Handling USIM with misconfigured Routing ID in 5GC

Abstract

Systems and methods for redirecting a user device having a routing misconfiguration are described. An exemplary method includes detecting a potential misconfiguration associated with a user device or a subscriber identity module (SIM) associated with the user device, and generating an error code indicating the potential misconfiguration associated with the user device or the SIM associated with the user device. The error code is sent to a verification module and indicates that the misconfiguration is an incorrect routing identifier and includes additional user information.

Description

[0001] Priority information

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62 / 735,692, filed on September 24, 2018, entitled “Handling USIMs with Misconfigured Routing IDs in 5GC,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of cellular telecommunication networks. More specifically, the present application relates to the configuration of routing IDs in such networks. Background Art

[0004] Generally, unless clearly given and / or implied different meanings in the context of using the term, all terms used herein will be interpreted according to their common meaning in the relevant technical field. Unless clearly stated, all references to one / an / the element, device, assembly, part, step, etc. should be openly interpreted as referring to at least one instance of the element, device, assembly, part, step, etc. Unless a step is clearly described as being after or before another step and / or a step must be after or before another step implicitly, the steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed. Where appropriate, any feature of any embodiment disclosed herein may be applied to any other embodiment. Likewise, any advantage of any embodiment may be applicable to any other embodiment, and vice versa. By the following description, other purposes, features and advantages of the attached embodiments will be apparent.

[0005] 3GPP is currently standardizing the 5G core network (5GC) as part of the overall 5G system architecture. The 5G core network is standardized in 3GPP TS 23.501 (v.15.3.0) and 3GPP TS 23.502 (v.15.3.0). It consists of a group of related functional entities called network functions (NFs). 3GPP TS 23.501 defines the 5G system architecture as a service-based architecture (SBA) for the control plane, i.e., a system architecture that implements system functions by providing services to other authorized NFs to access their services. The control plane (CP) NF in the 5G system architecture is based on SBA. NF service is a type of function that a first NF (NF service provider) exposes to a second authorized NF (NF service consumer) through a service-based interface (SBI). NF services can support one or more NF service operations. SBI indicates how a given NF provides or exposes a service set. This is an interface for calling NF service operations, and it is based on the HTTP / 2 protocol.

[0006] exist Figure 1 An example of a 5G system reference architecture defined in 3GPP TS 23.501 is depicted in Figure 2, showing the service-based interfaces used within the control plane (not all NFs are depicted).

[0007] The Network Repository Function (NRF) is a key NF within the 5GC SBA framework that provides support for service providers to register their services so that service consumers can discover them dynamically. The service discovery function enabled by the NRF provides the address of the NF instances present in the network for providing services and all the necessary information to issue and route requests to the selected target NF provider (i.e. the protocol, port, FQDN and / or IP address of the target NF instance in addition to other parameters required to create the URI used in the http request). The NF interaction with the NRF for registration and discovery can be managed largely as a background service independent of the services related to the UE procedures.

[0008] Some deployments of 5GC may define segments of Authentication User Function (AUSF), Unified Data Management (UDM) and / or Unified Data Repository (UDR) to manage different sets of users in a local public land mobile network (HPLMN), for example in the case of regional AUSF / UDM / UDR deployments facilitating subscription pool management within a large PLMN. For these scenarios, 3GPP has defined the possibility for the AUSF / UDM / UDR to register in the NRF using segment parameters provided to the NF consumer during AUSF / UDM / UDR discovery in order to facilitate the selection of the correct AUSF / UDM / UDR instance for a given UE procedure.

[0009] These segment parameters are defined in 3GPP TS 29.510 (v.15.1.0) and may include the following as shown below in Table TT1.

[0010]

[0011]

[0012] Table TT1

[0013] In particular, the routing indicator is relevant during the initial interaction with the UE, since the routing indicator is included in the SUCI provided by the UE when the privacy feature is active.

[0014] The figure below shows the use of routing indicators to route the UE authentication request to the right AUSF / UDM / UDR segment of the UE represented by the SUCI.

[0015] refer to Figure 2 , the PLMN may deploy separate AUSF / UDM / UDR segments that manage different segments of subscribers, such as regional settings. Figure 2 As shown in , AUSF / UDM / UDR discovery / selection based on segment parameters can be achieved in the following manner: (a) UDR, UDM and / or AUSF can register in the PLMN / (Network Slice Selection Assistance Information) NSSAI level NRF including relevant segment parameters; (b) Service annotation discovers the registered instances of AUSF / UDM / UDR available at, for example, PLMN ID, NSSAI, etc. via NRF. (1) During the UE procedure, the service node can select the applicable AUSF / UDM / UDR instance based on the NRF information obtained in (b). (1b) If there is not enough information available to resolve to the desired AUSF / UDM / UDR, the service node can issue a discovery request based on the Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI). For example, this operation can be performed in roaming situations or if the segment parameters become too fragmented to be used for registration or discovery. If necessary, the routing database can maintain an association of a single SUPI / GPSI with the AUSF / UDM / UDR segment parameters. (2) The service node selects a target AUSF / UDM / UDR and thereafter interacts with the target AUSF / UDM / UDR.

[0016] There are some challenges. Figure 2The mechanism for routing the UE authentication request to the right AUSF / UDM / UDR segment for the UE represented by the Subscription Hidden Identifier (SUCI) is based on the defined discovery and selection procedures. However, these assume that the UE is providing the correct Routing ID that corresponds to the actual configuration in the different AUSF / UDM / UDR segments within the HPLMN.

[0017] However, if an incorrect Routing ID is provided to the UE / SIM, the selected UDM will reject the authentication request with an error of type "HN Public Key ID not supported" if the HN Public Key ID is not supported in the selected UDM (e.g., the SUCI cannot be decrypted), or with an error of type "Unknown User" when the UDM cannot find the SUPI in the UDR. In this document, a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) may be referred to as a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM).

[0018] Figure 3 Depicts a misconfiguration of the UE's Routing ID. The UE procedures include information flows (authentication at the first location) that may be routed to an AUSF / UDM / UDR segment based on the provided Routing ID (e.g. segment 2). The Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) may issue an authentication request including the SUCI to one of the AUSF instances matching the Routing ID provided by the UE. It may be assumed that there are multiple AUSF / UDM / UDR instances registered in the PLMN for the Routing ID provided by the UE. Otherwise, the AMF shall reject the UE registration.

[0019] However, if an incorrect Routing ID is provided to the UE / SIM, the selected DM may reject the authentication request with an "HN Public Key ID not supported" error or an "Unknown User" error.

[0020] A potential approach could utilize a mechanism to update the routing ID in the misconfigured UE / SIM. However, this type of misconfigured UE needs to be allowed to connect to the core network so that it can then be properly configured. Certain aspects of the present disclosure and embodiments thereof may provide solutions to these or other challenges. Summary of the invention

[0021] The following statements represent some embodiments of the systems and methods of the present disclosure. Features of the following embodiments may be combined in additional embodiments. Some embodiments may omit one or more features of the listed embodiments.

[0022] Group A Embodiment

[0023] 1. A method for redirecting a user device having a routing misconfiguration, the method comprising: detecting a potential misconfiguration associated with the user device or a subscriber identity module (SIM) associated with the user device; and generating an error code indicating the potential misconfiguration associated with the user device or the SIM associated with the user device.

[0024] 2. The method according to embodiment 1 further comprises the following steps: sending an error code to the authentication module.

[0025] 3. The method according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the error code indicates that the potential misconfiguration is an incorrect routing identifier and includes additional user information.

[0026] 4. A method according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the additional user information includes a subscription identity associated with a user device or a SIM.

[0027] 5. A method according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein: the potential misconfiguration is an incorrect routing identifier; and detecting the potential misconfiguration includes: detecting that a subscription identifier associated with a user device or SIM is unknown or unrecognizable.

[0028] 6. A method according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein: the potential misconfiguration is an incorrect routing identifier; and detecting the potential misconfiguration includes: detecting an unknown home network public key.

[0029] 7. The method of any preceding embodiment, wherein: detecting a potential misconfiguration associated with the user equipment or the SIM is performed in response to an access request sent by the user equipment.

[0030] 8. The method of any preceding embodiment, wherein the authentication module directs the access request to the first functional module based on an incorrect routing identifier included in the access request.

[0031] 9. A method according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein: the authentication module redirects the access request to the second functional module based on the generated error code or information included in the generated error code; and the second functional module authenticates or registers the user equipment or SIM.

[0032] 10. A method according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the first functional module comprises a first authentication server function (AUSF) module, and the second module comprises a second AUSF module.

[0033] 11. A method according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the first functional module comprises at least one of a first AUSF module, a first unified data management (UDM) module, or a first unified data repository (UDR) module.

[0034] 12. A method according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the second functional module comprises at least one of a second AUSF module, a second unified data management (UDM) module, or a second unified data repository (UDR) module.

