System enabler for multi-SIM devices

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system enabler for a multi-SIM device. Apparatus, systems, and methods for a user equipment device (UE) to perform methods for enhancing a multi-SIM device such as UE 106 are disclosed herein. A network may, for example, increase paging retries for a known MU-SIM device based on a capability indication from the MU-SIM device. The indication may be via a NAS registration request, an RRC capability procedure, and / or an RRC UE assistance procedure. In addition, the network may include an indication of a paging priority for the UE. The UE may then determine a response to the paging based at least in part on the indicated priority. In addition, the UE may indicate a detuning with the network. The indication of the detuning may include a cause and / or duration of the detuning, and may be provided at an RRC level or a network access stratum (NAS) level.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to wireless devices, and more particularly to apparatus, systems, and methods for delivering a page to a first SIM of a multi-SIM UE while the multi-SIM UE is actively communicating with another SIM. Background Art

[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 now also provide access to the Internet, email, text messaging, and navigation using the Global Positioning System (GPS), and are capable of operating sophisticated applications that utilize these capabilities.

[0003] Long Term Evolution (LTE) has become the technology of choice for most wireless network operators worldwide, enabling them to provide mobile broadband data and high-speed internet access to their subscriber base. LTE defines multiple downlink (DL) physical channels, categorized as transport or control channels, to carry information blocks received from the medium access control (MAC) and higher layers. LTE also defines the number of uplink (UL) physical layer channels.

[0004] For example, LTE defines the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) as a DL transport channel. The PDSCH is the primary data-bearing channel allocated to users on a dynamic and opportunistic basis. The PDSCH carries data in transport blocks (TBs) corresponding to MAC protocol data units (PDUs), which are delivered from the MAC layer to the physical (PHY) layer once per transmission time interval (TTI). The PDSCH is also used to transmit broadcast information such as system information blocks (SIBs) and paging messages.

[0005] For example, LTE defines the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) as a DL control channel that carries the UE's resource allocation contained in the Downlink Control Information (DCI) message. Multiple PDCCHs can be transmitted in the same subframe using Control Channel Elements (CCEs), each of which is nine groups of four resource elements called Resource Element Groups (REGs). The PDCCH uses Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) modulation, with four QPSK symbols mapped to each REG. In addition, depending on the channel conditions, 1, 2, 4, or 8 CCEs can be used to ensure sufficient robustness.

[0006] In addition, LTE defines the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) as an UL channel shared by all devices (user equipment, UE) in a radio cell to transmit user data to the network. The scheduling of all UEs is under the control of the LTE base station (enhanced Node B or eNB). The eNB uses an uplink scheduling grant (DCI format 0) to inform the UE of the resource block (RB) allocation and the modulation and coding scheme to be used. The PUSCH typically supports QPSK and orthogonal amplitude modulation (QAM). In addition to user data, the PUSCH also carries any control information required to decode the information, such as the transport format indicator and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) parameters. The control data is multiplexed with the information data before being expanded by the digital Fourier transform (DFT).

[0007] The next telecommunications standard beyond the current International Mobile Telecommunications Advanced (IMT-Advanced) standard is known as the 5th Generation Mobile Network or 5th Generation Wireless System, or simply 5G (also known as 5G-NR for 5G New Radio, and also simply NR). Compared to the current LTE standard, 5G-NR provides higher capacity for a higher density of mobile broadband users while supporting ultra-reliable and massive machine-to-device communications, as well as lower latency and lower battery consumption. In addition, the 5G-NR standard can allow for less restricted UE scheduling than the current LTE standard. Therefore, efforts are underway to take advantage of the higher throughput possible at higher frequencies in the ongoing development of 5G-NR. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Embodiments are directed to apparatus, systems, and methods for delivering a page to a first SIM of a multi-SIM UE while the multi-SIM UE is actively communicating with another SIM.

[0009] In some embodiments, a wireless device such as a user equipment device (UE) may be configured to provide an indication of capabilities to the network. In some embodiments, the network may increase paging retries based on the indication (e.g., based on a capability indication from a MU-SIM device). In some embodiments, the indication may be via a NAS registration request, a radio resource control (RRC) capability procedure, and / or an RRC UE assistance procedure. In some embodiments, the network may include an indication of a paging priority and / or a paging cause for the UE. The UE may then determine a response to the paging based at least in part on the indicated priority and / or paging cause. In some embodiments, the UE may indicate a detune with the network. The indication of the detune may include the cause of the detune. In some embodiments, the indication may be provided at the RRC level or the network access stratum (NAS) level.

[0010] For example, in some embodiments, a MU-SIM UE may be configured to maintain idle mode connectivity for multiple SIMs. The SIMs of the MU-SIM UE may share radio frequency (RF) resources. In other words, RF resources, such as transmit and / or receive circuitry, may be shared across the SIMs of the MU-SIM UE. A first SIM may be transitioned to connected mode based on a first page received from a network (e.g., from a first AMF of the network). The first page may include an indication of an associated first paging priority. Additionally, a second page intended for a second SIM may be received from the network (e.g., from a second AMF of the network). The second page may include an indication of a second paging priority. The MU-SIM UE may be further configured to transition RF resources from the first SIM to the second SIM based on a comparison of the paging priorities indicated by the first and second pages. In some embodiments, the transition may be based on the second page having a higher priority (e.g., as indicated by the second paging priority) than the first page (e.g., as indicated by the first paging priority). In some implementations, the MU-SIM UE may respond to the second page after transitioning RF resources to the second SIM, eg, to perform a voice call, receive SMS data, receive high priority data, etc.

[0011] As another example, in some embodiments, an access management function (AMF) of a network may be configured to maintain an idle mode connection for a first SIM of a multi-SIM UE (MU-SIM UE), such as UE 106. The AMF may transmit a first page to the first SIM, which may include an indication of an associated first paging priority. The first AMF may establish an RRC connection with the first SIM via a base station of the network to transition the idle mode connection associated with the first SIM to a connected mode, e.g., to perform actions associated with the first page. Additionally, the first AMF may receive a tune-out indication and / or a suspension indication from the first SIM. The tune-out indication and / or suspension indication may include a reason for the tune-out and / or suspension, such as another active SIM of the MU-SIM UE receiving a higher priority page from another AMF of the network. In some embodiments, in response to the tune-out indication, the first AMF may release the CM connection and subsequently notify the base station (e.g., via the N2 interface) to release the RRC connection associated with the MU-SIM UE. In some embodiments, the first AMF may ignore paging instances where the associated paging priority is lower than the paging priority associated with the cause of the tune-away indication, for example, at least until a timer associated with the tune-away indication expires and / or a request to resume the RRC connection is received from the MU-SIM UE. In some embodiments, the first SMF may configure the UPF to ignore downlink data for lower priority PDU sessions.

[0012] The techniques described herein may be implemented in and / or used with a number of different types of devices, including, but not limited to, any of cellular telephones, tablet computers, wearable computing devices, portable media players, and various other computing devices.

[0013] This summary is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the subject matter described in this document. It should be understood, therefore, that the features described above are merely examples and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or essence of the subject matter described herein in any way. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description, accompanying drawings, and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] A better understanding of the present subject matter may be obtained when the following detailed description of various embodiments is considered in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0015] Figure 1A An exemplary wireless communication system is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0016] Figure 1B Examples of base stations (BSs) and access points communicating with user equipment (UE) devices are shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0017] Figure 2 An exemplary simplified block diagram of a WLAN access point (AP) is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0018] Figure 3 An example block diagram of a UE according to some embodiments is shown.

[0019] Figure 4 An example block diagram of a BS is shown according to some embodiments.

[0020] Figure 5 An example block diagram of cellular communication circuitry is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0021] Figure 6A An example of the connection between the EPC network, LTE base stations (eNBs), and 5G NR base stations (gNBs) is shown.

[0022] Figure 6B An example of a protocol stack for eNB and gNB is shown.

[0023] Figure 7A An example of a 5G network architecture according to some embodiments is shown, which combines 3GPP (e.g., cellular) and non-3GPP (e.g., non-cellular) access in the 5G CN.

[0024] Figure 7B An example of a 5G network architecture according to some embodiments is shown, which combines dual 3GPP (e.g., LTE and 5G NR) access and non-3GPP access in the 5G CN.

[0025] Figure 8 An example of a baseband processor architecture for a UE according to some embodiments is shown.

[0026] Figure 9A Examples of paging categories / reasons and associated rules (or priority levels) are shown according to some embodiments.

[0027] Figure 9B An example of a set of priority rules for paging categories / reasons / services according to some embodiments is shown.

[0028] Figure 10A and Figure 10B A block diagram illustrating an example of signaling between a UE and a network for priority-based paging according to some embodiments.

[0029] Figure 11A A block diagram illustrating an example of signaling between a UE and a network for low priority paging according to some embodiments.

[0030] Figure 11B A block diagram illustrating an example of signaling between a UE and a network for high priority paging according to some embodiments.

[0031] Figure 12 Another block diagram illustrating exemplary signaling between a UE and a network for low priority paging according to some embodiments.

[0032] Figure 13 A block diagram illustrating an example of signaling between a UE and a network for a short procedure according to some embodiments.

[0033] Figure 14 A block diagram illustrating an example of signaling between a UE and a network for tune-away indication via a NAS message according to some embodiments.

[0034] Figure 15 A block diagram illustrating an example of signaling between a UE and a network for tune-away indication via an RRC message according to some embodiments.

[0035] Figure 16-17 A block diagram illustrating an example of a method for enhanced paging indication for MU-SIM UEs according to some embodiments is shown.

[0036] While the features described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereof are not intended to limit this disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the subject matter as defined by the appended claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Priority data

[0038] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 62 / 910,350, filed on October 3, 2019, and entitled “System Enablers for Multi-SIM Devices,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety as if fully and entirely set forth herein.

[0039] the term

[0040] The following is a glossary of terms used in this disclosure:

[0041] Memory medium - any of various types of non-transitory memory devices or storage devices. The term "memory medium" is intended to include installation media, such as CD-ROMs, floppy disks, or tape devices; computer system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, DDRRAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; non-volatile memory such as flash memory, magnetic media, for example, hard drives or optical storage devices; registers or other similar types of memory elements, etc. The memory medium may also include other types of non-transitory memory or a combination thereof. In addition, the memory medium may be located in the first computer system that executes the program, or may be located in a different second computer system that is connected to the first computer system via a network such as the Internet. In the latter case, the second computer system may provide program instructions to the first computer for execution. The term "memory medium" may include two or more memory media that may reside in different locations in different computer systems connected, for example, via a network. The memory medium may store program instructions (e.g., in the form of a computer program) that may be executed by one or more processors.

[0042] Carrier Medium—storage media as described above, and physical transmission media such as a bus, network, and / or other physical transmission media that transport signals such as electrical, electromagnetic, or digital signals.

[0043] Programmable hardware elements—include various hardware devices that include multiple programmable function blocks connected via programmable interconnects. Examples include FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), PLDs (programmable logic devices), FPOAs (field programmable object arrays), and CPLDs (complex PLDs). Programmable function blocks can range from fine-grained (combinational logic units or lookup tables) to coarse-grained (arithmetic logic units or processor cores). Programmable hardware elements may also be referred to as "configurable logic units."

[0044] Computer System—Any of various types of computing or processing systems, including a personal computer system (PC), a mainframe computer system, a workstation, a network appliance, an Internet appliance, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a television system, a grid computing system, or other devices or combinations of devices. In general, the term "computer system" can be broadly defined to encompass any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.

[0045] User Equipment (UE) (or "UE device") - any of various types of computer system devices that are mobile or portable and that perform wireless communication. Examples of UE devices include mobile phones or smartphones (e.g., iPhones, TM , based on Android TM phones), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS TM PlayStation Portable TM 、Gameboy Advance TM , iPhone TM ), laptop computers, wearable devices (e.g., smart watches, smart glasses), personal digital assistants, portable Internet devices, music players, data storage devices or other handheld devices, etc. In general, the term "UE" or "UE device" can be broadly defined to cover any electronic device, computing device and / or telecommunication device (or combination of devices) that is easy for a user to carry and capable of wireless communication.

[0046] Base Station—The term “base station” has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning and includes at least a wireless communication station that is installed at a fixed location and used to communicate as part of a wireless telephone system or radio system.

[0047] Processing Element—refers to any element or combination of elements capable of performing a function in a device such as user equipment or a cellular network device. A processing element may include, for example, a processor and associated memory, portions or circuits of individual processor cores, entire processor cores, processor arrays, circuits such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), programmable hardware elements such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and any combination thereof.

[0048] Channel - the medium used to transmit information from a sender (transmitter) to a receiver. It should be noted that since the characteristics of the term "channel" may vary according to different wireless protocols, the term "channel" as used herein may be considered to be used in a manner that is consistent with the standard of the type of device to which the term is used. In some standards, the channel width may be variable (e.g., depending on device capabilities, frequency band conditions, etc.). For example, LTE may support scalable channel bandwidths of 1.4 MHz to 20 MHz. In contrast, a WLAN channel may be 22 MHz wide, while a Bluetooth channel may be 1 MHz wide. Other protocols and standards may include different definitions of channels. In addition, some standards may define and use multiple types of channels, such as different channels for uplink or downlink and / or different channels for different purposes such as data, control information, etc.

[0049] Frequency band—The term “frequency band” has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning and includes at least a segment of the spectrum (eg, radio frequency spectrum) in which channels are used or set aside for the same purpose.

[0050] Automatic—refers to an action or operation performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by the computer system) or a device (e.g., a circuit, a programmable hardware element, an ASIC, etc.) without requiring user input to directly specify or execute the action or operation. Thus, the term "automatic" is in contrast to manual execution or specification of an action by a user, where the user provides input to directly execute the action. An automatic process may be initiated by input provided by a user, but the subsequent actions performed "automatically" are not specified by the user, i.e., they are not performed "manually," where the user specifies each action to be performed. For example, a user filling out an electronic form by selecting each field and providing input specifying information (e.g., by typing information, selecting checkboxes, radio selections, etc.) is manually filling out the form, even though the computer system must update the form in response to the user's actions. The form may be automatically filled out by a computer system, where the computer system (e.g., software executed on the computer system) analyzes the fields of the form and fills it out without requiring any user input to specify the answers to the fields. As indicated above, a user may invoke automatic filling of a form without participating in the actual filling out of the form (e.g., the user does not manually specify the answers to the fields, but rather they are automatically completed). This specification provides various examples of operations that are automatically performed in response to actions that a user has taken.

