method implementations described herein, or any subset of any method implementations described herein, or any combination of such subsets.

[0167] In some implementations, the device (e.g., UE) may be configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and a memory medium (or memory element), wherein the memory medium stores program instructions, and the processor is configured to read from and execute the program instructions from the memory medium, wherein the program instructions are executable to implement any method implementation (or any combination of method implementations described herein, or any subset of any method implementations described herein, or any combination of such subsets) of the various method implementations described herein. The device may be implemented in any of the various forms.

[0168] Embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in any of a variety of forms. For example, in some embodiments, the invention may be implemented as a computer-implemented method, a computer-readable storage medium, or a computer system. In other embodiments, the invention may be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. In still other embodiments, the invention may be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs.

[0169] Although this application describes various embodiments that have different features in various combinations, those skilled in the art will understand that any feature of one embodiment can be combined with features of other embodiments in any way that is not expressly denied or that is not functionally or logically inconsistent with the operation of the device or the specified function of the disclosed embodiment.

[0170] As is widely recognized, the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and measures that are generally accepted to meet or exceed industry or governmental requirements for protecting user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

[0171] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to this disclosure without departing from its spirit or scope. Therefore, this disclosure is intended to cover modifications and variations thereof, provided they fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a processing circuit configured to: Generate data for transmission to a base station via a direct cellular radio link in the cellular network; and Processing data received from the base station via the direct cellular radio link. The device is configured to support a finite set of cellular functionalities, which is smaller than the complete set of cellular functionalities of the cellular network. The device or its user does not have an active cellular subscription for enabling cellular services using the cellular network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus does not have a module for storing cellular subscription information, wherein the module includes a subscriber identity module (SIM) or an embedded SIM (eSIM).

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is associated with a standalone UE configured to support the complete set of cellular functionality to enable the establishment of the direct cellular radio link between the apparatus and the base station in the cellular network.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processing circuit is configured to: A request for establishing a cellular data exchange session is generated and sent to the standalone UE, via the cellular data exchange session, to perform data transmission via the direct cellular radio link with the cellular network; Cellular configurations for the data transmission are processed based on signaling from the standalone UE, wherein the cellular configurations are prepared by the cellular network and transmitted to the standalone UE. as well as The cellular configuration is applied to initiate the data transmission to the cellular network.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to exchange one or more management payloads with the standalone UE by transmitting messages to a base station serving the standalone UE, wherein the base station serving the standalone UE is configured to route data from the cellular network back to the apparatus via the base station serving the apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processing circuit is configured to: The security configuration provided to the standalone UE by the cellular network through a secure link established by the cellular network during the mutual authentication process between the standalone UE and the cellular network, based on the signaling received from the standalone UE, wherein the security configuration protects the device's access to the cellular network radio link and is used to protect data exchange between the device and the cellular network.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processing circuit is configured to: The secret cellular key generated by the standalone UE based on the UE's cellular key and the device's security parameters is processed based on signaling from the standalone UE. One or more unique cellular keys for the device are generated based on the secret cellular key provided by the standalone UE; as well as The secret cellular key or one or more unique cellular keys received from the standalone UE are used to protect data exchanged with the cellular network.

8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processing circuit is configured to: A request for establishing a cellular session is generated and sent to the standalone UE, through which the device directly performs data transmission with the cellular network, wherein the request includes the device's quality of service requirements and related capabilities; The system processes confirmation messages indicating that the cellular session has been established, as well as information about the established data session, cellular stream, or cellular bearer, based on signaling from the standalone UE. as well as Data is exchanged with the cellular network based on information received from the standalone UE.

9. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein when the apparatus has uplink data to be transmitted, the processing circuitry is configured to: Generate a cellular data exchange session activation request for sending to the standalone UE; The request for scanning the candidate cellular frequency list of the serving cell is processed based on signaling from the standalone UE. Scan the candidate cellular frequency list and report the results back to the standalone UE; The configuration for the data exchange session is processed based on the signaling from the standalone UE; The configuration received by the application; as well as It exchanges data with the cellular network.

10. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processing circuit is configured to: The downlink (DL) data transmitted from the cellular network to the standalone UE is processed based on signaling from the standalone UE, and the standalone UE determines that the DL data is intended for use in the device; Determine whether to use a data exchange session via a direct cellular link; A request for establishing a cellular session is generated and sent to the standalone UE, through which data transmission with the cellular network is performed directly; The acknowledgment message indicating that the cellular session has been established is processed based on the signaling from the standalone UE; as well as The DL data forwarding end marker is processed based on the signaling from the standalone UE; as well as Initiate sequential processing of DL data, wherein the DL data is received directly from the cellular network, rather than being received from the cellular network by the standalone UE.

11. An apparatus comprising a processing circuit configured to: A complete set of cellular functionalities that support cellular networks; Establish a secure communication link with a non-standalone user equipment (UE), wherein the non-standalone UE is configured to support a limited set of cellular functionalities, the limited set being smaller than the full set of cellular functionalities of the cellular network; When no connection has been established, establish a connection with the base station in the cellular network and request a direct cellular radio link for the non-standalone UE; Cellular configuration for data transmission between the non-standalone UE and the cellular network is processed based on signaling from the cellular network on the connection; as well as A message comprising the cellular configuration to be used by the non-standalone UE to exchange data with the cellular network via the direct cellular radio link is generated for transmission to the non-standalone UE.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to enter a power-saving mode after the cellular configuration has been sent to the non-standalone UE.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to exchange messages including one or more management payloads with the non-standalone UE.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus and the non-standalone UE are part of a UE cluster, and the one or more management payloads are transmitted via cellular signaling messages, the cellular signaling messages including one or more of an identifier of the UE cluster, a source / destination identifier of a UE ID within the UE cluster, and a UE cluster payload.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to perform a process for mutual authentication and establishing a secure link between the apparatus and the cellular network.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to create one or more data sessions or one or more cellular core network (CN) bearers for processing data traffic of the non-standalone UE.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing circuit is configured to: The request for establishing a cellular session is processed based on signaling from the non-standalone UE, through which the non-standalone UE directly performs data transmission with the cellular network, wherein the request includes the quality of service requirements and related capabilities of the non-standalone UE; A request for adding the non-standalone UE is generated for transmission to the cellular network, the request including information for supporting the cellular network in preparing cellular configuration; The initial cellular configuration for the non-standalone UE is processed based on signaling from the cellular network. as well as The initial cellular configuration is sent to the non-standalone UE.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to, when the non-standalone UE has uplink data to transmit: Cellular data exchange session activation requests are processed based on signaling from the non-standalone UE. Establish a connection with the cellular network and indicate the addition of the non-standalone UE to the cellular network; The candidate frequency list for the serving cellular cell for the non-standalone UE is processed based on signaling from the cellular network. A request is generated for scanning the candidate cellular frequency list for the serving cell to be sent to the non-standalone UE; The scan results are processed based on signaling from the non-independent UE; Generate a message including the scan results for transmission to the cellular network; Cellular configuration for the non-standalone UE is processed based on the scan results, using signaling from the cellular network. as well as Generate a message including the cellular configuration to be used for exchanging data with the cellular network for transmission to the non-standalone UE.

19. An apparatus comprising a processing circuit configured to: A complete set of cellular functionalities that support cellular networks; Establish a secure communication link with a user equipment (UE), wherein the UE is configured to support a limited set of cellular functionalities, the limited set being smaller than the full set of cellular functionalities of the cellular network; When no connection has been established, establish a connection with a base station in the cellular network and request a direct cellular radio link for the UE; Cellular configuration for data transmission between the UE and the cellular network is processed based on signaling from the cellular network on the connection. as well as Generate a message including the cellular configuration to be used by the UE to exchange data with the cellular network via the direct cellular radio link for transmission to the UE.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to create one or more data sessions or one or more cellular core network (CN) bearers for disposing of data traffic for the UE.

Images