[0035] 13. A method according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the authentication module comprises an access and mobility management function (AMF) module.

[0036] 14. The method of any preceding embodiment, further comprising: determining that the user equipment is managed by another network segment within the associated home public land mobile network.

[0037] 15. A method according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein determining that the user equipment is managed by another network segment comprises: performing a check on a subscription permanent identifier associated with the user equipment and / or a home network public key identifier associated with the user equipment.

[0038] 16. The method of any preceding embodiment, wherein no private key matching the home network public key identifier exists in the network segment.

[0039] Group B Example

[0040] 1. A method for correcting a user equipment with a SIM card misconfiguration, the method comprising: receiving a request from the user equipment to connect to a core network via wireless transmission; selecting an authentication server for authentication of the user equipment based on a routing identifier provided by the user equipment, wherein the authentication server is part of a first network segment; receiving an error message from the authentication server, the error code indicating that the routing identifier is misconfigured; selecting a new authentication server for authentication of the user equipment based on the error message and / or information included in the error message; and sending an authentication request to the new authentication server for authentication of the user equipment, wherein the new authentication server is part of a second network segment.

[0041] 2. The method of embodiment 1, wherein the authentication request includes information included in the error message.

[0042] 3. The method of embodiment 2, wherein the authentication server generates an error message when the subscription permanent identifier is not resolved by the authentication server or is not found in a unified data repository associated with the authentication server.

[0043] 4. The method according to any one of the preceding embodiments further comprises: sending an initial authentication request to an authentication server.

[0044] 5. A method according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the initial authentication request comprises a Nausf_UEAuthentication_Authenticate request.

[0045] 6. The method of any preceding embodiment, wherein the authentication server sends a request to an associated unified data management (UDM) instance in response to an initial authentication request.

[0046] 7. The method according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the request to the associated UDM instance comprises a Nudm_UEAuthentication_Get request.

[0047] Group C Example

[0048] 1. A core network authentication system for authenticating a wireless user device to a core network, the core network authentication system comprising: a memory having instructions stored thereon; and a processing circuit, wherein the processing circuit executes the instructions to perform the following operations, including: detecting a potential misconfiguration associated with the user device or a subscriber identity module (SIM) associated with the user device; and generating an error code indicating a potential misconfiguration associated with the user device or a SIM associated with the user device.

[0049] 2. A core network authentication system, wherein the processing circuit is configured by instructions to perform other functions as described above with respect to Group A embodiments.

[0050] Group D Examples

[0051] 1. A core network authentication system for authenticating a wireless user device to a core network, the core network authentication system comprising: a memory having instructions stored thereon; and a processing circuit, wherein the processing circuit executes the instructions to perform the following operations, including: receiving a request from a user device to connect to a core network via wireless transmission; selecting an authentication server for authentication of the user device based on a routing identifier provided by the user device, wherein the authentication server is part of a first network segment; receiving an error message from the authentication server, wherein the error code indicates that the routing identifier is incorrectly configured; selecting a new authentication server for authentication of the user device based on the error message and / or information included in the error message; and sending an authentication request to the new authentication server for authentication of the user device, wherein the new authentication server is part of a second network segment.

[0052] 2. A core network authentication system, wherein the processing circuit is configured by instructions to perform other functions as described above with respect to Group B embodiments.

[0053] Group E Examples

[0054] 1. A non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processing circuit, cause the processing circuit to perform operations including: detecting a potential misconfiguration associated with a user device or a subscriber identity module (SIM) associated with the user device; and generating an error code indicative of a potential misconfiguration associated with the user device or a SIM associated with the user device.

[0055] 2. The computer-readable medium above, wherein execution of the instructions stored thereon causes the processing circuit to perform other functions as described above with respect to Group A embodiments.

[0056] Group F Example

[0057] 1. A non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which instructions, when executed by a processing circuit, cause the processing circuit to perform the following operations, including: receiving a request from a user device to connect to a core network via a wireless transmission; selecting an authentication server for authentication of the user device based on a routing identifier provided by the user device, wherein the authentication server is part of a first network segment; receiving an error message from the authentication server, the error code indicating that the routing identifier is incorrectly configured; selecting a new authentication server for authentication of the user device based on the error message and / or information included in the error message; and sending an authentication request to the new authentication server for authentication of the user device, wherein the new authentication server is part of a second network segment.

[0058] 2. The computer-readable medium above, wherein execution of the instructions stored thereon causes the processing circuit to perform other functions as described above with respect to Group B embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0059] This disclosure includes the following drawings:

[0060] Figure 1 Depicted the 5G system architecture.

[0061] Figure 2 Depicted is AUSF / UDM discovery and selection in an exemplary 5G system architecture.

[0062] Figure 3 Depicts the misconfigured routing ID.

[0063] Figure 4 Depicts the redirection of a misconfigured UE / USIMS to a correct AUSF / UDM / UDR segment.

[0064] Figure 5 Depicts the redirection of a misconfigured UE / USIM to a correct AUSF / UDM segment.

[0065] Figure 6 A mechanism for detecting a misconfigured UE is described.

[0066] Figure 7 A wireless network is depicted in accordance with some embodiments.

[0067] Figure 8 A user device according to some embodiments is depicted.

[0068] Fig. 9 A virtualized environment according to some embodiments is depicted.

[0069] Fig.10 A network connected to a host computer via an intermediate network is depicted in accordance with some embodiments.

[0070] Fig.11 A host computer is depicted communicating with a user device via a base station over a partially wireless connection in accordance with some embodiments.

[0071] Fig.12 A flow chart of a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user device is depicted according to some embodiments.

[0072] Fig.13 A flow chart of a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user device is depicted according to some embodiments.

[0073] Fig.14 A flow chart of a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user device is depicted according to some embodiments.

[0074] Fig.15 A flow chart of a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user device is depicted according to some embodiments.

[0075] These drawings will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description of the embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0076] The present disclosure provides one or more mechanisms for redirecting a UE / USIM with an incorrect Routing ID configuration to the correct AUSF / UDM / UDR set to which the UE belongs, so that they can be authenticated and registered in the core network and later updated with the correct Routing ID. Figure 4 An exemplary embodiment is shown in FIG.

[0077] Figure 4 Redirection of a misconfigured UE / USIM to a correct AUSF / UDM / UDR segment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is depicted. The mechanism for redirection / correction is based on detection at the UDM / SIDF of a possible UE / SIM misconfiguration. This may be based on an unknown SUPI or an unknown HN Public Key ID. The UDM may determine if the SUPI and / or HN Public Key ID is defined elsewhere within the HPLMN. Figure 4 As shown in step 2a of , this can be done, for example, by interacting with the NRF based on the SUPI and / or the HN public key ID. At step 2b, the UDM may reject the authentication request with a new error code, such as an "incorrect routing ID" error code. This may include additional information about the user (such as the SUPI), and / or information about the correct AUSF / UDM instance to be used (e.g. the correct routing ID). The AMF may make a new AUSF / UDM selection based on information or criteria provided over the air. For example, the AMF may make a new AUSF / UDM selection based on the SUPI and / or the new routing ID. At step 2c, the AMF may query the NRF as part of the selection or information collection. Thereafter, at step 3, the AMF may reach the correct AUSF / UDM / UDR segment for authenticating and / or registering the user (UE / USIM). Subsequently, the correct routing ID may be used to correctly configure the UE / USIM.

[0078] Various embodiments are presented herein that address one or more of the problems disclosed herein.

[0079] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages. A mechanism to redirect UE / USIMs with incorrect routing ID configurations to the correct AUSF / UDM / UDR segments allows these incorrectly configured UE / USIMs to be authenticated and registered in the 5GC in such a way that the correct routing ID can be updated later. The mechanism may leverage existing SBA services and only add additional information elements and error codes relevant to the execution of the use case.

[0080] If this mechanism is not provided here, these UEs may remain locked out of the system as they will be rejected within the 5GC and have to be updated with their correct Routing ID through some other offline means (such as change / update of USIM at the operator's premises) at additional cost to the operator.

[0081] Some embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, other embodiments are included within the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein, and the disclosed subject matter should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; instead, these embodiments are provided only as examples to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0082] Figure 5 Various solutions proposed by the present disclosure for redirecting a UE / USIM with an incorrect routing ID configuration to the correct AUSF / UDM / UDR segment are shown in more detail. On the 5GC side, the HPLMN can deploy segments of AUSF / UDM / UDR instances (e.g., segment #1 and segment #2), each segment managing a different group of users within the HPLMN. This means that the AUSF / UDM of a given segment will not be able to authenticate / register UEs belonging to different segments because the corresponding user profile cannot be found within the segment. The AUSF / UDM / UDR in different segments register with the NRF using their segment parameters (e.g., range of SUPI / GPSI, group ID and / or routing ID). Other NFs (such as AMF) can discover the available AUSF / UDM / UDR instances in each segment.