[0051] About—refers to a value that is close to the correct or exact value. For example, about can refer to a value that is within 1% to 10% of the exact (or desired) value. However, it should be noted that the actual threshold value (or tolerance) may depend on the application. For example, in some embodiments, "about" may mean within 0.1% of some specified or desired value, while in various other embodiments, the threshold value may be, for example, 2%, 3%, 5%, etc., depending on the desires or requirements of the particular application.

[0052] Concurrency - refers to parallel execution or implementation, where tasks, processes, or programs are executed in an at least partially overlapping manner. For example, concurrency can be achieved using "strong" or strict parallelism, where tasks are executed (at least partially) in parallel on respective computing elements, or using "weak parallelism," where tasks are executed in an interleaved manner (e.g., by time multiplexing of execution threads).

[0053] Various components may be described as being "configured to" perform one or more tasks. In such contexts, "configured to" is a broad statement that generally means "having a structure" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Thus, a component can be configured to perform a task even when the component is not currently performing the task (e.g., a set of electrical conductors can be configured to electrically connect a module to another module even when the two modules are not connected). In some contexts, "configured to" can be a broad statement that generally means "having circuitry that performs one or more tasks during operation." Thus, a component can be configured to perform a task even when the component is not currently turned on. Typically, the circuitry that forms the structure corresponding to "configured to" may include hardware circuitry.

[0054] For ease of description, various components may be described as performing one or more tasks. Such descriptions should be interpreted as including the phrase "configured to." Representing a component as being configured to perform one or more tasks expressly intends that the component not be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. §112(f).

[0055] Figure 1A and Figure 1B :Communication System

[0056] Figure 1A A simplified exemplary wireless communication system according to some embodiments is shown. Note that the system of Figure 1 is only one example of a possible system, and features of the present disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of systems as desired.

[0057] As shown, the exemplary wireless communication system includes a base station 102A that communicates with one or more user devices 106A, 106B, 106N, etc. via a transmission medium. Each user device may be referred to herein as a "user equipment" (UE). Therefore, user device 106 is referred to as a UE or UE device.

[0058] Base station (BS) 102A may be a base transceiver station (BTS) or a cell site ("cellular base station") and may include hardware that enables wireless communications with UEs 106A through 106N.

[0059] The communication area (or coverage area) of a base station may be referred to as a "cell." The base station 102A and the UE 106 may be configured to communicate over a transmission medium using any of a variety of radio access technologies (RATs), also known as wireless communication technologies or telecommunication standards, such as GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), 5G New Radio (5G NR), HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), and the like. Note that if the base station 102A is implemented in the context of LTE, it may alternatively be referred to as an "eNodeB" or "eNB." Note that if the base station 102A is implemented in the context of 5G NR, it may alternatively be referred to as a "gNodeB" or "gNB."

[0060] As shown, base station 102A may also be configured to communicate with network 100 (e.g., a cellular service provider's core network, a telecommunications network such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), and / or the Internet, among other possibilities). Thus, base station 102A may facilitate communications between user devices and / or between user devices and network 100. In particular, cellular base station 102A may provide UE 106 with various communication capabilities, such as voice, SMS, and / or data services.

[0061] Base station 102A and other similar base stations (such as base stations 102B...102N) operating according to the same or different cellular communication standards can therefore be provided as a network of cells that can provide continuous or nearly continuous overlapping service to UEs 106A-N and similar devices over a geographic area via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0062] Thus, while base station 102A may serve as a "serving cell" for UEs 106A-N as shown in FIG1 , each UE 106 may also be able to receive signals from (and potentially be within communication range of) one or more other cells (which may be provided by base stations 102B-N and / or any other base stations), which may be referred to as "neighboring cells." Such cells may also be able to facilitate communications between user devices and / or between user devices and network 100. Such cells may include "macro" cells, "micro" cells, "pico" cells, and / or cells of any other variety of granularity in terms of service area size. For example, base stations 102A-B shown in FIG1 may be macro cells, while base station 102N may be a micro cell. Other configurations are also possible.

[0063] In some embodiments, base station 102A may be a next-generation base station, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station or "gNB." In some embodiments, a gNB may be connected to a legacy Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network and / or to a New Radio Communications Core (NRC) network. Furthermore, a gNB cell may include one or more Transition and Reception Points (TRPs). Furthermore, a UE capable of operating in accordance with 5G NR may connect to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0064] It should be noted that the UE 106 is capable of communicating using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, in addition to at least one cellular communication protocol (e.g., GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-A, 5G NR, HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc.), the UE 106 can be configured to communicate using wireless networking (e.g., Wi-Fi) and / or peer-to-peer wireless communication protocols (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi peer-to-peer, etc.). If desired, the UE 106 can also or alternatively be configured to communicate using one or more global navigation satellite systems (GNSS, such as GPS or GLONASS), one or more mobile television broadcast standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H or DVB-H), and / or any other wireless communication protocols. Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including more than two wireless communication standards) are also possible.

[0065] Figure 1B A user equipment 106 (e.g., one of devices 106A through 106N) is shown in accordance with some embodiments in communication with a base station 102 and an access point 112. The UE 106 may be a device having cellular and non-cellular communication capabilities (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, etc.), such as a mobile phone, handheld device, computer or tablet, or virtually any type of wireless device.

[0066] The UE 106 may include a processor configured to execute program instructions stored in a memory. The UE 106 may perform any of the method embodiments described herein by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively or in addition, the UE 106 may include a programmable hardware element, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) configured to perform any of the method embodiments described herein or any portion of any of the method embodiments described herein.

[0067] UE 106 may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols or technologies. In some embodiments, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using, for example, CDMA2000 (1xRTT / 1xEV-DO / HRPD / eHRPD), LTE / LTE-Advanced, or 5G NR using a single shared radio and / or GSM, LTE, LTE-Advanced, or 5G NR using a single shared radio. The shared radio may be coupled to a single antenna or to multiple antennas (e.g., for MIMO) for performing wireless communications. Typically, the radio may include any combination of a baseband processor, analog radio frequency (RF) signal processing circuitry (e.g., including filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc.), or digital processing circuitry (e.g., for digital modulation and other digital processing). Similarly, the radio may implement one or more receive and transmit chains using the aforementioned hardware. For example, UE 106 may share one or more portions of a receive and / or transmit chain between multiple wireless communication technologies such as those discussed above.

[0068] In some embodiments, the UE 106 may include a separate transmit chain and / or receive chain (e.g., including separate antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol with which it is configured to communicate. As another possibility, the UE 106 may include one or more radio components shared between multiple wireless communication protocols, and one or more radio components used exclusively by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, the UE 106 may include a shared radio component for communicating using either LTE or 5GNR (or LTE or 1xRTT, or LTE or GSM), and a separate radio component for communicating using each of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Other configurations are also possible.

[0069] Figure 2 : Access Point Block Diagram

[0070] Figure 2 An exemplary block diagram of an access point (AP) 112 is shown. Note that Figure 2 The block diagram of the AP 112 is only one example of a possible system. As shown, the AP 112 may include a processor 204 that may execute program instructions for the AP 112. The processor 204 may also be coupled (directly or indirectly) to a memory management unit (MMU) 240 or other circuit or device that may be configured to receive addresses from the processor 204 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 260 and read-only memory (ROM) 250).

[0071] AP 112 may include at least one network port 270. The network port 270 may be configured to couple to a wired network and provide access to the Internet to multiple devices, such as UE 106. For example, network port 270 (or an additional network port) may be configured to couple to a local network, such as a home network or an enterprise network. For example, port 270 may be an Ethernet port. The local network may provide connectivity to additional networks, such as the Internet.

[0072] The AP 112 may include at least one antenna 234, which may be configured to operate as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with the UE 106 via wireless communication circuitry 230. The antenna 234 communicates with the wireless communication circuitry 230 via a communication chain 232. The communication chain 232 may include one or more receive chains, one or more transmit chains, or both. The wireless communication circuitry 230 may be configured to communicate via Wi-Fi or WLAN (e.g., 802.11). For example, when the AP is co-located with a base station in a small cell scenario, or in other scenarios where it may be desirable for the AP 112 to communicate via various different wireless communication technologies, the wireless communication circuitry 230 may also or alternatively be configured to communicate via various other wireless communication technologies, including, but not limited to, 5G NR, Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Global System for Mobile (GSM), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), CDMA2000, and the like.

[0073] In some embodiments, as further described below, AP 112 may be configured to perform a method for delivering a page to a first SIM of a multi-SIM UE when the multi-SIM UE is actively communicating with another SIM, as further described herein.

[0074] Figure 3 : UE block diagram

[0075] Figure 3 1 shows an exemplary simplified block diagram of a communication device 106 according to some embodiments. Note that Figure 3The block diagram of the communication device is only an example of a possible communication device. Depending on the embodiment, the communication device 106 can be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (such as a laptop, notebook or portable computing device), a tablet computer and / or a combination of devices, in addition to other devices. As shown, the communication device 106 may include a group of components 300 configured to perform core functions. For example, the group of components can be implemented as a system on a chip (SOC), which may include parts for various purposes. Alternatively, the group of components 300 can be implemented as a separate component or group of components for various purposes. This group of components 300 can be coupled to various other circuits of the communication device 106 (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly).

[0076] For example, the communication device 106 may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash memory 310), input / output interfaces such as a connector I / F 320 (e.g., for connecting to a computer system; a docking station; a charging station; input devices such as a microphone, a camera, a keyboard; output devices such as a speaker; etc.), a display 360 that may be integrated with the communication device 106 or external to the communication device 106, and cellular communication circuitry 330 such as for 5G NR, LTE, GSM, etc., and short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 (e.g., Bluetooth TM and WLAN circuitry). In some embodiments, the communication device 106 may include wired communication circuitry (not shown), such as, for example, a network interface card for Ethernet.

[0077] Cellular communication circuitry 330 may be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to one or more antennas, such as antennas 335 and 336, as shown. Short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 may also be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to one or more antennas, such as antennas 337 and 338, as shown. Alternatively, short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 may be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to antennas 335 and 336, in addition to or in lieu of being (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to antennas 337 and 338. Short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 and / or cellular communication circuitry 330 may include multiple receive chains and / or multiple transmit chains for receiving and / or transmitting multiple spatial streams, such as in a multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) configuration.

[0078] In some embodiments, as further described below, the cellular communication circuitry 330 can include dedicated receive chains (including and / or coupled to (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) dedicated processors and / or radios) for multiple RATs (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR). Furthermore, in some embodiments, the cellular communication circuitry 330 can include a single transmit chain that can switch between radios dedicated to specific RATs. For example, a first radio can be dedicated to a first RAT, such as LTE, and can communicate with a dedicated receive chain and a transmit chain shared with an additional radio, such as a second radio that can be dedicated to a second RAT (e.g., 5G NR) and can communicate with both the dedicated receive chain and the shared transmit chain.

[0079] The communication device 106 may also include and / or be configured for use with one or more user interface elements. User interface elements may include various elements such as a display 360 (which may be a touch screen display), a keyboard (which may be a separate keyboard or may be implemented as part of the touch screen display), a mouse, a microphone and / or speakers, one or more cameras, one or more buttons, and / or any of a variety of other elements capable of providing information to a user and / or receiving or interpreting user input.

[0080] The communication device 106 may also include one or more smart cards 345 with SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) functionality, such as one or more UICC cards (one or more Universal Integrated Circuit Cards) 345. It should be noted that the term "SIM" or "SIM entity" is intended to include any of various types of SIM implementations or SIM functionality, such as one or more UICC cards 345, one or more eUICCs, one or more eSIMs, removable or embedded, etc. In some embodiments, the UE 106 may include at least two SIMs. Each SIM may execute one or more SIM applications and / or otherwise implement SIM functionality. Thus, each SIM may be a single smart card that may be embedded, for example, soldered to a circuit board in the UE 106, or each SIM 310 may be implemented as a removable smart card. Thus, the SIM may be one or more removable smart cards (such as UICC cards, sometimes referred to as "SIM cards"), and / or the SIM 310 may be one or more embedded cards (such as embedded UICCs (eUICCs), sometimes referred to as "eSIMs" or "eSIM cards"). In some embodiments (such as when the SIM includes an eUICC), one or more of the SIMs may implement embedded SIM (eSIM) functionality; in such embodiments, a single SIM in the SIM may execute multiple SIM applications. Each SIM may include components such as a processor and / or memory; instructions for performing SIM / eSIM functionality may be stored in the memory and executed by the processor. In some embodiments, the UE 106 may include a combination of removable smart cards and fixed / non-removable smart cards (such as one or more eUICC cards implementing eSIM functionality), as needed. For example, the UE 106 may include two embedded SIMs, two removable SIMs, or a combination of one embedded SIM and one removable SIM. Various other SIM configurations are also contemplated.

[0081] As described above, in some embodiments, the UE 106 may include two or more SIM cards. Including two or more SIM cards in the UE 106 may allow the UE 106 to support two different phone numbers and may allow the UE 106 to communicate on two or more corresponding networks. For example, a first SIM card may support a first RAT, such as LTE, and a second SIM card 310 may support a second RAT, such as 5G NR. Of course, other implementations and RATs are also possible. In some embodiments, when the UE 106 includes two SIM cards, the UE 106 may support Dual SIM Dual Active (DSDA) functionality. DSDA functionality may allow the UE 106 to connect to two networks simultaneously (using two different RATs), or to maintain two connections simultaneously on the same or different networks supported by two different SIM cards using the same or different RATs. DSDA functionality may also allow the UE 106 to receive voice calls or data traffic simultaneously on any phone number. In some embodiments, voice calls may be packet-switched communications. In other words, voice calls may be received using Voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology and / or Voice over NR (VoNR) technology. In some embodiments, the UE 106 may support Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS) functionality. The DSDS functionality may allow either of the two SIM cards in the UE 106 to be on standby for a voice call and / or data connection. In DSDS, while a call / data call is established on one SIM card, the other SIM card is no longer active. In some embodiments, the DSDx functionality (DSDA or DSDS functionality) may be implemented using a single SIM card (e.g., an eUICC) that executes multiple SIM applications for different carriers and / or RATs.