[0083] This can be done based on the NRF registration / discovery mechanism. In some embodiments, if different HN public / private keys for privacy features are also used in different AUSF / UDM / UDR segments, this can also be done using the HN public key ID as a segment parameter for AUSF / UDM / UDR registration and discovery.

[0084] On the UE side, the USIM is configured to use privacy features (i.e., HN public key scheme) and a routing ID that happens to be incorrect (e.g., routing ID #2 configured in the USIM corresponds to Segment #2 in the HPLMN when the user belongs to Segment #1). The operations for providing the disclosed mechanisms may be described as a series of operations or steps. Some embodiments of these operations may include additional or alternative operations before, after, before, or as part of the enumeration operations.

[0085] At step 1, the UE attempts to connect to the 5GC. For example, the UE of Figure QQB may attempt to connect to the 5GC via the AMF. At step 2, the AMF may select the AUSF in segment #2 of the PLMN based on the routing ID (i.e., routing ID #2) provided by the UE to trigger the primary authentication of the UE. At step 3, the AUSF may receive the request and send a corresponding request to the UDM instance. For example, the AUSF may receive a Nausf_UEAuthentication_Authenticate request and may send a Nudm_UEAuthentication_Get request to the UDM instance within its segment (segment #2).

[0086] At step 4, the UDM may receive the authentication request including the SUCI and then attempt to resolve the corresponding SUPI in its role as SIDF. To do this, the UDM may need the HN private key corresponding to the HN public key ID used for SUCI creation and included in the received SUCI. At this point, the UDM may (a) be unable to decrypt the SUCI because it does not have the corresponding HN private key, or (b) be unable to find the resulting SUPI in the UDR of its segment (segment #2).

[0087] At step 5, in this case, and before rejecting the authentication request with an "unknown user / HN public key ID" type error, the UDM checks whether the SUPI / HN public key ID provided by the UE is managed in any other AUSF / UDM / UDR segment within the HPLMN. In some embodiments, this can be done by the UDM, which can query the NRF for available AUSF / UDM / UDR instances for a given SUPI / HN public key ID. The UDM can treat a successful response from the NRF as a potential case of an incorrectly configured routing ID at the UE / USIM. It should be noted that a failed response from the NRF can be managed in the UDM as an "unknown user" or "HN public key ID" type error. Therefore, in some embodiments, based on the HN public key ID in other embodiments, the discovery request based on the AUSF / UDM / UDR can be based on the SUPI. Therefore, the present disclosure provides for the AUSF / UDM / UDR to register using this segment parameter in the NRF so that the AMF / UDM / UDR will be able to discover the available AUSF / UDM / UDR instances that manage the given HN public key ID.

[0088] At step 6, instead of rejecting the authentication request with an "Unknown User / HN Public Key ID" type error, the UDM may reject the Nudm_UEAuthentication_Get request with a new error code that may indicate an error condition to the AMF. For example, the UDM may issue an error code of "Wrong Routing ID". In addition, the UDM may include additional information that may be used to facilitate the AMF in selecting the AUSF in the correct AUSF / UDM / UDR segment. Such additional information may be, for example, the SUPI when the UDM is able to decrypt the SUCI, and / or the Routing ID managed by the AUSF / UDM / UDR segment to which the UE belongs as received from the NRF. The AUSF may also reject the Nausf_UEAuthentication_Authenticate request including the same error code (e.g., "Wrong Routing ID") and corresponding additional information.

[0089] At step 7, the AMF receives an authentication rejection with a new error type, message or indicator indicating an incorrect routing identifier used in association with the UE. This error may be referred to as an error type of "wrong routing ID". The AMF may then select a new AUSF instance to resend the authentication request (or send a new authentication request) based on the additional information included in the error response. In some embodiments, at step 7b, if information about available AUSF instances matching those parameters is not available at the AMF, the AMF may query the NRF using the received SUPI / Routing ID.

[0090] At step 8, the AMF resends the Nausf_UEAuthentication_Authenticate request to the new AUSF selected this time in the correct segment (segment #1) to which the UE belongs. The AUSF may send a corresponding Nudm_UEAuthentication_Get request to its UDM instance within segment #2. These Nausf / Nudm_UEAuthentication requests may provide additional indications to the UDM so that it may mark the UE subscription as pending for update with the correct or appropriate Routing ID. This may take the form of an explicit indicator, for example, an "Update Routing ID Indicator" and / or an erroneous Routing ID value provided by the UE.

[0091] At step 9, the rest of the UE authentication and registration procedures may be completed using the correct AUSF / UDM / UDR segments currently defined.

[0092] At step 10, while the UE is connected within the 5GC, the HPLMN may update the routing ID of the UE / USIM and, in some embodiments, the HN public key if necessary.

[0093] The same principle can be applied in the case where the UE / USIM is not configured with a Routing ID when it should be. In this case, the AMF will select any available AUSF / UDM instance in the HPLMN, and unless the selected AUSF / UDM instance happens to be in the correct segment, the selected AUSF / UDM instance will detect the error condition (still "incorrect or missing Routing ID") and route the UE to the correct AUSF / UDM segment using the same mechanism.

[0094] Some embodiments of the proposed solution provided in this disclosure utilize NRF as the primary mechanism to allow UDM and other NFs to register and discover services generally with the correct granularity including segment parameters. However, the principles of the solution can be applied in other embodiments by configuring the AUSF / UDM segment information available at the AMF and UDM without using NRF.

[0095] After the "wrong" UDM queries the NRF to find out if the SUPI / HN Public Key ID is managed by another UDM within the PLMN (as in step 5 above), the "wrong" UDM may include the following in a new error response: Provides information to the AMF about the AUSF / UDM instance that the AMF should use to redirect the authentication request so that the AMF can skip further queries to the NRF. Possible alternative mechanisms for the UDM to check (again as in step 5) whether the SUPI / HN Public Key ID provided by the UE is managed in any other AUSF / UDM segment within the HPLMN, such as Figure 6 as shown in .

[0096] Figure 6 An alternative mechanism for detecting a misconfigured UE is described. Figure 6 As shown in 5b above, the UDM may query a routing database (Routing DB) which may maintain a mapping of SUPI / HN public key IDs to routing IDs and / or AUSF / UDM group IDs. The routing database may be the same routing database that supports the NRF during the registration and / or discovery process using these parameters.

[0097] As shown in 5c above, access to the routing database may be via a UDR within the same segment, which will proxy the request to the routing database. As in 5d, the UDM may send a broadcast notification to other UDMs within the PLMN to obtain an ACK (and routing ID) from the UDM managing a given SUPI / HN public key ID.

[0098] According to the latest version of 3GPP TS 29.510 [3] (v15.1.0), a given AUSF / UDM instance can be registered with the NRF supporting 0 to N Routing Indicators (i.e., different UEs / USIMs configured with different Routing IDs can be served by the same AUSF / UDM instance). In such an embodiment, when the "wrong" UDM checks with the NRF whether the SUPI / HN public key ID provided by the UE is served by any other AUSF / UDM within the PLMN, as in 5d, the NRF can provide a positive response including that the corresponding AUSF / UDM instance also includes multiple Routing IDs supported by these instances. Based on this response, the UDM may know that the UE will be managed by different AUSF / UDM segments, but will not be able to inform the AMF the exact Routing ID that the UE should use. To address such situations, we recommend that if the "wrong" UDM performs a discovery request using the SUPI, the NRF includes the Routing ID assigned to the UE in the response. The NRF may determine the Routing ID for a given UE through local configuration in the NRF with a mapping of SUPI ranges to Routing IDs, the NRF supported by the routing database includes a mapping of SUPI ranges and / or individual SUPIs with corresponding Routing IDs, the AUSF / UDM explicitly registers the supported SUPI ranges with corresponding Routing IDs in the NRF. If provided by the AUSF / UDM during registration, the NRF will also be used to provide such information during the AUSF / UDM discovery process.

[0099] In addition, the process for triggering a routing identifier update can open an avenue for potential attacks as described below. An attacker wirelessly changes the routing identifier from a SUCI to a routing identifier other than the one sent by the UE. The network may notice the different routing identifier and trigger a routing identifier update process. This can cause unnecessary signaling load in the network, which may be made worse if the attacker wirelessly changes the routing identifier from a large number of SUCIs. As a result, some UEs, or in some instances all UEs, whose SUCIs were changed may be updated unnecessarily. This may wirelessly generate unnecessary signaling, unnecessary processing in the UE, and delays in service access. And after the update occurs, the attacker can repeat the attack again. This is possible because the root cause of the above protection is that the network cannot detect that the received routing identifier is a routing identifier sent by the UE.

[0100] One solution for the above problem is to have the network track the expected routing identifier from the UE and detect the above attack. For example, if the UE has SUPI_1 and Routing_Identifier_3, and if the network has not updated the UE, if the network receives SUPI_1 (after decryption) and Routing_Identifier_4, the network is able to detect the above attack. The network may include a mechanism to minimize the harm of this potential attack by, for example, for all UEs, or for a specific UE, or for a specific group of UEs, for a specific network function (CN or RAN) like AMF, having a limit on the number of times the routing identifier update process is triggered within a static time span or a dynamically determined time span.