[0082] As shown, the SOC 300 may include a processor 302 that may execute program instructions for the communication device 106 and a display circuit 304 that may perform graphics processing and provide display signals to a display 360. The one or more processors 302 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 340 (the MMU may be configured to receive addresses from the one or more processors 302 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 306, read-only memory (ROM) 350, NAND flash memory 310)) and / or to other circuits or devices (such as the display circuit 304, short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329, cellular communication circuitry 330, connector I / F 320, and / or display 360). The MMU 340 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some embodiments, the MMU 340 may be included as part of the processor 302.

[0083] As described above, the communication device 106 may be configured to communicate using wireless and / or wired communication circuitry. The communication device 106 may be configured to perform a method for delivering a page to a first SIM of a multi-SIM UE when the multi-SIM UE is actively communicating with another SIM, as further described herein.

[0084] As described herein, the communication device 106 may include hardware and software components for implementing the above-described features of the communication device 106 to send a scheduling profile for power saving to the network. For example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium), the processor 302 of the communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein. Alternatively (or in addition), the processor 302 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or as an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), in combination with one or more of the other components 300, 304, 306, 310, 320, 329, 330, 340, 345, 350, 360, the processor 302 of the communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein.

[0085] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 302 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, processor 302 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 302. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform one or more functions of processor 302.

[0086] Further, as described herein, the cellular communication circuitry 330 and the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 may each include one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in the cellular communication circuitry 330, and similarly, one or more processing elements may be included in the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329. Thus, the cellular communication circuitry 330 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuitry 330. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuitry 330. Similarly, the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 may include one or more ICs configured to perform the functions of the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329.

[0087] Figure 4 :Block diagram of base station

[0088] Figure 4 1 shows an exemplary block diagram of a base station 102 according to some embodiments. Note that Figure 4 The base station 102 is only one example of a possible base station. As shown, the base station 102 may include a processor 404 that may execute program instructions for the base station 102. The processor 404 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 440 or other circuit or device that may be configured to receive addresses from the processor 404 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 460 and read-only memory (ROM) 450).

[0089] The base station 102 may include at least one network port 470. The network port 470 may be configured to couple to a telephone network and provide access to the network as described above in FIG. Figure 2 Multiple devices of the telephone network described in, such as UE device 106.

[0090] The network port 470 (or an additional network port) may also or alternatively be configured to couple to a cellular network, such as a core network of a cellular service provider. The core network may provide mobility-related services and / or other services to multiple devices, such as the UE device 106. In some cases, the network port 470 may couple to a telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may provide a telephone network (e.g., in other UE devices served by the cellular service provider).

[0091] In some embodiments, base station 102 may be a next-generation base station, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station, or "gNB." In such embodiments, base station 102 may be connected to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or to an NR core (NRC) network. Furthermore, base station 102 may be considered a 5G NR cell and may include one or more transition and reception points (TRPs). Furthermore, UEs capable of operating in accordance with 5G NR may connect to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0092] Base station 102 may include at least one antenna 434 and possibly multiple antennas. The at least one antenna 434 may be configured to function as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with UE device 106 via radio 430. Antenna 434 communicates with radio 430 via communication chain 432. Communication chain 432 may be a receive chain, a transmit chain, or both. Radio 430 may be configured to communicate via various wireless communication standards, including but not limited to 5G NR, LTE, LTE-A, GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, and the like.

[0093] The base station 102 may be configured to perform wireless communications using multiple wireless communication standards. In some cases, the base station 102 may include multiple radios that enable the base station 102 to communicate according to multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, as one possibility, the base station 102 may include an LTE radio component for performing communications according to LTE and a 5G NR radio component for performing communications according to 5G NR. In this case, the base station 102 may be capable of operating as both an LTE base station and a 5G NR base station. As another possibility, the base station 102 may include a multimode radio component capable of performing communications according to any one of multiple wireless communication technologies (e.g., 5G NR and Wi-Fi, LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, UMTS and GSM, etc.).

[0094] As further described later herein, the base station 102 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting the implementation of the features described herein. The processor 404 of the base station 102 may be configured to implement or support some or all of the implementations of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, the processor 404 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or as an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) or a combination thereof. Alternatively (or in addition), in combination with one or more of the other components 430, 432, 434, 440, 450, 460, and 470, the processor 404 of the base station 102 may be configured to implement or support some or all of the implementations of the features described herein.

[0095] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 404 may be comprised of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in processor 404. Thus, processor 404 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 404. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuits (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of one or more processors 404.

[0096] Additionally, as described herein, radio 430 may be comprised of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in radio 430. Thus, radio 430 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of radio 430. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of radio 430.

[0097] Figure 5:Block diagram of cellular communication circuit

[0098] Figure 5 An exemplary simplified block diagram of a cellular communication circuit according to some embodiments is shown. Note that Figure 5 The block diagram of the cellular communication circuitry is only one example of one possible cellular communication circuitry. Depending on the embodiment, the cellular communication circuitry 330 may be included in a communication device such as the communication device 106 described above. As described above, the communication device 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, notebook, or portable computing device), a tablet computer, and / or a combination of devices, among other devices.

[0099] Cellular communication circuitry 330 may be (eg, communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to one or more antennas, such as ( Figure 3 In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include dedicated receive chains (including and / or coupled to (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) dedicated processors and / or radio components) for multiple RATs (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR). For example, Figure 5 As shown, cellular communication circuitry 330 may include a modem 510 and a modem 520. Modem 510 may be configured for communication according to a first RAT, such as, for example, LTE or LTE-A, and modem 520 may be configured for communication according to a second RAT, such as, for example, 5G NR.

[0100] As shown, the modem 510 may include one or more processors 512 and a memory 516 in communication with the processor 512. The modem 510 may communicate with a radio frequency (RF) front end 530. The RF front end 530 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front end 530 may include receive circuitry (RX) 532 and transmit circuitry (TX) 534. In some embodiments, the receive circuitry 532 may communicate with a downlink (DL) front end 550, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via antenna 335a.

[0101] Similarly, the modem 520 may include one or more processors 522 and a memory 526 in communication with the processor 522. The modem 520 may communicate with an RF front end 540. The RF front end 540 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front end 540 may include receive circuitry 542 and transmit circuitry 544. In some embodiments, the receive circuitry 542 may communicate with a DL front end 560, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via the antenna 335b.

[0102] In some embodiments, the switch 570 can couple the transmit circuitry 534 to the uplink (UL) front end 572. Furthermore, the switch 570 can couple the transmit circuitry 544 to the UL front end 572. The UL front end 572 can include circuitry for transmitting radio signals via the antenna 336. Thus, when the cellular communication circuitry 330 receives an instruction to transmit according to a first RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including the transmit circuitry 534 and the UL front end 572), the switch 570 can be switched to a first state that allows the modem 510 to transmit signals according to the first RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including the transmit circuitry 534 and the UL front end 572). Similarly, when the cellular communication circuitry 330 receives an instruction to transmit according to a second RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including the transmit circuitry 544 and the UL front end 572), the switch 570 can be switched to a second state that allows the modem 520 to transmit signals according to the second RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including the transmit circuitry 544 and the UL front end 572).

[0103] In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuitry 330 may be configured to perform a method for delivering a page to a first SIM of a multi-SIM UE while the multi-SIM UE is actively communicating with another SIM, as further described herein.

[0104] As described herein, the modem 510 may include hardware and software components for implementing the above-described features or for time-division multiplexing UL data for NSA NR operations and various other technologies described herein. For example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium), the processor 512 may be configured to implement part or all of the feature parts described herein. Alternatively (or in addition), the processor 512 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or as an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), in combination with one or more of the other components 530, 532, 534, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336, the processor 512 may be configured to implement part or all of the feature parts described herein.

[0105] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 512 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, processor 512 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 512. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 512.

[0106] As described herein, the modem 520 may include hardware and software components intended to implement the above-described features for transmitting a power-saving scheduling profile to a network, as well as various other techniques described herein. The processor 522 may be configured to implement a portion or all of the features described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or in addition), the processor 522 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or as an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). Alternatively (or additionally), in combination with one or more of the other components 540, 542, 544, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336, the processor 522 may be configured to implement a portion or all of the features described herein.

[0107] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 522 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, processor 522 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 522. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 522.

[0108] 5G NR architecture with LTE

[0109] In some implementations, fifth generation (5G) wireless communications will initially be deployed concurrently with current wireless communication standards (e.g., LTE). For example, dual connectivity between LTE and 5G New Radio (5G NR or NR) has been specified as part of the initial deployment of NR. Figure 6A-Figure 6B As shown, the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network 600 can continue to communicate with the current LTE base station (e.g., eNB 602). In addition, the eNB 602 can communicate with the 5G NR base station (e.g., gNB 604), and data can be transferred between the EPC network 600 and the gNB 604. Thus, the EPC network 600 can be used (or reused), and the gNB 604 can serve as additional capacity for user equipment, for example, to provide increased downlink throughput for the UE. In other words, LTE can be used for control plane signaling, and NR can be used for user plane signaling. Thus, LTE can be used to establish a connection with the network, and NR can be used for data services.

[0110] Figure 6B The proposed protocol stacks for eNB 602 and gNB 604 are shown. As shown, eNB 602 may include a medium access control (MAC) layer 632 that interfaces with radio link control (RLC) layers 622a-622b. RLC layer 622a may also interface with packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer 612a, and RLC layer 622b may interface with PDCP layer 612b. Similar to dual connectivity specified in LTE-Advanced Release 12, PDCP layer 612a may interface with EPC network 600 via a master cell group (MCG) bearer, while PDCP layer 612b may interface with EPC network 600 via a separate bearer.

[0111] In addition, as shown, the gNB 604 may include a MAC layer 634 that interfaces with RLC layers 624a-624b. The RLC layer 624a may interface with the PDCP layer 612b of the eNB 602 via an X2 interface for information exchange and / or coordination (e.g., scheduling UEs) between the eNB 602 and gNB 604. Furthermore, the RLC layer 624b may interface with the PDCP layer 614. Similar to the dual connectivity specified in LTE-Advanced Release 12, the PDCP layer 614 may interface with the EPC network 600 via a secondary cell group (SCG) bearer. Thus, the eNB 602 may be considered a master node (MeNB), while the gNB 604 may be considered a secondary node (SgNB). In some cases, a UE may be required to maintain connectivity with both the MeNB and the SgNB. In such a scenario, the MeNB may be used to maintain a radio resource control (RRC) connection with the EPC, while the SgNB may be used for capacity (e.g., additional downlink and / or uplink throughput).

[0112] 5G Core Network Architecture—Interoperability with Wi-Fi

[0113] In some embodiments, the 5G core network (CN) can be accessed via (or through) a cellular connection / interface (e.g., via a 3GPP communication architecture / protocol) and a non-cellular connection / interface (e.g., a non-3GPP access architecture / protocol such as a Wi-Fi connection). Figure 7AAn example of a 5G network architecture according to some embodiments is shown, which combines 3GPP (e.g., cellular) and non-3GPP (e.g., non-cellular) access in a 5G CN. As shown, a user equipment device (e.g., UE 106) can access the 5G CN through both the radio access network (RAN, e.g., gNB or base station 604) and an access point, such as AP 112. AP 112 may include a connection to the Internet 700 and a connection to a non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) 702 network entity. N3IWF may include a connection to the core access and mobility management function (AMF) 704 of the 5G CN. AMF 704 may include an instance of a 5G mobility management (5G MM) function associated with UE 106. In addition, the RAN (e.g., gNB 604) may also have a connection to AMF 704. Thus, the 5G CN can support unified authentication across both connections and allow UE 106 to be registered for access via both gNB 604 and AP 112 simultaneously. As shown, the AMF 704 may include one or more functional entities associated with the 5G CN (e.g., a network slice selection function (NSSF) 720, a short message service function (SMSF) 722, an application function (AF) 724, a unified data management (UDM) 726, a policy control function (PCF) 728, and / or an authentication server function (AUSF) 730). Note that these functional entities may also be supported by the 5G CN's session management function (SMF) 706a and SMF 706b. The AMF 706 may be connected to (or in communication with) the SMF 706a. Furthermore, the gNB 604 may be in communication with (or in communication with) a user plane function (UPF) 708a, which may also be in communication with the SMF 706a. Similarly, the N3IWF 702 may be in communication with the UPF 708b, which may also be in communication with the SMF 706b. Both UPFs may communicate with data networks (eg, DNs 710 a and 710 b ) and / or the Internet 700 and the IMS core network 710 .

[0114] Figure 7BAn example of a 5G network architecture according to some embodiments is shown, which combines dual 3GPP (e.g., LTE and 5G NR) access and non-3GPP access in the 5G CN. As shown, a user equipment device (e.g., UE 106) can access the 5G CN through both the radio access network (RAN, e.g., gNB or base station 604 or eNB or base station 602) and an access point such as AP 112. AP 112 can include a connection to the Internet 700 and a connection to the N3IWF 702 network entity. The N3IWF can include a connection to the 5G CN's AMF 704. AMF 704 can include an instance of the 5G MM function associated with UE 106. In addition, the RAN (e.g., gNB 604) can also have a connection to AMF 704. Therefore, the 5G CN can support unified authentication across both connections and allow UE 106 to be registered for access via both gNB 604 and AP 112 simultaneously. In addition, the 5G CN can support dual registration of UEs on both legacy networks (e.g., LTE via base station 602) and 5G networks (e.g., via base station 604). As shown, base station 602 can have connections to a mobility management entity (MME) 742 and a serving gateway (SGW) 744. MME 742 can have connections to both SGW 744 and AMF 704. In addition, SGW 744 can have connections to both SMF 706a and UPF 708a. As shown, AMF 704 can include one or more functional entities associated with the 5G CN (e.g., NSSF 720, SMSF 722, AF 724, UDM 726, PCF 728, and / or AUSF 730). Note that UDM 726 can also include Home Subscriber Server (HSS) functionality, and the PCF can also include a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF). Note that these functional entities are also supported by the 5G CN's SMF 706a and SMF 706b. The AMF 706 can connect to (or communicate with) the SMF 706a. Furthermore, the gNB 604 can communicate with (or connect to) the UPF 708a, which can also communicate with the SMF 706a. Similarly, the N3IWF 702 can communicate with the UPF 708b, which can also communicate with the SMF 706b. Both UPFs can communicate with data networks (e.g., DNs 710a and 710b) and / or the Internet 700 and the IMS core network 710.