[0101] In addition, another solution to the potential attacks described above is for the UE to integrity protect the routing identifier and for the network to verify the integrity protection of the received routing identifier. For example, when using the Elliptic Curve Integrated Encryption Scheme (ECIES), the UE may include at least the routing identifier, preferably in the SharedInfo2 or SharedInfo1 parameters. The network may then cryptographically verify that the received routing identifier was indeed sent by the UE, i.e., by means of a MAC tag or MAC key.

[0102] Although the subject matter described herein may be implemented in any suitable type of system using any suitable components, the embodiments disclosed herein are directed to wireless networks such as Figure 7 For simplicity, Figure 7 The wireless network of FIG. 1 depicts only network 706, network nodes 760 and 760b, and WDs 710, 710b, and 710c. In many aspects, Figure 7 The wireless network presents Figure 1 An alternative diagram of the network architecture shown in Figure 1 Additional details are provided about network 706. In practice, the wireless network may further include any additional elements suitable for supporting communications between wireless devices or between a wireless device and another communication device (such as a landline phone, a service provider, or any other network node or terminal device). Among the components shown, network node 760 and wireless device (WD) 710 are shown in additional detail. The wireless network may provide communication and other types of services to one or more wireless devices to facilitate wireless devices to access and / or use services provided by or via the wireless network.

[0103] A wireless network may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular and / or radio network or other similar type of system. In some embodiments, a wireless network may be configured to operate according to a specific standard or other type of predefined rules or procedures. Thus, specific embodiments of a wireless network may implement communication standards such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G standards; wireless local area network (WLAN) standards such as IEEE 802.11 standards; and / or any other suitable wireless communication standards such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, and / or ZigBee standards.

[0104] The network 706 may include one or more backhaul networks, core networks, IP networks, public switched telephone networks (PSTN), packet data networks, optical networks, wide area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), wireless local area networks (WLANs), wired networks, wireless networks, metropolitan area networks, and other networks that enable communications between devices.

[0105] The network node 760 and WD 710 include various components described in more detail below. These components work together to provide network node and / or wireless device functions, such as providing wireless connections in a wireless network. In different embodiments, the wireless network may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, base stations, controllers, wireless devices, relay stations and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals via a wired or wireless connection.

[0106] As used herein, a network node refers to a node that is capable of, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a wireless device and / or with other network nodes or devices in a wireless network to enable and / or provide wireless access to the wireless device and / or perform other functions (e.g., management) in the wireless network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), and NR NodeBs (gNBs)). Base stations can be classified based on the number of coverage areas provided by the base stations (or in other words, their transmit power levels), and then they can also be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. A base station can be a relay node or a relay donor node that controls a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station, such as a central digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU), sometimes also referred to as a remote radio head (RRH). Such a remote radio unit may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS). Other examples of network nodes include multi-standard radio (MSR) devices such as MSR BSs, network controllers such as radio network controllers (RNCs) or base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), transmission points, transmission nodes, multi-cell / multicast coordination entities (MCEs), core network nodes (e.g., MSCs, MMEs), O&M nodes, OSS nodes, SON nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., E-SMLCs), and / or MDTs. As another example, a network node may be a virtual network node as described in more detail below. However, more generally, a network node may represent any suitable device (or group of devices) that is capable of, configured, arranged, and / or operable to enable and / or provide a wireless device with access to a wireless network or to provide a wireless device with a certain service that has accessed the wireless network.

[0107] exist Figure 7 In the embodiment, the network node 760 includes a processing circuit 770, a device readable medium 780, an interface 790, an auxiliary device 784, a power supply 786, a power supply circuit 787, and an antenna 762. Figure 7The network node 760 shown in the example wireless network of can represent a device including the combination of hardware components shown, but other embodiments can include network nodes with different combinations of components. It should be understood that the network node includes any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions and methods disclosed herein. In addition, although the components of the network node 760 are depicted as a single box located within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in reality, the network node may include multiple different physical components that make up a single shown component (for example, the device readable medium 780 may include multiple separate hard drives and multiple RAM modules).

[0108] Similarly, the network node 760 can be composed of multiple physically separate components (e.g., NodeB components and RNC components, or BTS components and BSC components, etc.), which can each have its own corresponding components. In certain scenarios where the network node 760 includes multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more separate components can be shared between multiple network nodes. For example, a single RNC can control multiple NodeBs. In such scenarios, each unique NodeB and RNC pair can be regarded as a single separate network node in some cases. In some embodiments, the network node 760 can be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components can be copied (e.g., separate device-readable media 780 for different RATs), and some components can be reused (e.g., the same antenna 762 can be shared by RATs). The network node 760 can also include multiple groups of various exemplary components for different wireless technologies (such as, for example, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, or Bluetooth wireless technologies) integrated into the network node 760. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets and other components within network node 760 .

[0109] The processing circuit 770 is configured to perform any determination, calculation, or similar operation (e.g., certain acquisition operations) described herein as provided by the network node. Such operations performed by the processing circuit 770 may include processing information obtained by the processing circuit 770, for example, by converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or the converted information with information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or the converted information, and making a determination as a result of the processing.

[0110] The processing circuit 770 may include a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a central processing unit, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or encoded logic operable to provide the functionality of the network node 760 alone or in conjunction with other network node 760 components (such as device readable medium 780). For example, the processing circuit 770 may execute instructions stored in the device readable medium 780 or in a memory within the processing circuit 770. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features, functions, or benefits discussed herein. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 770 may include a system on a chip (SOC).

[0111] In some embodiments, processing circuitry 770 may include one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 772 and baseband processing circuitry 774. In some embodiments, radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 772 and baseband processing circuitry 774 may be on separate chips (or chipsets), boards, or units (such as a radio unit and a digital unit). In alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry 772 and baseband processing circuitry 774 may be on the same chip or chipset, board, or unit.

[0112] In some embodiments, some or all of the functions described herein as being provided by a network node, base station, eNB, or other such network device may be performed by a processing circuit 770 that executes instructions stored on a device-readable medium 780 or a memory within the processing circuit 770. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functions may be provided by the processing circuit 770 without the need to, for example, execute instructions stored in a hardwired manner on a separate or discrete device-readable medium. In any of those embodiments, the processing circuit 770 may be configured to perform the described functions, regardless of whether instructions stored on a device-readable storage medium are executed. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to individual processing circuits 770 or other components of the network node 760, but are enjoyed by the network node 760 as a whole and / or by end users and wireless networks in general.

[0113] The device-readable medium 780 may include any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including but not limited to persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drive, compact disk (CD), or digital video disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that can be used by the processing circuit 770. The device-readable medium 780 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including computer programs, software, applications including one or more of logic, rules, codes, tables, etc., and / or other instructions that can be executed by the processing circuit 770 and used by the network node 760. The device-readable medium 780 may be used to store any calculations performed by the processing circuit 770 and / or any data received via the interface 790. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 770 and the device-readable medium 780 may be considered integrated.

[0114] Interface 790 is used for wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between network node 760, network 706 and / or WD 710. As shown, interface 790 includes, for example, a port / terminal 794 for sending data to network 706 and receiving data from network 706 via a wired connection. Interface 790 also includes a radio front-end circuit 792, which can be coupled to antenna 762, or can be a part of antenna 762 in some embodiments. Radio front-end circuit 792 includes filter 798 and amplifier 796. Radio front-end circuit 792 can be connected to antenna 762 and processing circuit 770. Radio front-end circuit can be configured to adjust the signal communicated between antenna 762 and processing circuit 770. Radio front-end circuit 792 can receive digital data that will be sent to other network nodes or WD via wireless connection. Radio front-end circuit 792 can use a combination of filter 798 and / or amplifier 796 to convert digital data into a radio signal with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters. Radio signal can then be sent via antenna 762. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna 762 may collect radio signals, which may then be converted into digital data by radio front end circuitry 792. The digital data may be passed to processing circuitry 770. In other embodiments, the interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0115] In some alternative embodiments, the network node 760 may not include a separate radio front end circuit 792, and instead the processing circuit 770 may include the radio front end circuit and may be connected to the antenna 762 without the separate radio front end circuit 792. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuit 772 may be considered part of the interface 790. In other embodiments, the interface 790 may include one or more ports or terminals 794, the radio front end circuit 792, and the RF transceiver circuit 772 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the interface 790 may communicate with a baseband processing circuit 774 that is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0116] Antenna 762 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna 762 may be coupled to wireless interface 790 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly sending and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna 762 may include one or more omnidirectional, sector or flat panel antennas operable to send / receive radio signals between, for example, 2 GHz and 66 GHz. Omnidirectional antennas may be used to send / receive radio signals in any direction, sector antennas may be used to send / receive radio signals from a device within a specific area, and flat panel antennas may be line of sight antennas for sending / receiving radio signals in a relatively straight line. In some cases, the use of more than one antenna may be referred to as MIMO. In some embodiments, antenna 762 may be separated from network node 760 and may be connected to network node 760 via an interface or port.