[0115] Note that in various embodiments, one or more of the above-described network entities may be configured to perform methods for improving security checks in 5G NR networks, including mechanisms for delivering paging to a first SIM of a multi-SIM UE when the multi-SIM UE is actively communicating with another SIM, e.g., as further described herein.

[0116] Figure 8 An example of a baseband processor architecture for a UE (e.g., UE 106) according to some embodiments is shown. As described above, Figure 8 The baseband processor architecture 800 described in the figure can be implemented on one or more radio components (e.g., radio components 329 and / or 330 described above) or modems (e.g., modems 510 and / or 520) as described above. As shown, the non-access layer 810 may include a 5G NAS 820 and a traditional NAS 850. The traditional NAS 850 may include a communication connection with a traditional access layer (AS) 870. The 5G NAS 820 may include a communication connection with a 5G AS 840 and a non-3GPP AS 830, as well as a Wi-Fi AS 832. The 5G NAS 820 may include functional entities associated with the two access layers. Therefore, the 5G NAS 820 may include multiple 5G MM entities 826 and 828 and 5G session management (SM) entities 822 and 824. The traditional NAS 850 may include functional entities such as a short message service (SMS) entity 852, an evolved packet system (EPS) session management (ESM) entity 854, a session management (SM) entity 856, an EPS mobility management (EMM) entity 858, and a mobility management (MM) / GPRS mobility management (GMM) entity 860. In addition, the traditional AS 870 may include functional entities such as an LTE AS 872, a UMTS AS 874, and / or a GSM / GPRS 876.

[0117] Thus, the baseband processor architecture 800 allows for a common 5G-NAS for both 5G cellular and non-cellular (e.g., non-3GPP access). Note that, as shown, 5G MM can maintain separate connection management and registration management state machines for each connection. In addition, a device (e.g., UE 106) can register to a single PLMN (e.g., 5G CN) using both 5G cellular access and non-cellular access. Furthermore, a device can be in a connected state in one access and idle state in another access, or vice versa. Finally, there may be common 5G-MM procedures (e.g., registration, deregistration, identification, authentication, etc.) for both accesses.

[0118] It should be noted that in various embodiments, one or more of the above-mentioned functional entities of the 5G NAS and / or 5G AS may be configured to perform a method for delivering paging to a first SIM of a multi-SIM UE when the multi-SIM UE is actively communicating with another SIM, for example as further described herein.

[0119] Multi-SIM device enhancements

[0120] In current embodiments, a mobile station such as a user equipment device (UE) may support more than one Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) card, for example, typically a UE may support at least two USIMs. In a typical embodiment, a multi-SIM (MU-SIM) UE (e.g., a UE supporting two or more USIMs) may support users who wish to use multiple subscriptions (e.g., personal subscription and business subscription and / or personal subscription and group subscription) on a single device. In such cases, the USIMs may be from the same or different carriers (e.g., mobile network operators (MNOs)). Typical embodiments support various UE behaviors, such as Dual SIM Single Standby (DSSS), Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS), and / or Dual SIM Dual Active (DSDA). In some embodiments, a MU-SIM UE may use common radio components and baseband components shared between multiple SIMs. However, such an architecture may lead to several issues that affect network performance.

[0121] For example, consider a MU-SIM UE actively participating in communications within one or more networks (or systems). While actively communicating with a first network, the MU-SIM UE may need to occasionally check another network (e.g., read a paging channel, perform measurements, and / or receive network information). Depending on the configuration of the MU-SIM UE, such occasional activity on the other network may have performance implications. For example, a MU-SIM device may have a higher probability of missing pages (e.g., compared to a single-SIM UE) due to cross-SIM paging conflicts, mistuning, high-priority procedures in progress on another SIM, etc.

[0122] In the current implementation, when a MU-SIM UE is connected to a first network and receives a page on a second network, the MU-SIM UE may be required to blindly decide whether to ignore or respond to the page. For example, when the MU-SIM UE is in CM Connected state on USIM A and performing active data transmission, the MU-SIM UE may periodically tune to USIM B and attempt to decode the page. However, the MU-SIM UE has no visibility into the process for which the incoming page is being received; therefore, there is a risk that the MU-SIM UE may abort a higher priority process on USIM A while tuning to service a lower priority process on USIM B.

[0123] As another example, when a MU-SIM UE decides to respond to a page received on a second network (e.g., supported by USIM B) while connected to a first network (e.g., supported by USIM A), and / or when the MU-SIM UE is required to perform some signaling activity (e.g., periodic mobile registration updates) on the second network, the MU-SIM UE may need to stop its current activity on the first network. However, in the absence of any procedures for suspending ongoing activities, the MU-SIM UE may have to autonomously release the RRC connection with the first network and abruptly leave, which may be interpreted by the first network as an error condition. Such an error condition may have the potential to distort statistics in the first network and the algorithms that rely on them. Furthermore, the first network may continue to page the MU-SIM UE during the period of its absence, which may result in a waste of paging resources on the first network.

[0124] The embodiments described herein provide systems, mechanisms, and methods for enhancing multi-SIM devices such as UE 106. In some embodiments, the network may, for example, increase paging retries for known MU-SIM devices based on a capability indication from the MU-SIM device. In some embodiments, the indication may be via a network access stratum (NAS) registration request, a radio resource control (RRC) capability procedure, and / or an RRC UE assistance procedure. In some embodiments, the network may include an indication of a paging priority and / or a paging cause for the UE within the paging. The UE may then determine a response to the paging based at least in part on the indicated priority and / or the indicated paging cause. In some embodiments, the UE may indicate a detune with the network. The indication of the detune may include the cause of the detune. In some embodiments, the indication may be provided at the RRC level or the network access stratum (NAS) level.

[0125] For example, in some embodiments, a UE such as UE 106 may provide an indication of MU-SIM configuration via a NAS registration request. In some embodiments, as part of the 5GMM Capability Information Element (IE) in the NAS Registration Request message, one bit may be reserved to indicate MU-SIM support. In some embodiments, an additional IE may be introduced to indicate the public land mobile network (PLMN) information and / or carrier (or operator) name for each additional SIM included (and / or active) in the UE. In some embodiments, the UE may provide an option that allows the user to dynamically enable / disable the secondary SIM. In such embodiments, when the UE changes from single SIM mode to MU-SIM mode or vice versa, the UE may perform a periodic registration request procedure, such as a periodic NAS Registration Request procedure, to update the network with the MU-SIM capability along with the PLMN information and / or carrier information of the active SIM (e.g., peer SIM).

[0126] As another example, in some embodiments, a UE, such as UE 106, may provide an indication of the MU-SIM configuration via an RRC UE capabilities procedure. In some embodiments, as part of the RRC UE capabilities message, the UE may update the MU-SIM configuration and the PLMN information and / or carrier (or operator) name of each additional SIM included in the UE to a network node, such as gNB 604, for example. The network node may forward this information to the AMF via the N2 interface. In some embodiments, when the UE's device configuration changes from a single SIM to a MU-SIM, the UE may perform a deregistration / reregistration procedure to update its SIM capabilities with the network. In some embodiments, the UE may trigger the network to request updated RRC capabilities in order to update its SIM capabilities.

[0127] As another example, in some embodiments, a UE such as UE 106 may provide an indication of the MU-SIM configuration via an RRC UE assistance procedure. In some embodiments, as part of an RRC UE assistance message, the UE may update its MU-SIM configuration and the PLMN information and / or carrier (or operator) name for each additional SIM included in the UE, for example, to a network node such as gNB 604. The network node may forward this information to the AMF via the N2 interface. In some embodiments, the UE may trigger the network to request updated RRC capabilities in order to update its SIM capabilities.

[0128] In some embodiments, as part of the request paging procedure from an AMF, such as AMF 704, to the RAN, the AMF may include a paging cause (or paging category) field. Paging may be initiated to support various services, such as Voice over LTE (VoLTE) calls, Voice over NR (VoNR) calls, emergency callbacks, Short Message Service (SMS), voicemail, Voice over IP (VoIP) calls, slice-specific data, services for background data, video calls, network signaling (e.g., UE configuration updates when the UE is not in connected mode), user-perceived incoming pushes, etc. Thus, when paging a UE, such as UE 106, the AMF may include a paging cause (or paging category). In some embodiments, the operator may define how to prioritize paging causes. For example, Figure 9A An example of paging categories / causes and associated rules (or priority levels) according to some embodiments is shown. As shown, emergency callback may have the highest priority and therefore the lowest associated rules. In addition, VoLTE or VoNR calls may have a higher priority than other paging causes, except for emergency callback. In some embodiments, the paging category (or cause) may help the AMF and / or UE determine how to respond to the paging.

[0129] In some embodiments, as part of determining how to respond to a page, a UE such as UE 106 may follow a set of priority rules. Figure 9B As shown, in some embodiments, services can be classified as either long or short programs and either low priority or high priority. As shown, long high priority services can include voice calls and / or emergency calls, while short high priority services can include network access layer (NAS) signaling and / or SMS data. In addition, long low priority services can include software updates and / or background traffic, while short low priority services can include slice-specific updates and / or operator-defined traffic. In some embodiments, a set of priority rules can define a long high priority program with the highest priority, followed by a short high priority program, a short low priority program, and a long low priority program.

[0130] Figure 10A and Figure 10B A block diagram illustrating an example of signaling between a UE and a network for priority-based paging according to some embodiments. Figure 10A and Figure 10B The signaling shown in the figure can also be used with any of the systems, methods, or devices shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the signaling shown can be executed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional signaling can also be performed as needed. As shown in the figure, the signaling can operate as follows.

[0131] For example, Figure 10A As shown, UE 1006 (which may be UE 106) may include one or more UICCs, such as SIMs 1045a and 1045b. At 1010, connections supported by SIMs 1045a and 1045b may be in idle mode with respective access and mobility management functions (AMFs) 1004a and 1004b. AMFs 1004a and 1004b (which may be AMF 704) may connect to a short message service function (SMSF) 1092 (which may be SMSF 722). At 1012, AMF 1004b may transmit a page to UE 1006 intended for SIM 1045b. The page may include an indication (or reason) that the page is delay-tolerant (e.g., not a high-priority and / or a low-priority page). At 1014, in response to the page, UE 1006 may initiate a radio connection supported by SIM 1045b. At 1016, the connection supported by SIM 1045b may transition to a connected state. At 1018, AMF 1004a may receive an SMS indication from 1096. At 1020, in response to the SMS indication, AMF 1004a may transmit a page to UE 1006 intended for SIM 1045a. The page may indicate the cause as SMS. At 1022, UE 1006 may compare the priority (or precedence) of the received pages. Based on a set of rules (e.g., as described herein), UE 1006 may determine that SMS service has a higher priority than delay-tolerant paging. Therefore, at 1024, SIM 1045a may request RF resources from SIM 1045b. The request for RF resources may include an indication of the cause (or reasons for the request), in this case, an SMS page. At 1026, SIM 1045b may grant the RF resource request, and at 1028, the connection supported by SIM 1045b may transition to idle mode. At 1030, the connection supported by SIM 1045a may initiate a radio connection with AMF 1004a. At 1032, once connected, the UE may retrieve (or receive) SMS messages from AMF 1004a. At 1034, SIM 1045a may grant the RF resource back to SIM 1045b, and at 1036, the connection supported by SIM 1045a may transition back to idle mode. At 1038, SIM 1045b may initiate a radio connection with AMF 1004b and transition back to connected mode at 1040.

[0132] For example, Figure 10BAs shown, at 1050, the connections supported by SIMs 1045a and 1045b may be in idle mode with the corresponding AMFs 1004a and 1004b. AMFs 1004a and 1004b may communicate with one or more servers, such as server 1096. At 1052, AMF 1004b may transmit a page to UE 1006 intended for SIM 1045b. The page may include an indication (or reason) that the page is for Voice over IP (VoIP call). At 1054, in response to the page, UE 1006 may initiate a radio connection supported by SIM 1045b. At 1056, the connection supported by SIM 1045b may transition to a connected state. At 1058, AMF 1004a may receive an indication from server 1096 via the connection supported by SIM 1045a that low priority (LP) data is available for the UE. At 1060, in response to the LP data indication, AMF 1004a may transmit a page to UE 1006 intended for SIM 1045a. The page may indicate the cause as low-priority data (e.g., background push of data). At 1062, UE 1006 may compare the priority (or precedence) of the received page. Based on a set of rules (e.g., as described herein), UE 1006 may determine that the LP data has a lower priority than the VoIP page. As a result, at 1064, SIM 1045a may remain in idle mode, and the VoIP call supported by SIM 1045b may continue at 1066.

[0133] In some embodiments, an AMF such as AMF 704 may base the paging cause on the active procedure with the highest priority. For example, a typical paging mechanism is that the network may retry paging "x" times with an interval of "y" seconds (or minutes). Therefore, a complete paging procedure may span approximately 20 to 100 seconds, for example, depending on the network paging retry logic. However, during the duration of the paging procedure, the cause associated with the paging procedure may, for example, change from a lower priority cause (e.g., background data push) to a higher priority cause (e.g., incoming VoLTE or VoNR call). Therefore, the embodiments described herein provide a mechanism for dynamically changing (or updating) the paging cause during paging retransmissions (or paging retries). Such a mechanism may allow the UE to better determine how to respond to paging.