[0117] Antenna 762, interface 790 and / or processing circuit 770 can be configured to perform any receiving operation and / or certain obtaining operation described as being performed by a network node herein. Any information, data and / or signal can be received from a wireless device, another network node and / or any other network device. Similarly, antenna 762, interface 790 and / or processing circuit 770 can be configured to perform any sending operation described as being performed by a network node herein. Any information, data and / or signal can be sent to a wireless device, another network node and / or any other network device.

[0118] The power circuit 787 may include or be coupled to a power management circuit and is configured to provide power for performing the functions described herein to the components of the network node 760. The power circuit 787 may receive power from the power supply 786. The power supply 786 and / or the power circuit 787 may be configured to provide power to the various components of the network node 760 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required by each respective component). The power supply 786 may be included in or outside the power circuit 787 and / or the network node 760. For example, the network node 760 may be connected to an external power source (e.g., an electrical socket) via an input circuit or interface (such as a cable), and the external power source thereby supplies power to the power circuit 787. As another example, the power supply 786 may include a power source in the form of a battery or a battery pack, which is connected to or integrated in the power circuit 787. If the external power supply fails, the battery can provide backup power. Other types of power supplies, such as photovoltaic devices, may also be used.

[0119] Alternative embodiments of network node 760 may include, in addition to Figure 7 , which may be responsible for providing certain aspects of the network node functionality, including any functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 760 may include a user interface device to allow information to be input into the network node 760 and to allow information to be output from the network node 760. This may allow a user to perform diagnostics, maintenance, repair, and other management functions of the network node 760.

[0120] As used herein, wireless device (WD) refers to a device capable of, configured, arranged and / or operable to wirelessly communicate with a network node and / or other wireless devices. Unless otherwise specified, the term WD can be used interchangeably with user equipment (UE) herein. Wireless communication may involve the use of electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves and / or other types of signals suitable for transmitting information through the air to send and / or receive wireless signals. In some embodiments, WD may be configured to send and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from a network, WD may be designed to send information to the network on a predetermined schedule. Examples of WD include, but are not limited to, smart phones, mobile phones, cellular phones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, game consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback devices, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablet computers, laptop computers, laptop computer built-in devices (LEEs), laptop computer installation devices (LMEs), smart devices, wireless client equipment (CPEs), vehicle-mounted wireless terminal devices, etc. WD can support device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), for example, by implementing the 3GPP standard for sidelink communication, and in this case can be referred to as a D2D communication device. As another specific example, in the Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, WD can represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurement and sends the results of the monitoring and / or measurement to another WD and / or network node. In this case, WD can be a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, which can be referred to as an MTC device in the 3GPP context. As a specific example, WD can be a UE that implements the 3GPP narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) standard. Specific examples of such machines or devices are sensors, metering devices such as power meters, industrial machinery, or household or personal appliances (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, etc.), personal wearable devices (e.g., watches, fitness trackers, etc.). In other scenarios, WD can represent a vehicle or other device that can monitor and / or report its operating status or other functions associated with its operation. As mentioned above, WD can represent the end point of wireless connection, in which case, the device can be referred to as a wireless terminal. In addition, as mentioned above, WD can be mobile, in which case, it can also be referred to as a mobile device or a mobile terminal.

[0121] As shown, wireless device 710 includes antenna 711, interface 714, processing circuit 720, device readable medium 730, user interface device 732, auxiliary device 734, power supply 736 and power supply circuit 737. WD 710 can include multiple groups of one or more of the components shown in different wireless technologies supported by WD 710 (such as, for example, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, WiMAX or Bluetooth wireless technology, to name a few). These wireless technologies can be integrated into chips or chipsets that are the same or different from other components in WD 710.

[0122] Antenna 711 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays, which are configured to send and / or receive wireless signals and are connected to interface 714. In some alternative embodiments, antenna 711 can be separated from WD 710 and can be connected to WD 710 through an interface or port. Antenna 711, interface 714 and / or processing circuit 720 can be configured to perform any receiving or sending operation described as being performed by WD. Any information, data and / or signal can be received from a network node and / or another WD. In some embodiments, radio front-end circuit and / or antenna 711 can be considered as an interface.

[0123] As shown, the interface 714 includes a radio front-end circuit 712 and an antenna 711. The radio front-end circuit 712 includes one or more filters 718 and an amplifier 716. The radio front-end circuit 712 is connected to the antenna 711 and the processing circuit 720, and is configured to adjust the signal communicated between the antenna 711 and the processing circuit 720. The radio front-end circuit 712 may be coupled to the antenna 711 or a portion of the antenna 711. In some embodiments, the WD 710 may not include a separate radio front-end circuit 712; instead, the processing circuit 720 may include a radio front-end circuit and may be connected to the antenna 711. Similarly, in some embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuit 722 may be considered as part of the interface 714. The radio front-end circuit 712 may receive digital data to be sent to other network nodes or WDs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuit 712 may convert the digital data into a radio signal with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 718 and / or amplifiers 716. The radio signal may then be sent via the antenna 711. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna 711 may collect radio signals, which may then be converted into digital data by radio front end circuit 712. The digital data may be passed to processing circuit 720. In other embodiments, the interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0124] Processing circuit 720 may include a combination of one or more of the following: a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a central processing unit, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or a combination of hardware, software, and / or encoded logic operable to provide WD 710 functionality, either alone or in conjunction with other WD 710 components (such as device readable medium 730). Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features or benefits discussed herein. For example, processing circuit 720 may execute instructions stored in device readable medium 730 or in a memory within processing circuit 720 to provide the functionality disclosed herein.

[0125] As shown, the processing circuit 720 includes one or more of the RF transceiver circuit 722, the baseband processing circuit 724, and the application processing circuit 726. In other embodiments, the processing circuit may include different components and / or different combinations of components. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 720 of the WD 710 may include a SOC. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuit 722, the baseband processing circuit 724, and the application processing circuit 726 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In an alternative embodiment, part or all of the baseband processing circuit 724 and the application processing circuit 726 may be combined into one chip or chipset, and the RF transceiver circuit 722 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In another alternative embodiment, part or all of the RF transceiver circuit 722 and the baseband processing circuit 724 may be on the same chip or chipset, and the application processing circuit 726 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In other alternative embodiments, part or all of the RF transceiver circuit 722, the baseband processing circuit 724, and the application processing circuit 726 may be combined in the same chip or chipset. In some embodiments, RF transceiver circuitry 722 may be part of interface 714. RF transceiver circuitry 722 may condition RF signals for processing circuitry 720.

[0126] In some embodiments, some or all of the functions described herein as being performed by the WD may be provided by a processing circuit 720 executing instructions stored on a device-readable medium 730, which may be a computer-readable storage medium in some embodiments. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functions may be provided by the processing circuit 720 without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of those specific embodiments, the processing circuit 720 may be configured to perform the described functions regardless of whether instructions stored on a device-readable storage medium are executed. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuit 720 or other components of the WD 710 alone, but are enjoyed by the WD 710 as a whole and / or generally by end users and wireless networks.

[0127] Processing circuit 720 may be configured to perform any determination, calculation, or similar operation described herein as being performed by WD (e.g., certain acquisition operations). Such operations as performed by processing circuit 720 may include processing information obtained by processing circuit 720, for example, by converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or the converted information with information stored by WD 710, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or the converted information and making determinations as a result of the processing.

[0128] The device-readable medium 730 is operable to store computer programs, software, applications including one or more of logic, rules, codes, tables, etc., and / or other instructions executable by the processing circuit 720. The device-readable medium 730 may include a computer memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM)), a mass storage medium (e.g., a hard disk), a removable storage medium (e.g., a compact disk (CD) or a digital video disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by the processing circuit 720. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 720 and the device-readable medium 730 may be considered integrated.

[0129] The user interface device 732 can provide a component that allows a human user to interact with the WD 710. This interaction can have a variety of forms, such as visual, auditory, tactile, etc. The user interface device 732 is operable to generate output to the user and allow the user to provide input to the WD 710. Depending on the type of user interface device 732 installed in the WD 710, the type of interaction can vary. For example, if the WD 710 is a smart phone, the interaction can be via a touch screen; if the WD 710 is a smart meter, the interaction can be performed by providing a screen for usage (e.g., the number of gallons used) or by providing a speaker for a sound alarm (e.g., if smoke is detected). The user interface device 732 may include an input interface, device and circuit and an output interface, device and circuit. The user interface device 732 is configured to allow information to be input to the WD 710, and is connected to the processing circuit 720 to allow the processing circuit 720 to process the input information. The user interface device 732 may include, for example, a microphone, proximity or other sensor, key / button, touch display, one or more cameras, USB port or other input circuit. The user interface device 732 is also configured to allow information to be output from the WD 710 and to allow the processing circuit 720 to output information from the WD 710. The user interface device 732 may include, for example, a speaker, a display, a vibration circuit, a USB port, a headphone jack, or other output circuits. Using one or more input and output interfaces, devices, and circuits of the user interface device 732, the WD 710 may communicate with an end user and / or a wireless network and allow them to benefit from the functionality described herein.