[0134] In some embodiments, a DSCP marking in the IP header may be used to indicate the priority of the paging (and / or to indicate a high-priority paging). Note that DSCP (Differentiated Services Code Point) may be defined as a 6-bit field used to identify the class of service a packet receives in a network (and may be a 3-bit extension of IP precedence where the Type of Service (ToS) bit is eliminated). Note also that applications may typically set DSCP markings for critical (e.g., high-priority) incoming packets. In some embodiments, a UPF such as UPF 708 may provide such a "hint" to the AMF to utilize the indication of the paging cause as high-priority data.

[0135] In some embodiments, a UE, such as UE 106, may signal an indication to the network (e.g., to an AMF of the network, such as AMF 704) that it is tuning away from the current connection (supported by the first SIM) to another connection (e.g., a connection supported by the additional SIM). The UE may perform a registration with the network at the end of the tuning away. In some embodiments, the tuning away indication may be limited to (or restricted to) procedures that the UE expects to last longer than a predefined threshold amount of time. In other words, the UE may provide a tuning away indication for procedures that last longer than a specified amount of time. In some embodiments, the AMF may block any paging with a priority lower than that indicated by the tuning away indication until a tuning away indication is received indicating the end of the tuning away, a new radio connection request is received from the first SIM, and / or after the tuning away timer expires.

[0136] For example, Figure 11A 、 Figure 11B 、 Figure 12 and Figure 13 An example of a tune-away indication for low-priority programs and high-priority programs according to some embodiments is shown. Specifically, Figure 11A and Figure 12 A block diagram illustrating an example of signaling between a UE and a network for low priority paging according to some embodiments is shown, and Figure 11B A block diagram illustrating an example of signaling between a UE and a network for high priority paging according to some embodiments is shown. Figure 13 A block diagram illustrating an example of signaling between a UE and a network for a short procedure according to some embodiments. Figure 11A 、 Figure 11B 、 Figure 12 and Figure 12 The signaling shown in the figure can also be used with any of the systems, methods, or devices shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the signaling shown can be executed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional signaling can also be performed as needed. As shown in the figure, the signaling can operate as follows.

[0137] For example, Figure 11AAs shown, UE 1106 (which may be UE 106) may include one or more UICCs, such as SIMs 1145a and 1145b. At 1110, connections supported by SIMs 1145a and 1145b may be in idle mode with respective access and mobility management functions (AMFs) 1104a and 1104b. AMFs 1104a and 1104b (which may be AMF 704) may connect to a short message service function (SMSF) 1192 (which may be SMSF 722). At 1112, AMF 1104b may transmit a page to UE 1106 intended for SIM 1145b. The page may include an indication (or reason) that the page is delay-tolerant (e.g., not a high-priority and / or a low-priority page). At 1114, in response to the page, UE 1106 may initiate a radio connection supported by SIM 1145b. At 1116, the connection supported by SIM 1145b may transition to a connected state. At 1118, AMF 1104a may transmit a page to UE 1106 intended for SIM 1145a. The page may include an indication (or reason) that the page is for a voice call (such as a VoLTE or VoNR call). At 1120, UE 1106 may compare the priority (or precedence) of the received pages. Based on a set of rules (e.g., as described herein), UE 1106 may determine that voice call service has a higher priority than delay-tolerant paging. Therefore, at 1122, SIM 1145a may request RF resources from SIM 1145b. The request for RF resources may include an indication of the reason (or reason for the request), in this case, a voice call. At 1124, SIM 1145b may determine that a tune-out indication is necessary based on the cause of the tune-out (e.g., a voice call by SIM 1145a) and transmit the tune-out indication along with the cause to AMF 1104b. At 1126, upon receiving the tune-out indication, AMF 1104b may locally release the CM connection and subsequently notify a base station, such as base station 102, to perform a local RRC release of the connection with UE 106. Additionally, at 1128, SIM 1145b may grant the RF resource request. At 1130, the connection supported by SIM 1145a may initiate a radio connection with AMF 1104a. Once connected, at 1132, the UE may initiate a voice call. At 1134, upon completion of the voice call, SIM 1145a may grant the RF resources back to SIM 1145b, and at 1136, the connection supported by SIM 1145a may transition back to idle mode. Additionally, at 1138, the AMF 1104b may receive an SMS indication from the SMSF 1192. At 1140, the AMF 1104b may compare the priority of the SMS indication with the reason for the tune-away (eg, included in the tune-away indication).After determining that SMS has a lower priority than the cause of the tune-off (voice call), the AMF 1104b may notify the SMSF 1192 that SMS is unavailable at 1142. At 1144, the SIM 1145b may transmit a tune-off indication indicating the end of the tune-off. At 1146, the AMF 1104b may receive a (retry or new) SMS indication from the SMSF 1192. At 1148, the AMF 1104b may page the UE 1106 with an indication of connected SMS supported by the SIM 1145b.

[0138] For example, Figure 11BAs shown, at 1150, the connections supported by SIMs 1145a and 1145b may be in idle mode with the corresponding AMFs 1104a and 1104b. AMFs 1104a and 1104b may communicate with the IMS / 5G Core 710. At 1152, AMF 1104b may transmit a page to UE 1106 intended for SIM 1145b. The page may include an indication (or reason) that the page is delay-tolerant (e.g., not a high-priority and / or low-priority page). At 1154, in response to the page, UE 1106 may initiate a radio connection supported by SIM 1145b. At 1156, the connection supported by SIM 1145b may transition to a connected state. At 1158, AMF 1104a may transmit a page to UE 1106 intended for the connection supported by SIM 1145a. The paging may include an indication of an incoming VoIP call. At 1160, UE 1106 may compare the priority (or precedence) of the received paging. Based on a set of rules (e.g., as described herein), UE 1106 may determine that the delay-tolerant paging has a lower priority than the VoIP paging. Therefore, at 1164, SIM 1145a may remain in idle mode, and the VoIP call supported by SIM 1145b may continue at 1166. Therefore, at 1162, SIM 1145a may request RF resources from SIM 1145b. The request for RF resources may include an indication of a reason (or reasons for the request), in this case, a VoIP call. At 1164, SIM 1145b may determine that a tune-out indication is necessary based on the reason for the tune-out (e.g., a VoIP call for SIM 1145a), and transmit the tune-out indication along with the reason to AMF 1104b. At 1166, upon receiving the tune-away indication, AMF 1104b may perform a local CM connection release of the connection with UE 106 and subsequently notify a base station, such as base station 102, to locally release the RRC connection. Additionally, at 1168, SIM 1145b may grant the RF resource request. At 1170, the connection supported by SIM 1145a may initiate a radio connection with AMF 1104a. Once connected, at 1172, the UE may initiate a VoIP call. At 1174, AMF 1104b may receive an indication of an incoming voice call (e.g., a VoLTE or VoNR call) from IMS / 5G Core 710. At 1176, AMF 1104b may compare the priority of the voice call indication with the cause of the tune-away (e.g., included in the tune-away indication). At 1178, upon determining that the voice call has a higher priority than the cause of the tune-off (the VoIP call), the AMF 1104b may page the UE 106 with a paging indication for the voice call to the SIM 1145b.At 1180, upon receiving the paging from AMF 1104b, SIM 1145b may request RF resources from SIM 1145a. At 1182, UE 1106 may compare the priorities (or precedence) of the received paging. Based on a set of rules (e.g., as described herein), UE 1106 may determine that VoIP paging has a lower priority than voice call paging. At 1184, SIM 1145a may determine that a tune-away indication is necessary based on the reason for the tune-away (e.g., a voice call by SIM 1145b) and transmit the tune-away indication along with the reason (e.g., voice call) to AMF 1104a. At 1186, upon receiving the tune-away indication, AMF 1104a may perform a local RRC release of the connection with UE 106. Additionally, at 1188, SIM 1145a may grant the RF resource request. At 1190 , UE 1106 may perform a voice call over the connection supported by SIM 1145b .

[0139] As another example, Figure 12As shown, UE 1206 (which may be UE 106) may include one or more UICCs, such as SIMs 1245a and 1245b. At 1210, connections supported by SIMs 1245a and 1245b may be in idle mode with respective access and mobility management functions (AMFs) 1204a and 1204b. Furthermore, connections may be registered over both 3GPP (e.g., cellular) and non-3GPP (e.g., non-cellular) accesses. AMFs 1204a and 1204b (which may be AMF 704) may connect to a short message service function (SMSF) 1296 (which may be SMSF 722). At 1212, AMF 1204b may transmit a page to UE 1206 intended for SIM 1245b. The page may include an indication (or reason) that the page is delay-tolerant (e.g., not a high-priority and / or low-priority page). At 1214, in response to the paging, UE 1206 may initiate a radio connection supported by SIM 1245b. At 1216, the connection supported by SIM 1245b may transition to a connected state. At 1218, AMF 1204a may transmit a paging to UE 1206 intended for SIM 1245a. The paging may include an indication (or reason) that the paging is for a voice call (such as a VoLTE or VoNR call). At 1220, UE 1206 may compare the priority (or precedence) of the received paging. Based on a set of rules (e.g., as described herein), UE 1206 may determine that voice call service has a higher priority than delay-tolerant paging. Therefore, at 1222, SIM 1245a may request RF resources from SIM 1245b. The request for RF resources may include an indication of the reason (or reason for the request), in this case, a voice call. At 1224, SIM 1245b may determine that a tune-out indication is necessary based on the reason for the tune-out (e.g., a voice call by SIM 1245a) and transmit the tune-out indication along with the reason to AMF 1204b. At 1226, upon receiving the tune-out indication, AMF 1204b may notify a base station, such as base station 102, to perform a local RRC release of the connection with UE 106. Additionally, at 1228, SIM 1245b may grant the RF resource request. At 1230, the connection supported by SIM 1245a may initiate a radio connection with AMF 1204a. Once connected, at 1232, the UE may initiate a voice call. At 1234, upon completion of the voice call, SIM 1245a may grant the RF resources back to SIM 1245b, and at 1236, the connection supported by SIM 1245a may transition back to idle mode. Additionally, at 1238 , the AMF 1204 b may receive an SMS indication from the SMSF 1292 .At 1240, AMF 1204b may determine that the SMS procedure has a lower priority than the voice call and, therefore, the NAS notification may be delivered via a non-3GPP access, which may include SMS. Consequently, the UE may receive SMS intended for SIM 1245b via the non-3GPP access during the tune-away period. At 1242, SIM 1245b may transmit a tune-away indication indicating the end of the tune-away. At 1246, AMF 1204b may receive another (or retry) SMS indication from SMSF 1292. At 1248, AMF 1204b may page UE 1206 via the 3GPP access with an indication of the connected SMS supported by SIM 1245b.

[0140] As another example, Figure 13As shown, UE 1306 (which may be UE 106) may include one or more UICCs, such as SIMs 1345a and 1345b. At 1310, connections supported by SIMs 1345a and 1345b may be in idle mode with respective access and mobility management functions (AMFs) 1304a and 1304b. AMFs 1304a and 1304b (which may be AMF 704) may connect to a short message service function (SMSF) 1392 (which may be SMSF 722). At 1312, AMF 1304b may transmit a page to UE 1306 intended for SIM 1345b. The page may include an indication (or reason) that the page is delay-tolerant (e.g., not a high-priority and / or a low-priority page). At 1314, in response to the page, UE 1306 may initiate a radio connection supported by SIM 1345b. At 1316, the connection supported by SIM 1345b may transition to a connected state. At 1318, AMF 1304a may receive an SMS indication from SMSF 1392. At 1320, in response to the indication, AMF 1304a may transmit a page to UE 1306 intended for SIM 1345a. The page may include an indication (reason) that the page is for SMS. At 1322, UE 1306 may compare the priority (or precedence) of the received pages. Based on a set of rules (e.g., as described herein), UE 1306 may determine that SMS service has a higher priority than delay-tolerant paging. Therefore, at 1324, SIM 1345a may request RF resources from SIM 1345b. The request for RF resources may include an indication of the reason (or reasons for the request), in this case, SMS service. At 1326, SIM 1345b may determine that a tune-out indication is not necessary based on the cause of the tune-out (e.g., SMS service expected by SIM 1345a as a short program), and at 1328, SIM 1345b may grant the RF resource request. At 1330, the connection supported by SIM 1345a may initiate a radio connection with AMF 1304a. Once connected, at 1332, the UE may receive SMS messages. At 1334, SIM 1345a may grant RF resources back to SIM 1345b, and at 1336, the connection supported by SIM 1345a may transition back to idle mode. Additionally, at 1338, UE 1306 may initiate a radio connection supported by SIM 1345b. At 1340, the connection supported by SIM 1345b may transition back to a connected state.

[0141] As described herein, in some embodiments, after a tune-away, a UE, such as UE 106, may be required to perform registration and setup of a new RRC connection. However, such a procedure may result in a delay in establishing a protocol data unit (PDU) session. Therefore, in some embodiments, the UE may signal an indication of the tune-away to the network (e.g., as described herein) and suspend the PDU session for a predetermined (or pre-specified) duration. In some embodiments, the UE may utilize a "Suspend Notification IE" and a timer to transmit a "PDU Session Modification Request" as defined in 3GPP TS 24.501 v.16.2.0, Table 8.3.7.1.1. The network may accept the request and store the UE's context. The network may then send a "PDU Session Modification Command" with a unique temporary identifier (e.g., I-RNTI) that the UE may use when resuming the PDU session. Alternatively, in some embodiments, if there are multiple PDU sessions to be suspended simultaneously (and / or when there are multiple PDU sessions to be suspended simultaneously), the UE may send a single NAS message to the AMF. The NAS message may indicate a list of PDU Session IDs that may need to be suspended. In some embodiments, when a particular PDU Session is suspended (and / or if a particular PDU Session is suspended), the UPF may discard any incoming data regarding that PDU Session. In some embodiments, the RM state may continue to remain as RM Registered and the CM state may continue to remain as CM Connected. In some embodiments, when tuning back before the predetermined duration expires / if tuning back before the predetermined duration expires, the UE may transmit a "PDU Session Modification Command" with a "Resume Notification IE". In some embodiments, when the detune exceeds a predetermined duration / if the detune exceeds a predetermined duration, the network and the UE may reset the UE context, move to the idle state, and delete the I-RNTI. In such cases, the UE may perform a registration procedure and then perform a PDU Session Establishment Request to establish a new PDU Session after tuning back.