[0130] Auxiliary device 734 is operable to provide more specific functions that WD cannot normally perform. This may include specialized sensors for taking measurements for various purposes, interfaces for other communication types such as wired communications, etc. The inclusion and types of components of auxiliary device 734 may vary depending on the embodiment and / or scenario.

[0131] In some embodiments, the power source 736 may be in the form of a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources may also be used, such as an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet), a photovoltaic device, or a battery. The WD 710 may further include a power circuit 737 for transmitting power from the power source 736 to various parts of the WD 710 that require power from the power source 736 to perform any function described or indicated herein. In some embodiments, the power circuit 737 may include a power management circuit. The power circuit 737 may additionally or alternatively operate to receive power from an external power source; in this case, the WD 710 may be connected to an external power source (such as an electrical outlet) via an input circuit or interface (such as a power cable). In some embodiments, the power circuit 737 may also be operable to transfer power from an external power source to the power source 736. This may be used, for example, to charge the power source 736. The power circuit 737 may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification to the power from the power source 736 so that the power is suitable for the corresponding components of the WD 710 to which it is powered.

[0132] Figure 8 One embodiment of a UE according to the various aspects described herein is shown. As used herein, a user equipment or UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the associated device. Conversely, a UE may represent a device that is intended to be sold to or operated by a human user, but may not, or may not initially, be associated with a particular human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended to be sold to or operated by an end user, but may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart meter). UE 8200 may be any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including a NB-IoT UE, a Machine Type Communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE. As Figure 8 As shown in FIG. 8 , UE 800 is an example of a WD configured to communicate in accordance with one or more communication standards promulgated by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 3GPP's GSM, UMTS, LTE, and / or 5G standards. As previously mentioned, the terms WD and UE may be used interchangeably. Therefore, although Figure 8 It is UE, but the components discussed here are also applicable to WD and vice versa.

[0133] exist Figure 8In the embodiment, UE 800 includes a processing circuit 801, which is operably coupled to an input / output interface 805, a radio frequency (RF) interface 809, a network connection interface 811, a memory 815 including a random access memory (RAM) 817, a read-only memory (ROM) 819, a storage medium 821, etc., a communication subsystem 831, a power supply 813 and / or any other components or any combination thereof. The storage medium 821 includes an operating system 823, an application 825 and data 827. In other embodiments, the storage medium 821 may include other similar types of information. Some UEs may utilize Figure 8 All components shown in, or only a subset of the components. The level of integration between components may vary from one UE to another. In addition, some UEs may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0134] exist Figure 8 In the embodiment of the present invention, the processing circuit 801 can be configured to process computer instructions and data. The processing circuit 801 can be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute machine instructions stored as a machine-readable computer program in a memory, such as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., discrete logic, FPGA, ASIC, etc.); programmable logic and appropriate firmware; one or more stored programs, general-purpose processors (such as microprocessors or digital signal processors (DSPs)), and appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuit 801 may include two central processing units (CPUs). The data may be information in a form suitable for use by a computer.

[0135] In the depicted embodiment, the input / output interface 805 may be configured to provide a communication interface to an input device, an output device, or an input and output device. The UE 800 may be configured to use an output device via the input / output interface 805. The output device may use an interface port of the same type as the input device. For example, a USB port may be used to provide input to or output from the UE 800. The output device may be a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, a transmitter, a smart card, another output device, or any combination thereof. The UE 800 may be configured to use an input device via the input / output interface 805 to allow a user to capture information into the UE 800. The input device may include a touch-sensitive display or a presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a webcam, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a steering wheel, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smart card, etc. The presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. The sensor can be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, another similar sensor, or any combination thereof. For example, the input device can be an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a digital camera, a microphone, and an optical sensor.

[0136] exist Figure 8 In the embodiment of the present invention, the RF interface 809 can be configured to provide a communication interface to RF components such as transmitters, receivers, and antennas. The network connection interface 811 can be configured to provide a communication interface to the network 843a. The network 843a can include a wired and / or wireless network, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a telecommunications network, another similar network, or any combination thereof. For example, the network 843a can include a Wi-Fi network. The network connection interface 811 can be configured to include a receiver and a transmitter interface, which is used to communicate with one or more other devices through a communication network according to one or more communication protocols, such as Ethernet, TCP / IP, SONET, ATM, etc. The network connection interface 811 can implement receiver and transmitter functions suitable for communication network links (e.g., optical, electrical, etc.). The transmitter and receiver functions can share circuit components, software, or firmware, or can be implemented separately.

[0137] RAM 817 can be configured to interface with processing circuit 801 via bus 802 to provide storage or cache of data or computer instructions during the execution of software programs such as operating systems, applications, and device drivers. ROM 819 can be configured to provide computer instructions or data to processing circuit 801. For example, ROM 819 can be configured to store unchanged low-level system code or data stored in non-volatile memory for basic system functions (such as basic input and output (I / O), keystrokes received from a keyboard or boot). Storage medium 821 can be configured to include a memory such as RAM, ROM, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a disk, an optical disk, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a removable cassette, or a flash drive. In one example, storage medium 821 can be configured to include an operating system 823, an application 825 such as a web browser application, a widget or a gadget engine, or another application, and a data file 827. The storage medium 821 may store any of a variety of operating systems or operating system combinations for use by the UE 800 .

[0138] The storage medium 821 may be configured to include multiple physical drive units, such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), a floppy drive, a flash memory, a USB flash drive, an external hard drive, a thumb drive, a pen drive, a key drive, a high-density digital versatile disc (HD-DVD) optical drive, an internal hard drive, a Blu-ray disc drive, a holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical drive, an external mini dual in-line memory module (DIMM), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), an external micro DIMM SDRAM, a smart card memory (such as a subscriber identity module or a removable user identity (SIM / RUIM) module), other memories, or any combination thereof. The storage medium 821 may allow the UE 800 to access computer executable instructions, applications, etc. stored on a transient or non-transient storage medium to unload data or upload data. An article of manufacture such as utilizing a communication system may be tangibly embodied in the storage medium 821, which may include a device-readable medium.

[0139] exist Figure 8In the embodiment of the present invention, the processing circuit 801 can be configured to communicate with the network 843b using the communication subsystem 831. The network 843a and the network 843b can be the same one or more networks or different one or more networks. The communication subsystem 831 can be configured to include one or more transceivers for communicating with the network 843b. For example, the communication subsystem 831 can be configured to include one or more transceivers for communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device (such as another WD, UE or base station of a radio access network (RAN)) capable of wireless communication according to one or more communication protocols (such as IEEE802.11, CDMA, WCDMA, GSM, LTE, UTRAN, WiMax, etc.). Each transceiver can include a transmitter 833 and / or a receiver 835 to respectively implement a transmitter or receiver function (e.g., frequency allocation, etc.) suitable for a RAN link. In addition, the transmitter 833 and the receiver 835 of each transceiver can share circuit components, software or firmware, or can alternatively be implemented separately.

[0140] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication functions of the communication subsystem 831 may include data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication (such as using a global positioning system (GPS) to determine location), another similar communication function, or any combination thereof. For example, the communication subsystem 831 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, Bluetooth communication, and GPS communication. The network 843b may include a wired and / or wireless network, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a telecommunications network, another similar network, or any combination thereof. For example, the network 843b may be a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, and / or a near-field network. The power supply 813 may be configured to provide alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) to the components of the UE800.

[0141] The features, benefits and / or functions described herein may be implemented in one of the components of UE 800, or may be divided across multiple components of UE 800. In addition, the features, benefits and / or functions described herein may be implemented in any combination of hardware, software or firmware. In one example, the communication subsystem 831 may be configured to include any components described herein. In addition, the processing circuit 801 may be configured to communicate with any such components via the bus 802. In another example, any such component may be represented by a program instruction stored in a memory, which performs the corresponding functions described herein when executed by the processing circuit 801. In another example, the functions of any such component may be divided between the processing circuit 801 and the communication subsystem 831. In another example, the non-computationally intensive functions of any such component may be implemented in software or firmware, and the computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0142] Fig. 9 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a virtualized environment 900 in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In the present context, virtualization means creating a virtual version of an apparatus or device, which may include a virtualized hardware platform, storage devices, and networking resources. As used herein, virtualization may be applied to a node (e.g., a virtualized base station or a virtualized wireless access node) or a device (e.g., a UE, a wireless device, or any other type of communication device) or a component thereof, and relates to an implementation in which at least a portion of the functions are implemented as one or more virtual components (e.g., via one or more applications, components, functions, virtual machines, or containers executed on one or more physical processing nodes in one or more networks).

[0143] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be implemented as virtual components performed by one or more virtual machines implemented in one or more virtual environments 900 hosted by one or more hardware nodes 930. Furthermore, in embodiments where the virtual nodes are not wireless access nodes or do not require radio connectivity (e.g., core network nodes), the network nodes may be fully virtualized.

[0144] The functionality may be implemented by one or more applications 920 (alternatively referred to as software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) operable to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some embodiments disclosed herein. The applications 920 run in a virtualized environment 900 that provides hardware 930 including processing circuitry 960 and memory 990. The memory 990 contains instructions 995 executable by the processing circuitry 960, whereby the applications 920 are operable to provide one or more of the features, benefits, and / or functions disclosed herein.

[0145] The virtualization environment 900 includes a general or special network hardware device 930, which includes a set of one or more processors or processing circuits 960, which can be commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) processors, specialized application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any other type of processing circuit including digital or analog hardware components or special processors. Each hardware device may include a memory 990-1, which may be a non-permanent memory for temporarily storing instructions 995 or software executed by the processing circuit 960. Each hardware device may include one or more network interface controllers (NICs) 970, also known as network interface cards, which include physical network interfaces 980. Each hardware device may also include a non-transitory persistent machine-readable storage medium 990-2 in which software 995 and / or instructions executable by the processing circuit 960 are stored. The software 995 may include any type of software, including software for instantiating one or more virtualization layers 950 (also known as hypervisors), and software that allows it to perform the functions, features, and / or benefits described in conjunction with some of the embodiments described herein.

[0146] The virtual machine 940 includes virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 950 or hypervisor. Different embodiments of instances of the virtual device 920 may be implemented on one or more virtual machines 940 and may be implemented in different ways.

[0147] During operation, processing circuitry 960 executes software 995 to instantiate a hypervisor or virtualization layer 950, which may sometimes be referred to as a virtual machine monitor (VMM). Virtualization layer 950 may present to virtual machines 940 a virtual operating platform that appears to be networked hardware.

[0148] like Fig. 9 As shown in , hardware 930 can be an independent network node with common or specific components. Hardware 930 can include antenna 9225, and some functions can be implemented via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 930 can be part of a larger hardware cluster (e.g., such as in a data center or customer premise equipment (CPE)), in which many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration (MANO) 910, which, among other things, oversees the lifecycle management of application 920.

[0149] In some contexts, virtualization of hardware is referred to as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV can be used to consolidate many network equipment types into industry-standard high-volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage devices, which can be located in data centers and customer premises equipment.

[0150] In the context of NFV, a virtual machine 940 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs a program as if the program were executed on a physical, non-virtual machine. Each of the virtual machines 940 and the portion of the hardware 930 on which the virtual machine executes (whether hardware dedicated to the virtual machine and / or hardware shared by the virtual machine with other virtual machines 940) form a separate virtual network element (VNE).

[0151] Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function (VNF) is responsible for handling the network traffic running in one or more virtual machines 940 on top of the hardware networking architecture 930 and interacting with the network. Fig. 9 The specific network function corresponding to the application 920 in the example.

[0152] In some embodiments, one or more radio units 9200, each including one or more transmitters 9220 and one or more receivers 9210, may be coupled to one or more antennas 9225. The radio units 9200 may communicate directly with the hardware nodes 930 via one or more appropriate network interfaces, and may be used in conjunction with virtual components to provide radio capabilities to virtual nodes, such as radio access nodes or base stations.

[0153] In some embodiments, some signaling may be implemented using a control system 9230 , which may alternatively be used for communications between the hardware node 930 and the radio unit 9200 .

[0154] refer to Fig.10According to an embodiment, the communication system includes a telecommunication network 1010 such as a cellular network of the 3GPP type, which includes an access network 1011 such as a radio access network and a core network 1014. The access network 1011 includes a plurality of base stations 1012a, 1012b, 1012c, such as NBs, eNBs, gNBs or other types of wireless access points, each of which defines a corresponding coverage area 1013a, 1013b, 1013c. Each base station 1012a, 1012b, 1012c may be connected to the core network 1014 via a wired or wireless connection 1015. A first UE 1091 located in the coverage area 1013c is configured to be wirelessly connected to the corresponding base station 1012c or to be paged by the corresponding base station 1012c. A second UE 1092 in the coverage area 1013a may be wirelessly connected to the corresponding base station 1012a. Although multiple UEs 1091 , 1092 are shown in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to situations where only a UE is in the coverage area or a only UE is connected to the corresponding base station 1012 .

[0155] The telecommunications network 1010 itself is connected to a host computer 1030, which may be embodied in the hardware and / or software of a stand-alone server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, or as a processing resource in a server farm. The host computer 1030 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider, or may be operated by or on behalf of a service provider. The connections 1021 and 1022 between the telecommunications network 1010 and the host computer 1030 may extend directly from the core network 1014 to the host computer 1030, or may be made via an optional intermediate network 1020. The intermediate network 1020 may be one of the following, or a combination of more than one of the following: a public, private, or managed network; the intermediate network 1020, if any, may be a backbone network or the Internet; in particular, the intermediate network 1020 may include two or more sub-networks (not shown).

[0156] Fig.10The communication system of the present invention generally realizes the connectivity between the connected UE 1091, 1092 and the host computer 1030. The connectivity can be described as an over-the-air (OTT) connection 1050. The host computer 1030 and the connected UE 1091, 1092 are configured to transmit data and / or signaling via the OTT connection 1050 using the access network 1011, the core network 1014, any intermediate network 1020 and possible other infrastructure (not shown) as an intermediary. The OTT connection 1050 can be transparent in the sense that the participating communication devices through which the OTT connection 1050 passes do not know the routing of the uplink and downlink communications. For example, the base station 1012 may not or need not be informed of the past routing of the incoming downlink communication, which has data originating from the host computer 1030 to be forwarded (e.g., switched) to the connected UE 1091. Similarly, the base station 1012 does not need to know the future routing of the outgoing uplink communication originating from the UE 1091 toward the host computer 1030.

[0157] According to the embodiment, reference will now be made to Fig.11 Describe the example implementations of the UE, base station, and host computer discussed in the previous paragraphs. In the communication system 1100, the host computer 1110 includes hardware 1115 including a communication interface 1116, which is configured to establish and maintain a wired or wireless connection with the interface of different communication devices of the communication system 1100. The host computer 1110 further includes a processing circuit 1118, which may have storage and / or processing functions. In particular, the processing circuit 1118 may include one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or a combination of these suitable for executing instructions (not shown). The host computer 1110 further includes software 1111, which is stored in the host computer 1110 or can be accessed by the host computer 1110 and can be executed by the processing circuit 1118. The software 1111 includes a host application 1112. The host application 1112 is operable to provide services to a remote user, such as via a UE 1130 connected via an OTT connection 1150 terminated at the UE 1130 and the host computer 1110. In providing services to the remote user, the host application 1112 may provide user data sent using the OTT connection 1150.

[0158] The communication system 1100 further includes a base station 1120, which is arranged in the telecommunication system and includes hardware 1125 that enables it to communicate with the host computer 1110 and the UE 1130. The hardware 1125 may include a communication interface 1126 for establishing and maintaining a wired or wireless connection with the interface of different communication devices of the communication system 1100, and for communicating with the coverage area ( Fig.11 1100 in the UE 1130 (not shown) at least establishes and maintains a wireless interface 1127 for a wireless connection 1170. The communication interface 1126 may be configured to facilitate a connection 1160 to the host computer 1110. The connection 1160 may be direct or may be through a core network ( Fig.11 1120) and / or transmitted through one or more intermediate networks outside the telecommunications system. In the illustrated embodiment, the hardware 1125 of the base station 1120 further includes a processing circuit 1128, which may include one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or a combination of these suitable for executing instructions (not shown). The base station 1120 further has software 1121 stored internally or accessible via an external connection.

[0159] The communication system 1100 further includes the UE 1130 already mentioned. Its hardware 1135 may include a radio interface 1137, which is configured to establish and maintain a wireless connection 1170 with a base station serving the coverage area where the UE 1130 is currently located. The hardware 1135 of the UE 1130 further includes a processing circuit 1138, which may include one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or a combination of these suitable for executing instructions (not shown). The UE 1130 further includes software 1131 stored in the UE 1130 or accessible by the UE 1130 and executable by the processing circuit 1138. The software 1131 includes a client application 1132. The client application 1132 is operable to provide services to human or non-human users via the UE 1130 with the support of the host computer 1110. In the host computer 1110, the executing host application 1112 can communicate with the executing client application 1132 via the OTT connection 1150 terminated at the UE 1130 and the host computer 1110. When providing services to the user, the client application 1132 can receive request data from the host application 1112 and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 1150 can transmit both the request data and the user data. The client application 1132 can interact with the user to generate the user data it provides.