[0142] For example, Figure 14 An example of a tune-away indication via a NAS message according to some embodiments is shown. Figure 14 The signaling shown in the figure can also be used with any of the systems, methods, or devices shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the signaling shown can be executed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional signaling can also be performed as needed. As shown in the figure, the signaling can operate as follows.

[0143] As shown, UE 1406 (which may be UE 106) may include one or more UICCs, such as SIMs 1445a and 1445b. At 1408, the connection supported by SIM 1445a may be in connected mode, and at 1410, the connection supported by SIM 1445b may be in idle mode with corresponding access and mobility management functions (AMFs) 1404a and 1404b. AMFs 1404a and 1404b (which may be AMF 704) may connect to various functions within the network, such as SMSF and / or IMS / 5G core. At 1412, AMF 1404b may transmit a page to UE 1406 intended for SIM 1445b. The page may include an indication (or reason) that the page is delay-tolerant (e.g., not a high priority and / or a low priority page). At 1414, in response to the paging, UE 1406 may initiate a radio connection supported by SIM 1445b. At 1416, AMF 1404b may transmit a paging to UE 1406 intended for SIM 1445b. The paging may include an indication (or reason) that the paging is for a voice call (such as a VoLTE or VoNR call). At 1418, SIM 1445b may request RF resources from SIM 1445a based on the priority of the voice call paging. The request for RF resources may include an indication of the reason (or reason for the request), in this case, a voice call. At 1420, SIM 1445a may determine that a tune-away indication is necessary based on the cause of the detune (e.g., a voice call for SIM 1445b) and transmit the tune-away indication to AMF 1404a along with the reason, a request to suspend the PDU session (e.g., PDU Session Modification), and a timer value indicating the duration of the detune. At 1422, AMF 1404a may accept the detune and transmit a confirmation of the PDU session modification along with a temporary identifier (e.g., I-RNTI) to UE 106. At 1424a and 1424b, AMF 1404a and SIM 1445a may suspend the PDU session, for example, for a duration indicated by a persistence timer. In some embodiments, the SMF may subsequently notify the UPF to discard downlink data for the suspended PDU session. At 1426, SIM 1445a may grant the RF resource request. At 1428, the connection supported by SIM 1445b may initiate a radio connection with AMF 1404b. Once connected, at 1430, the UE may initiate a voice call. At 1432, after the voice call is completed, SIM 1445b may grant the RF resources back to SIM 1445a. Additionally, at 1434, SIM 1445a may transmit a PDU session modification request to indicate a request to resume the PDU session.Alternatively, in some embodiments, SIM 1445a may transmit a single NAS message to indicate a request to resume all suspended PDU sessions. The request may include a temporary identifier. At 1436, AMF 1404a may acknowledge the PDU Session Modification Request, and at 1438, SIM 1445a may resume the PDU sessions via a PDU Session Modification Complete message.

[0144] In some embodiments, the UE may signal a tune-away indication to the network (e.g., as described herein) and suspend the RRC connection for a predetermined (or pre-specified) duration via RRC signaling. In some embodiments, the UE may utilize a timer to transmit an RRC Suspend Request message. The network may accept the request and store the UE's context in an RRC Inactive state. The network may then send an RRC Release message with a unique temporary identifier (I-RNTI), which the UE may use when resuming the RRC session. In some embodiments, the RM state may remain RM Registered, and the CM state may remain CM Connected and RRC Inactive. In some embodiments, when / if tuned back before the expiration of the predetermined duration, the UE may transmit an RRC Resume Request. In some embodiments, when / if tuned back before the expiration of the predetermined duration, the network and UE may reset the UE context and delete the I-RNTI. In such cases, the UE may perform a registration procedure to set up a new RRC connection.

[0145] For example, Figure 15 An example of a tune-away indication via an RRC message according to some embodiments is shown. Figure 15 The signaling shown in the figure can also be used with any of the systems, methods, or devices shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the signaling shown can be executed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional signaling can also be performed as needed. As shown in the figure, the signaling can operate as follows.

[0146] As shown, UE 1506 (which may be UE 106) may include one or more UICCs, such as SIMs 1545a and 1545b. At 1508, the connection supported by SIM 1545a may be in connected mode, and at 1510, the connection supported by SIM 1545b may be in idle mode with corresponding access and mobility management functions (AMFs) 1504a and 1504b. AMFs 1504a and 1504b (which may be AMF 704) may connect to various functions within the network, such as SMSF and / or IMS / 5G core. At 1512, AMF 1504b may transmit a page to UE 1506 intended for SIM 1545b. The page may include an indication (or reason) that the page is delay-tolerant (e.g., not a high priority page and / or a low priority page). At 1514, in response to the paging, UE 1506 may initiate a radio connection supported by SIM 1545b. At 1516, AMF 1504b may transmit a paging to UE 1506 intended for SIM 1545b. The paging may include an indication (or reason) that the paging is for a voice call (such as a VoLTE or VoNR call). At 1518, SIM 1545b may request RF resources from SIM 1545a based on the priority of the voice call paging. The request for RF resources may include an indication of the reason (or reason for the request), in this case, a voice call. At 1520, SIM 1545a may determine that a tune-away indication is necessary based on the cause of the detune (e.g., a voice call by SIM 1545b) and transmit the tune-away indication to AMF 1504a along with the reason, a request to suspend the RRC session, and a timer value indicating the duration of the detune. At 1522, AMF 1504a may accept the detune and transmit an acknowledgment of the RRC session suspension and a temporary identifier (I-RNTI) to UE 106. At 1524a and 1524b, AMF 1504a and SIM 1545a may suspend the RRC session, e.g., for the duration indicated by the persistence timer. At 1526, SIM 1545a may grant the RF resource request. At 1528, the connection supported by SIM 1545b may initiate a radio connection with AMF 1504b. Once connected, the UE may perform a voice call at 1530. At 1532, upon completion of the voice call, SIM 1545b may grant the RF resources back to SIM 1545a. Additionally, at 1534, AMF 1504a may transmit an RRC Session Resume Request to indicate a request to resume the RRC session. This request may include the temporary identifier. At 1536 , the AMF 1504 a may acknowledge the RRC session resume request, and at 1538 , the SIM 1545 a may resume the RRC session via an RRC session resume complete message.

[0147] Figure 16 A block diagram illustrating an example of a method for enhanced paging indication for MU-SIM UEs according to some embodiments is shown. Figure 16 The method shown in the figure can also be used together with any one of the systems, methods or devices shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown can be performed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional method elements can also be performed as needed. As shown in the figure, the method can be operated as follows.

[0148] At 1602, a multi-SIM UE (MU-SIM UE), such as UE 106, may maintain idle mode connections for multiple SIMs. In some embodiments, the SIMs of a MU-SIM UE may share radio frequency (RF) resources. In other words, RF resources, such as transmit and / or receive circuitry, may be shared across the SIMs of a MU-SIM UE.

[0149] At 1604, the first SIM may be transitioned to connected mode based on a first page received from the network (e.g., from a first AMF of the network). In some embodiments, the first page may include an indication of an associated first paging priority and / or a first paging cause. In some embodiments, the first paging priority may be associated with and / or correspond to the first paging cause. In some embodiments, the paging priority may be specified by an operator of a public land mobile network (PLMN). In some embodiments, the paging priority may be based on a service type of the paging (e.g., a voice call such as VoLTE or VoNR, SMS, high priority data, background push, delay tolerant data, VoIP call, etc.) and an expected duration of the action associated with the paging. In some embodiments, the paging priority may be based on a Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) marking in a Type of Service (e.g., for IPv4) or Traffic Class (e.g., for IPv6) field of a downlink Internet Protocol packet.

[0150] At 1606, a second page intended for the second SIM may be received from the network (e.g., from a second AMF of the network). In some embodiments, the second page may include an indication of a second paging priority and / or a second paging cause. In some embodiments, the second paging priority may be associated with and / or correspond to the second paging cause.

[0151] At 1608, RF resources may be transitioned from the first SIM to the second SIM based on a comparison of the paging priorities indicated by the first and second paging. In some embodiments, the transition may be based on the priority of the second paging (e.g., as indicated by the second paging priority) being higher than the priority of the first paging (e.g., as indicated by the first paging priority). In some embodiments, the MU-SIM UE may respond to the second paging after transitioning RF resources to the second SIM, e.g., to conduct a voice call, receive SMS data, receive high-priority data, etc.

[0152] In some embodiments, transitioning to the second SIM may include transmitting a tune-off indication to the network (e.g., to the network's first AMF) based on an indication of the second paging priority, and transitioning the first connection to idle mode. In some embodiments, the tune-off indication may include a reason for the tune-off. In some embodiments, the reason for the tune-off may be based at least in part on an indication of the second paging priority. In some embodiments, the tune-off indication may include a timer, wherein the timer may indicate a duration of the tune-off. In some embodiments, the timer may be based at least in part on an indication of the second paging priority.

[0153] In some embodiments, the tune-away indication may be included in a network access stratum (NAS) message. In some embodiments, in response to receiving the first NAS message, the first AMF may suspend a protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with the first connection after receiving the tune-away indication. In some embodiments, the first NAS message may include a PDU session modification request. In some embodiments, the MU-SIM UE may receive a second NAS message from the first AMF. The second NAS message may include an indication of acceptance of the tune-away and a temporary identifier that the MU-SIM UE may use when resuming the PDU session. In some embodiments, the MU-SIM UE may transmit a third NAS message to the first AMF requesting resumption of the PDU session. The third NAS message may include a temporary identifier.

[0154] In some embodiments, the tune-away indication may be included in a radio resource control (RRC) message. In some embodiments, the first RRC message may include an RRC session suspend request. In some embodiments, the MU-SIM UE may receive a second RRC message to the MU-SIM UE. The second RRC message may include an indication of acceptance of the tune-away and a temporary identifier that the MU-SIM UE may use when resuming the RRC session. In some embodiments, the MU-SIM UE may transmit a third RRC message to the first AMF requesting resumption of the RRC session. The third RRC message may include a temporary identifier.

[0155] In some embodiments, transitioning to the second SIM may include determining not to transmit a tune-away indication to the network based on an indication of the second paging priority, and transitioning the first connection to an idle mode. In other words, if an estimated amount of time required to perform an action associated with the second paging is less than a threshold amount of time, the MU_SIM UE may choose not to notify the network (e.g., the first AMF) of the tune-away.

[0156] In some implementations, when the priority of the first page is higher than the priority of the second page, the second page may be ignored.

[0157] In some embodiments, a MU-SIM UE may provide an indication of multi-SIM capability to the network. In some embodiments, the indication of multi-SIM capability may be provided via at least one of a Network Access Stratum (NAS) Registration Request, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) Capability procedure, and / or an RRC UE Assistance procedure. In some embodiments, when the indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via a NAS Registration Request, a one-bit in the NAS Registration Request message may be used to indicate multi-SIM support. In some embodiments, a 5GMM Capability Information Element may include a one-bit to indicate multi-SIM support. In some embodiments, when the indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via an RRC Capability procedure, the indication of multi-SIM capability may be included in an RRC Capability message. In some embodiments, when the indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via an RRC UE Assistance procedure, the indication of multi-SIM capability may be included in an RRC UE Assistance message. In some embodiments, the indication of multi-SIM capability may indicate the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) information and / or the carrier name for each active SIM of the MU-SIM UE. In some embodiments, the network may increase paging retries based on the indication of MU-SIM capability.

[0158] In some embodiments, a MU-SIM UE may be configured to allow a user to dynamically enable / disable a secondary SIM. In some embodiments, a periodic registration request procedure, such as a periodic NAS registration request procedure, may be performed based on a change in SIM mode to update MU-SIM capabilities. In some embodiments, a mode change may include activation or deactivation of a SIM. In some embodiments, the MU-SIM capabilities include public land mobile network (PLMN) information and / or carrier name for each activated SIM.

[0159] Figure 17 A block diagram illustrating another example of a method for enhanced paging indication for MU-SIM UEs according to some embodiments is shown. Figure 17The method shown in the figure can also be used together with any one of the systems, methods or devices shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown can be performed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional method elements can also be performed as needed. As shown in the figure, the method can be operated as follows.

[0160] At 1702, idle mode connections for multiple SIMs of a multi-SIM UE (MU-SIM UE), such as UE 106, may be maintained by the network, for example, by multiple AMFs of the network. In some embodiments, the SIMs of the MU-SIM UE may share radio frequency (RF) resources. In other words, RF resources, such as transmit and / or receive circuitry, may be shared across the SIMs of the MU-SIM UE.

[0161] At 1704, the first AMF of the network may transmit a first page to the first SIM of the MU-SIM UE. In some embodiments, the first page may include an associated first paging priority and / or an indication of a first paging cause. In some embodiments, the first paging priority may be associated with and / or correspond to the first paging cause. In some embodiments, the paging priority may be specified by an operator of a public land mobile network (PLMN). In some embodiments, the paging priority may be based on the service type of the paging (e.g., a voice call such as VoLTE or VoNR, SMS, high priority data, background push, delay-tolerant data, VoIP call, etc.) and the expected duration of the action associated with the paging. In some embodiments, the paging priority may be based on a Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) marking in a Type of Service (e.g., for IPv4) or Traffic Class (e.g., for IPv6) field of a downlink Internet Protocol packet.

[0162] At 1706, the first AMF may establish an RRC connection with the first SIM. In other words, the first AMF may perform an RRC procedure to transition the connection associated with the first SIM from idle mode to connected mode, for example, to perform actions associated with the first paging.

[0163] At 1708, the first AMF may receive a tune-out indication from the first SIM. The tune-out indication may include a cause for the tune-out, such as another active SIM of the MU-SIM UE receiving a higher priority paging, e.g., from another AMF of the network. In some embodiments, in response to the tune-out indication, the first AMF may release the RRC connection. In some embodiments, the first AMF may ignore paging instances where the associated paging priority is lower than the paging priority associated with the cause of the tune-out, e.g., at least until a timer associated with the tune-out indication expires and / or a request to resume the RRC connection is received from the MU-SIM UE.

[0164] In some embodiments, a first AMF may receive an indication of short message service (SMS) data intended for a first SIM of a MU-SIM UE from a short message service function (SMSF) of a network. In response, the first AMF may compare the priority of the SMS data with the cause of the tune-off (e.g., the priority associated with the cause of the tune-off). In some embodiments, the first AMF may determine, based at least in part on the comparison, that the MU-SIM UE is unavailable for delivery of SMS data via cellular access (e.g., via 3GPP access). In some embodiments, responsive to the determination and / or based at least in part on the comparison, the first AMF may notify the SMSF that the MU-SIM UE is unavailable for delivery of SMS data. In some embodiments, responsive to the determination and / or based at least in part on the comparison, the first AMF may transmit a network access stratum (NAS) notification to the MU-SIM UE via a non-cellular access (e.g., a non-3GPP access) indicating the availability of SMS data, and transmit the SMS data to the MU-SIM UE via the non-cellular access.

[0165] In some embodiments, the first AMF may receive an indication of an incoming voice call (e.g., a VoLTE or VoNR call) intended for a first SIM of a MU-SIM UE from a core of a network (e.g., an IMS and / or a 5G core). The first AMF may compare the priority of the voice call with the cause of the detune (e.g., the priority associated with the cause of the detune). In some embodiments, the first AMF may transmit a second page to the MU-SIM UE via a first connection associated with the first SIM based at least in part on the comparison. The second page may include an indication of an associated second paging priority, the second paging priority being a higher priority than the priority associated with the cause of the detune.

[0166] In some embodiments, the tune-away indication may be included in a first network access stratum (NAS) message. In some embodiments, in response to receiving the first NAS message, the first AMF may suspend a protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with the first connection after receiving the tune-away indication. In some embodiments, the first NAS message may include a PDU session modification request. In some embodiments, in response to receiving the first NAS message, the first AMF may transmit a second NAS message to the MU-SIM UE. The second NAS message may include an indication of acceptance of the tune-away and a temporary identifier that the MU-SIM UE may use when resuming the PDU session. In some embodiments, the first AMF may receive a third NAS message from the MU-SIM UE requesting resumption of the PDU session. The third NAS message may include a temporary identifier.

[0167] In some embodiments, the tune-away indication is included in a first radio resource control (RRC) message. In some embodiments, the first RRC message may include an RRC session suspend request. In some embodiments, in response to receiving the first RRC message, the first AMF may transmit a second RRC message to the MU-SIM UE. The second RRC message may include an indication of acceptance of the tune-away and a temporary identifier that the MU-SIM UE may use when resuming the RRC session. In some embodiments, the first AMF may receive a third RRC message from the MU-SIM UE requesting resumption of the RRC session. The third RRC message may include the temporary identifier.

[0168] In some embodiments, a MU-SIM UE may provide an indication of multi-SIM capability to the network. In some embodiments, the indication of multi-SIM capability may be provided via at least one of a NAS registration request, a radio resource control (RRC) capability procedure, and / or an RRC UE assistance procedure. In some embodiments, when the indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via a NAS registration request, a one-bit in the NAS registration request message may be used to indicate multi-SIM support. In some embodiments, a 5GMM capability information element may include a one-bit for indicating multi-SIM support. In some embodiments, when the indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via an RRC capability procedure, the indication of multi-SIM capability may be included in an RRC capability message. In some embodiments, when the indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via an RRC UE assistance procedure, the indication of multi-SIM capability may be included in an RRC UE assistance message. In some embodiments, the indication of multi-SIM capability may indicate the public land mobile network (PLMN) information and / or bearer name for each active SIM of the MU-SIM UE. In some embodiments, the network may increase paging retries based on the indication of MU-SIM capability.

[0169] In some embodiments, a MU-SIM UE may be configured to allow a user to dynamically enable / disable a secondary SIM. In some embodiments, a periodic registration request procedure, such as a periodic NAS registration request procedure, may be performed based on a change in SIM mode to update MU-SIM capabilities. In some embodiments, a mode change may include activation or deactivation of a SIM. In some embodiments, the MU-SIM capabilities include public land mobile network (PLMN) information and / or carrier name for each activated SIM.

[0170] Additional exemplary embodiments

[0171] In some example embodiments, a method for a Multiple User Identity Module (SIM) User Equipment device (MU-SIM UE) to determine an action in response to a network paging may include the MU-SIM UE,

[0172] Provides an indication of multi-SIM capability to the network;

[0173] maintaining an idle mode connection of at least the first SIM and the second SIM, wherein radio frequency (RF) resources are shared between the SIMs of the MU-SIM UE;

[0174] transitioning a first connection associated with the first SIM into a connected mode upon receiving a first page from the network, wherein the first page includes an indication of an associated first paging priority;

[0175] receiving a second page intended for the second SIM from the network, wherein the second page includes an indication of an associated second paging priority;

[0176] comparing the first paging priority level to the second paging priority level; and

[0177] In response to the second paging priority being a higher priority than the first paging priority, RF resources are transitioned from the first connection to a second connection supported by the second SIM to respond to the second page.

[0178] In some implementations, the indication of multi-SIM capability may be provided via at least one of a Network Access Stratum (NAS) Registration Request, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) Capability procedure, and / or an RRC UE Assistance procedure.

[0179] In some embodiments, when an indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via a NAS Registration Request, a 1-bit of the NAS Registration Request message may be used to indicate multi-SIM support. In some embodiments, the 5GMM Capability Information Element may include a 1-bit to indicate multi-SIM support.

[0180] In some embodiments, when the indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via the RRC capability procedure, the indication of multi-SIM capability may be included in the RRC capability message.

[0181] In some embodiments, when the indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via the RRC UE assistance procedure, the indication of multi-SIM capability may be included in the RRC UE assistance message.

[0182] In some embodiments, the indication of multi-SIM capability may indicate the public land mobile network (PLMN) information and / or carrier name of each active SIM.

[0183] In some embodiments, the MU-SIM UE may be configured to allow the user to dynamically enable / disable the secondary SIM.

[0184] In some embodiments, the method may further include the MU-SIM UE performing a periodic registration request procedure to update the MU-SIM capabilities based on a change in SIM mode, wherein the change in mode includes activation or deactivation of the SIM.

[0185] In some embodiments, the method may further include the MU-SIM UE performing a periodic NAS registration request procedure to update the MU-SIM capabilities based on a change in SIM mode, wherein the change in mode includes activation or deactivation of the SIM.

[0186] In some embodiments, the MU-SIM capabilities may include public land mobile network (PLMN) information and / or carrier name for each activated SIM.

[0187] In some implementations, based on the indication of MU-SIM capabilities, the network may increase paging retries.

[0188] In some implementations, the paging priority may be specified by the operator of the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN).

[0189] In some implementations, paging priority may be based on the service type of the page and the expected duration of the action associated with the page.

[0190] In some implementations, paging priority may be based on a Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) marking in the Type of Service (eg, for IPv4) or Traffic Class (eg, for IPv6) field of a downlink Internet Protocol packet.

[0191] In some embodiments, the method may further include the MU-SIM UE ignoring the second paging in response to the second paging priority being a lower priority than the first paging priority.

[0192] In some embodiments, in response to the second paging priority being a higher priority than the first paging priority, transitioning RF resources from the first connection to the second connection supported by the second SIM to respond to the second paging may include the MU-SIM UE transmitting a tune-away indication to the network based on an indication of the second paging priority and transitioning the first connection to idle mode. In some embodiments, the tune-away indication may include a reason for the tune-away, wherein the reason is based on an indication of the second paging priority. In some embodiments, the tune-away indication may include a list of protocol data unit (PDU) sessions to be suspended. In some embodiments, the tune-away indication may include a timer, wherein the timer indicates a duration of the tune-away, and wherein the timer is based at least in part on an indication of the second paging priority. In some embodiments, the tune-away indication may be included in a network access stratum (NAS) message. In some embodiments, the tune-away indication may be included in a radio resource control (RRC) message.

[0193] In some embodiments, in response to the second paging priority being a higher priority than the first paging priority, transitioning RF resources from the first connection to a second connection supported by the second SIM to respond to the second paging may include the MU-SIM UE determining not to transmit a tune-away indication to the network and transitioning the first connection to an idle mode based on an indication of the second paging priority.

[0194] In some exemplary embodiments, a user equipment device (UE), such as UE 106, may be configured to perform the method to determine an action in response to a network paging. The UE may include one or more antennas; one or more radio components, wherein each of the one or more radio components is configured to perform cellular communications using at least one radio access technology (RAT); at least a first subscriber identity module (SIM) and a second SIM in communication with the one or more radio components; and one or more processors coupled to the one or more radio components, wherein the one or more processors and the one or more radio components are configured to perform voice and / or data communications.

[0195] In some exemplary embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium may store program instructions executable by a processing circuit to cause a user equipment device (UE), such as UE 106, to perform the method to determine an action in response to a network page.

[0196] In some exemplary embodiments, an apparatus may be configured to perform the method to determine an action in response to a network page.In some embodiments, the apparatus may include a memory and one or more processors in communication with the memory.

[0197] In some example embodiments, a method for a network to indicate paging priority to a Multiple User Identity Module (SIM) User Equipment device (MU-SIM UE) may include an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) of the network,

[0198] receiving an indication of multi-SIM capability from a MU-SIM UE;

[0199] establishing an idle mode connection of at least a first SIM and a second SIM of a MU-SIM UE;

[0200] transmitting a first page to the MU-SIM UE via a first connection associated with the first SIM, wherein the first page includes an indication of an associated first paging priority;

[0201] establishing, with the MU-SIM UE, a radio resource control (RRC) connection to support services associated with the first paging;

[0202] receiving, from the MU-SIM UE, an indication of a tune-off for a second connection supported by the second SIM, wherein the indication of the tune-off includes a reason for the tune-off and a duration of the tune-off; and

[0203] The RRC connection is released at the AMF.

[0204] In some embodiments, the method may include an AMF of a network receiving an indication of short message service (SMS) data intended for a first SIM of a MU-SIM UE from a short message service function (SMSF) of the network; comparing a priority of the SMS data with a reason for the tune-off; and notifying the SMSF that the MU-SIM UE is unavailable for delivery of SMS data based at least in part on the comparison.

[0205] In some embodiments, the method may include an AMF of a network receiving an indication of short message service (SMS) data intended for a first SIM of a MU-SIM UE from a short message service function (SMSF) of the network; comparing a priority of the SMS data with a cause of the tune-away; determining, based at least in part on the comparison, that the MU-SIM UE is unavailable for delivery of SMS data via cellular access; transmitting a network access stratum (NAS) notification to the MU-SIM UE via a non-cellular access, wherein the NAS notification indicates availability of SMS data; and transmitting the SMS data via the non-cellular access.

[0206] In some embodiments, the method may include receiving, by an AMF of a network, an indication of an incoming voice call intended for a first SIM of a MU-SIM UE from a core of the network; comparing a priority of the voice call with a cause of the tune-off; and transmitting, based at least in part on the comparison, a second paging to the MU-SIM UE via a first connection associated with the first SIM, wherein the second paging includes an indication of an associated second paging priority, and wherein the second paging priority is a higher priority than a priority associated with the cause of the tune-off. In some embodiments, the voice call may be one of a Voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE) call or a Voice over New Radio (VoNR) call.

[0207] In some implementations, the indication of multi-SIM capability may be received via at least one of a NAS registration request, a radio resource control (RRC) capability procedure, and / or an RRC UE assistance procedure.

[0208] In some embodiments, when an indication of multiple SIM capabilities is received via a NAS Registration Request, 1 bit of the NAS Registration Request message may be used to indicate multi-SIM support. In some embodiments, the 5GMM Capability Information Element may include 1 bit to indicate multi-SIM support.

[0209] In some embodiments, when the indication of multi-SIM capability is received via the RRC capability procedure, the indication of multi-SIM capability may be included in an RRC capability message.

[0210] In some embodiments, when the indication of multi-SIM capability is received via the RRC UE assistance procedure, the indication of multi-SIM capability may be included in an RRC UE assistance message.

[0211] In some embodiments, the indication of multi-SIM capability may indicate the public land mobile network (PLMN) information and / or carrier name of each active SIM.

[0212] In some embodiments, the MU-SIM UE may be configured to allow the user to dynamically enable / disable the secondary SIM.

[0213] In some embodiments, the method may include the network's AMF performing a periodic registration request procedure to update the MU-SIM capabilities based on a change in mode of the SIM at the MU-SIM UE, wherein the change in mode includes activation or deactivation of the SIM. In some embodiments, the MU-SIM capabilities may include public land mobile network (PLMN) information and / or a carrier name for each activated SIM.

[0214] In some embodiments, the method may include the network's AMF performing a NAS periodic registration request procedure to update the MU-SIM capabilities based on a change in mode of the SIM at the MU-SIM UE, wherein the change in mode includes activation or deactivation of the SIM. In some embodiments, the MU-SIM capabilities may include public land mobile network (PLMN) information and / or a carrier name for each activated SIM.

[0215] In some implementations, based on the indication of MU-SIM capabilities, the network may increase paging retries.

[0216] In some implementations, the paging priority may be specified by the operator of the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN).

[0217] In some implementations, paging priority may be based on the service type of the page and the expected duration of the action associated with the page.

[0218] In some implementations, paging priority may be based on a Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) marking in the Type of Service (eg, for IPv4) or Traffic Class (eg, for IPv6) field of a downlink Internet Protocol packet.

[0219] In some embodiments, the tune-away indication may be included in a first network access stratum (NAS) message. In some embodiments, the method may include the network's AMF suspending a protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with the first connection after receiving the tune-away indication. In some embodiments, the first NAS message may include a protocol data unit (PDU) session modification request. In some embodiments, the method may include the network's AMF transmitting a second NAS message to the MU-SIM UE in response to receiving the first NAS message, wherein the second NAS message includes an indication of accepting the tune-away and a temporary identifier that the MU-SIM UE can use when resuming the PDU session. In some embodiments, the method may include the network's AMF receiving a third NAS message from the MU-SIM UE requesting resumption of the PDU session, wherein the third NAS message includes the temporary identifier.

[0220] In some embodiments, the tune-away indication may be included in a first radio resource control (RRC) message. In some embodiments, the first RRC message may include an RRC session suspend request. In some embodiments, the method may include the network's AMF transmitting, via a base station, such as base station 102, a second RRC message to the MU-SIM UE in response to receiving the first RRC message, wherein the second RRC message includes an indication of acceptance of the tune-away and a temporary identifier that the MU-SIM UE can use when resuming the RRC session. In some embodiments, the method may include the network's AMF receiving, via the base station, a third RRC message from the MU-SIM UE requesting resumption of the RRC session, wherein the third RRC message includes the temporary identifier.

[0221] In some example embodiments, an apparatus may be configured to perform the method to indicate paging priority to a MU-SIM UE.In some embodiments, the apparatus may include a memory and one or more processors in communication with the memory.

[0222] In some exemplary embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium may store program instructions executable by a processing circuit to cause a network node to perform the method to indicate a paging priority to a MU-SIM UE.

[0223] In some exemplary embodiments, the network node may be configured to perform the method to indicate paging priority to the MU-SIM UE. In some embodiments, the network node may include at least one antenna, at least one radio in communication with the at least one antenna and configured to perform cellular communication using at least one radio access technology (RAT), and at least one processor in communication with the at least one radio.

[0224] It is understood that the use of personally identifiable information should be subject to privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized to meet or exceed industry or government requirements for maintaining 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 stated to users.

[0225] The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of forms. For example, some embodiments may be implemented as computer-implemented methods, computer-readable storage media, or computer systems. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs.

[0226] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be configured such that it stores program instructions and / or data, wherein the program instructions, if executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a method, such as any one of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein or any combination of such subsets.

[0227] In some embodiments, a device (e.g., UE 106) may be configured to include a processor (or a group of processors) and a memory medium, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions, wherein the processor is configured to read and execute the program instructions from the memory medium, wherein the program instructions are executable to implement any of the various method embodiments described herein (or any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of such subsets). The device may be implemented in any of various forms.

[0228] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to encompass all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. A user equipment device (UE), the user equipment device comprising: one or more antennas; one or more radio components, wherein each of the one or more radio components is configured to perform cellular communications using at least one radio access technology (RAT); at least a first subscriber identity module (SIM) and a second SIM in communication with the one or more radio components; one or more processors coupled to the one or more radios, wherein the one or more processors and the one or more radios are configured to perform voice and / or data communications; The one or more processors are configured to cause the UE to: maintaining an idle mode connection of at least the first SIM and the second SIM with a network, wherein radio frequency (RF) resources are shared between the first SIM and the second SIM; transitioning a first connection associated with the first SIM into a connected mode upon receiving a first paging from the network, wherein the first paging includes an indication of an associated first paging priority or a first paging cause; receiving from the network a second page intended for the second SIM, wherein the second page includes an indication of an associated second paging priority or a second paging cause; and In response to the second paging priority or the second paging cause being higher than the first paging priority or the first paging cause, transitioning RF resources from the first connection to a second connection supported by the second SIM in response to the second page, transmitting a tune-away indication to the network, and transitioning the first connection to an idle mode; and The paging priority or paging reason is based on the paging service type.

2. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: An indication of multi-SIM capability is provided to the network.

3. The UE according to claim 2, Wherein the indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via at least one of a Network Access Stratum (NAS) Registration Request, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) Capability Procedure and / or an RRC UE Assistance Procedure.

4. The UE according to claim 3, in, when said indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via said NAS registration request, using bit 1 of the NAS registration request message to indicate multi-SIM support; wherein, when the indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via the RRC capability procedure, the indication of multi-SIM capability is included in an RRC capability message; and Wherein, when the indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via the RRC UE assistance procedure, the indication of multi-SIM capability is included in an RRC UE assistance message.

5. The UE according to claim 4, The 5GMM capability information element includes the 1 bit used to indicate multi-SIM support.

6. The UE according to claim 2, Wherein the indication of multi-SIM capability indicates Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) information and / or a carrier name for each active SIM.

7. The UE according to claim 1, The one or more processors are further configured to allow a user to dynamically enable / disable the secondary SIM.

8. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: A periodic network access stratum (NAS) registration request procedure is performed based on a change of mode of one of the first SIM or the second SIM to update multi-SIM capabilities, wherein the change of mode includes activation or deactivation of one of the first SIM or the second SIM, and wherein the multi-SIM capabilities include at least one of public land mobile network (PLMN) information or a carrier name of each activated SIM.

9. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the paging priority or paging cause is specified by an operator of a public land mobile network (PLMN); and wherein the paging priority or paging cause is based on the expected duration of the action associated with the paging, and Wherein the paging priority or paging reason is based on a Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) marking in a Type of Service or Traffic Class field of a downlink Internet Protocol packet.

10. An apparatus comprising: Memory; and at least one processor in communication with the memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: Provides an indication of multi-SIM capability to the network; maintaining an idle mode connection of at least a first SIM and a second SIM using the network, wherein radio frequency (RF) resources are shared between the first SIM and the second SIM; upon receiving a first paging from the network, transitioning a first connection associated with the first SIM into a connected mode, wherein the first paging includes an indication of an associated first paging cause; receiving from the network a second page intended for the second SIM, wherein the second page includes an indication of an associated second paging cause; and In response to a second paging priority level corresponding to the second paging cause being a higher priority level than a first paging priority level corresponding to the first paging cause, transitioning RF resources from the first connection to a second connection supported by the second SIM in response to the second page, transmitting a tune-away indication to the network, and transitioning the first connection to an idle mode; and The paging priority or paging reason is based on the paging service type.

11. The device according to claim 10, in, Based on the indication of multi-SIM capability, the network increases paging retry attempts or increases the duration between paging retries.

12. The device according to claim 10, Wherein the second paging cause is associated with a voice call, wherein the voice call is one of a Voice over New Radio (VoNR) call or a Voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE) call.

13. The device according to claim 10, in, In response to the second paging priority being a higher priority than the first paging priority, transitioning RF resources from the first connection to a second connection supported by the second SIM to respond to the second paging, the at least one processor is further configured to: generating instructions to transmit a tune-away indication to the network based on the indication of the second paging priority, wherein the tune-away indication includes a reason for the tune-away, wherein the reason is based on the indication of the second paging priority, and wherein the tune-away indication includes a list of protocol data unit (PDU) sessions to be suspended; and The first connection is transitioned to an idle mode.

14. The device according to claim 13, Wherein the tune away indication comprises a timer, wherein the timer indicates a duration of the tune away, and wherein the timer is based at least in part on the indication of the second paging priority.

15. The device according to claim 13, Wherein the tune-away indication is included in at least one of a network access stratum (NAS) message or a radio resource control (RRC) message.

16. A method performed by a user equipment device (UE), the UE comprising at least a first subscriber identity module SIM and a second SIM, the method comprising: maintaining an idle mode connection of at least the first SIM and the second SIM with a network, wherein radio frequency (RF) resources are shared between the first SIM and the second SIM; transitioning a first connection associated with the first SIM into a connected mode upon receiving a first paging from the network, wherein the first paging includes an indication of an associated first paging priority or a first paging cause; receiving from the network a second page intended for the second SIM, wherein the second page includes an indication of an associated second paging priority or a second paging cause; and In response to the second paging priority or the second paging cause being higher than the first paging priority or the first paging cause, transitioning RF resources from the first connection to a second connection supported by the second SIM in response to the second page, transmitting a tune-away indication to the network, and transitioning the first connection to an idle mode; and The paging priority or paging reason is based on the paging service type.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising: An indication of multi-SIM capability is provided to the network.

18. The method according to claim 17, Wherein the indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via at least one of a Network Access Stratum (NAS) Registration Request, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) Capability Procedure and / or an RRC UE Assistance Procedure.

19. The method according to claim 18, in, when said indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via said NAS registration request, using bit 1 of the NAS registration request message to indicate multi-SIM support; wherein, when the indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via the RRC capability procedure, the indication of multi-SIM capability is included in an RRC capability message; and Wherein, when the indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via the RRC UE assistance procedure, the indication of multi-SIM capability is included in an RRC UE assistance message.

20. The method according to claim 19, The 5GMM capability information element includes the 1 bit used to indicate multi-SIM support.

21. The method according to claim 17, Wherein the indication of multi-SIM capability indicates Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) information and / or a carrier name for each active SIM.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising: Allows the user to dynamically enable / disable the secondary SIM.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising: A periodic network access stratum (NAS) registration request procedure is performed based on a change of mode of one of the first SIM or the second SIM to update multi-SIM capabilities, wherein the change of mode includes activation or deactivation of one of the first SIM or the second SIM, and wherein the multi-SIM capabilities include at least one of public land mobile network (PLMN) information or a carrier name of each activated SIM.

24. The method according to claim 16, wherein the paging priority or paging cause is specified by an operator of a public land mobile network (PLMN); and wherein the paging priority or paging cause is based on the expected duration of the action associated with the paging, and Wherein the paging priority or paging reason is based on a Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) marking in a Type of Service or Traffic Class field of a downlink Internet Protocol packet.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium storing program instructions executable by a processing circuit to cause a user equipment device (UE) to perform the method according to any one of claims 16-24.

26. A computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed by a processing circuit, cause a user equipment device (UE) to perform the method according to any one of claims 16-24.

27. A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium storing program instructions executable by a processing circuit to cause a user equipment device (UE): maintaining an idle mode connection of at least a first SIM and a second SIM with a network, wherein radio frequency (RF) resources are shared between the first SIM and the second SIM; transitioning a first connection associated with the first SIM into a connected mode upon receiving a first paging from the network, wherein the first paging includes an indication of an associated first paging priority; receiving, from the network, a second page intended for the second SIM, wherein the second page includes an indication of an associated second paging priority; ignoring the second paging in response to the second paging priority being a lower priority than the first paging priority; and In response to the second paging priority being a higher priority than the first paging priority, transitioning RF resources from the first connection to a second connection supported by the second SIM in response to the second page, determining not to transmit a tune away indication to the network based on the indication of the second paging priority; and converting the first connection into an idle mode, The paging priority or paging reason is based on the paging service type.

28. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 27, The program instructions can also be executed by the processing circuit to cause the UE to: An indication of multi-SIM capability is provided to the network, wherein the indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via at least one of a network access stratum (NAS) registration request, a radio resource control (RRC) capability procedure, and / or an RRC UE assistance procedure.

29. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 28, in, when said indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via said NAS registration request, using bit 1 of the NAS registration request message to indicate multi-SIM support; wherein, when the indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via the RRC capability procedure, the indication of multi-SIM capability is included in an RRC capability message; and Wherein, when the indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via the RRC UE assistance procedure, the indication of multi-SIM capability is included in an RRC UE assistance message.

30. A method performed by a user equipment device (UE), the method comprising: maintaining an idle mode connection of at least a first SIM and a second SIM of the UE with a network, wherein radio frequency (RF) resources are shared between the first SIM and the second SIM; transitioning a first connection associated with the first SIM into a connected mode upon receiving a first paging from the network, wherein the first paging includes an indication of an associated first paging priority; receiving, from the network, a second page intended for the second SIM, wherein the second page includes an indication of an associated second paging priority; ignoring the second paging in response to the second paging priority being a lower priority than the first paging priority; and In response to the second paging priority being a higher priority than the first paging priority, transitioning RF resources from the first connection to a second connection supported by the second SIM in response to the second page, determining not to transmit a tune away indication to the network based on the indication of the second paging priority; and converting the first connection into an idle mode, The paging priority or paging reason is based on the paging service type.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising: An indication of multi-SIM capability is provided to the network, wherein the indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via at least one of a network access stratum (NAS) registration request, a radio resource control (RRC) capability procedure, and / or an RRC UE assistance procedure.

32. The method according to claim 31, in, when said indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via said NAS registration request, using bit 1 of the NAS registration request message to indicate multi-SIM support; wherein, when the indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via the RRC capability procedure, the indication of multi-SIM capability is included in an RRC capability message; and Wherein, when the indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via the RRC UE assistance procedure, the indication of multi-SIM capability is included in an RRC UE assistance message.

33. A user equipment device (UE), the user equipment device comprising: one or more antennas; one or more radio components, wherein each of the one or more radio components is configured to perform cellular communications using at least one radio access technology (RAT); at least a first subscriber identity module (SIM) and a second SIM in communication with the one or more radio components; one or more processors coupled to the one or more radios, wherein the one or more processors and the one or more radios are configured to perform voice and / or data communications; The one or more processors are configured to cause the UE to: maintaining an idle mode connection of at least the first SIM and the second SIM with the network, wherein radio frequency (RF) resources are shared between the first SIM and the second SIM; transitioning a first connection associated with the first SIM into a connected mode upon receiving a first paging from the network, wherein the first paging includes an indication of an associated first paging priority; receiving, from the network, a second page intended for the second SIM, wherein the second page includes an indication of an associated second paging priority; ignoring the second paging in response to the second paging priority being a lower priority than the first paging priority; and In response to the second paging priority being a higher priority than the first paging priority, transitioning RF resources from the first connection to a second connection supported by the second SIM in response to the second page, determining not to transmit a tune away indication to the network based on the indication of the second paging priority; and converting the first connection into an idle mode, The paging priority or paging reason is based on the paging service type.

34. The UE according to claim 33, The one or more processors are further configured to: An indication of multi-SIM capability is provided to the network, wherein the indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via at least one of a network access stratum (NAS) registration request, a radio resource control (RRC) capability procedure, and / or an RRC UE assistance procedure.

35. The UE according to claim 34, in, when said indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via said NAS registration request, using bit 1 of the NAS registration request message to indicate multi-SIM support; wherein, when the indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via the RRC capability procedure, the indication of multi-SIM capability is included in an RRC capability message; and Wherein, when the indication of multi-SIM capability is provided via the RRC UE assistance procedure, the indication of multi-SIM capability is included in an RRC UE assistance message.

36. An apparatus comprising: Memory; and At least one processor in communication with the memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 30-32.

37. A computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed by a processing circuit, cause a user equipment device (UE) to perform the method according to any one of claims 30-32.

Images