[0160] It should be noted that Fig.11The host computer 1110, base station 1120 and UE 1130 shown in FIG. 1 can be respectively connected to Fig.10 The host computer 1030, one of the base stations 1012a, 1012b, 1012c and one of the UEs 1091, 1092 are similar or identical. That is, the internal working principles of these entities can be as follows Fig.11 As shown in , and independently of this, the surrounding network topology can be Fig.10 topology.

[0161] exist Fig.11 11, an OTT connection 1150 has been abstractly drawn to illustrate communications between a host computer 1110 and a UE 1130 via a base station 1120, without explicit reference to any intermediate devices and the precise routing of messages via those devices. The network infrastructure may determine the routing, which may be configured to be hidden from the UE 1130 or from the service provider operating the host computer 1110, or from both. While the OTT connection 1150 is active, the network infrastructure may further make decisions to dynamically change the routing therethrough (e.g., based on load balancing considerations or reconfiguration of the network).

[0162] The wireless connection 1170 between the UE 1130 and the base station 1120 is in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. One or more of the various embodiments use the OTT connection 1150 to improve the performance of the OTT service provided to the UE 1130, wherein the wireless connection 1170 forms the final segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments can improve the operation of a device that attempts to communicate via a wireless network and has been incorrectly configured with an incorrect routing ID, and thereby provide benefits such as allowing such misconfiguration to be corrected without intervention on the part of the network operator.

[0163] For the purpose of monitoring the data rate, latency and other factors improved by one or more embodiments, a measurement process may be provided. There may further be an optional network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1150 between the host computer 1110 and the UE 1130 in response to changes in the measurement results. The measurement process and / or network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1150 may be implemented in the software 1111 and hardware 1115 of the host computer 1110 or in the software 1131 and hardware 1135 of the UE 1130 or both. In an embodiment, a sensor (not shown) may be deployed in or associated with a communication device through which the OTT connection 1150 passes; the sensor may participate in the measurement process by providing the value of the monitored quantity of the above example or providing the value of other physical quantities from which the software 1111, 1131 can calculate or estimate the monitored quantity. The reconfiguration of the OTT connection 1150 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routes, etc.; the reconfiguration does not have to affect the base station 1120, and the base station 1120 may be unknown or imperceptible. Such processes and functions are known and implemented in the art. In certain embodiments, the measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates the host computer 1110 to measure throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. The measurements may be accomplished by the software 1111 and 1131 using the OTT connection 1150 to cause messages to be sent, particularly empty messages or "fake" messages to be sent, while it monitors propagation time, errors, etc.

[0164] Fig.12 is a flow chart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE, which can be reference Fig.10 and Fig.11 In order to simplify the present disclosure, only the host computers, base stations and UEs described herein will be described. Fig.12 The reference numerals of are included in this section. In step 1210, the host computer provides user data. In a (possibly optional) sub-step 1211 of step 1210, the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In step 1220, the host computer initiates a transmission that carries the user data to the UE. In step 1230 (which may be optional), in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the base station transmits the user data carried in a transmission initiated by the host computer to the UE. In step 1240 (which may also be optional), the UE executes a client application associated with the host application executed by the host computer.

[0165] Fig.13 is a flow chart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE, which can be reference Fig.10 and Fig.11 In order to simplify the present disclosure, only the host computers, base stations and UEs described herein will be described. Fig.13 The reference numerals of are included in this section. In step 1310 of the method, the host computer provides user data. In an optional sub-step (not shown), the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In step 1320, the host computer initiates a transmission that carries the user data to the UE. According to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the transmission can be delivered via a base station. In step 1330 (which may be optional), the UE receives the user data carried in the transmission.

[0166] Fig.14 is a flow chart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE, which can be reference Fig.10 and Fig.11 In order to simplify the present disclosure, only the host computers, base stations and UEs described herein will be described. Fig.14 The reference numerals of are included in this section. In step 1410 (which may be optional), the UE receives input data provided by the host computer. Additionally or alternatively, in step 1420, the UE provides user data. In sub-step 1421 of step 1420 (which may be optional), the UE provides user data by executing a client application. In sub-step 1411 of step 1410 (which may be optional), the UE executes a client application, which provides user data in response to the received input data provided by the host computer. When providing user data, the executed client application may further consider user input received from the user. Regardless of the specific manner of providing user data, the UE will initiate the sending of user data to the host computer in sub-step 1430 (which may be optional). In step 1440 of the method, according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the host computer receives user data sent from the UE.

[0167] Fig.15 is a flow chart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE, which can be reference Fig.10 and Fig.11 In order to simplify the present disclosure, only the host computers, base stations and UEs described herein will be described. Fig.15The reference numerals of are included in this section. In step 1510 (which may be optional), the base station receives user data from the UE in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 1520 (which may be optional), the base station initiates transmission of the received user data to the host. In step 1530 (which may be optional), the host computer receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the base station.

[0168] abbreviation

[0169] At least some of the following abbreviations may be used in the present disclosure. If there is an inconsistency between abbreviations, the above usage shall take precedence. If listed multiple times below, the first listing shall take precedence over any subsequent listing.

[0170] 5GC 5G Core Network

[0171] NF Network Function

[0172] SBA Service-Based Architecture

[0173] CP Control Plane

[0174] SBI Service-Based Interface

[0175] NRF Network Repository Features

[0176] AMF Access and Mobility Management Function

[0177] AUSF authentication server function

[0178] UDM Unified Data Management

[0179] UDR Unified Data Repository

[0180] SUPI Subscription Persistent Identifier

[0181] SUCI Subscription Hidden Identifier

[0182] GPSI General Public Subscription Identifier

[0183] 1x RTT CDMA2000 1x Radio Transmission Technology

[0184] 3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project

[0185] 5G Fifth Generation

[0186] ABS Almost Blank Subframe

[0187] ARQ Automatic Repeat Request

[0188] AWGN Additive White Gaussian Noise

[0189] BCCH Broadcast Control Channel

[0190] BCH Broadcast Channel

[0191] CA Operator Aggregation

[0192] CC Carrier Component

[0193] CCCH SDU Common Control Channel SDU

[0194] CDMA Code Division Multiple Access

[0195] CGI Cell Global Identifier

[0196] CIR Channel Impulse Response

[0197] CP Cyclic Prefix

[0198] CPICH Common Pilot Channel

[0199] CPICH Ec / No CPICH received energy per chip divided by the power density in the band

[0200] CQI Channel Quality Information

[0201] C-RNTI Cell RNTI

[0202] CSI Channel State Information

[0203] DCCH Dedicated Control Channel

[0204] DL Downlink

[0205] DM Demodulation

[0206] DMRS Demodulation Reference Signal

[0207] DRX Discontinuous Reception

[0208] DTX Discontinuous Transmission

[0209] DTCH Dedicated Traffic Channel

[0210] DUT Device Under Test

[0211] E-CID Enhanced Cell ID (positioning method)

[0212] E-SMLC Evolved Service Mobile Location Center

[0213] ECGI Evolved CGI

[0214] eNB E-UTRANNode B

[0215] ePDCCH Enhanced Physical Downlink Control Channel

[0216] E-SMLC Evolved Service Mobile Location Center

[0217] E-UTRA Evolved UTRA

[0218] E-UTRAN Evolved UTRAN

[0219] FDD Frequency Division Duplex

[0220] FFS needs further study

[0221] GERAN GSM EDGE Radio Access Network

[0222] Base stations in gNB NR

[0223] GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System

[0224] GSM Global System for Mobile Communications

[0225] HARQ Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request

[0226] HO Switchover

[0227] HSPA High Speed ​​Packet Access

[0228] HRPD High Rate Packet Data

[0229] LOS Line of Sight

[0230] LPP LTE Positioning Protocol

[0231] LTE Long Term Evolution

[0232] MAC Media Access Control

[0233] MBMS Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service

[0234] MBSFN Multimedia Broadcast Single Frequency Network

[0235] MBSFN ABS MBSFN Almost Blank Subframe

[0236] MDT Minimized Drive Test

[0237] MIB Master Information Block

[0238] MME Mobility Management Entity

[0239] MSC Mobile Switching Center

[0240] NPDCCH Narrowband Physical Downlink Control Channel

[0241] NR New Radio

[0242] OCNG OFDMA Channel Noise Generator

[0243] OFDM Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing

[0244] OFDMA Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access

[0245] OSS Operation Support System

[0246] OTDOA Observed Time Difference of Arrival

[0247] O&M Operation and Maintenance

[0248] PBCH Physical Broadcast Channel

[0249] P-CCPCH Primary Common Control Physical Channel

[0250] PCell Primary Cell

[0251] PCFICH Physical Control Format Indicator Channel

[0252] PDCCH Physical Downlink Control Channel

[0253] PDP Profile Delay Distribution

[0254] PDSCH Physical Downlink Shared Channel

[0255] PGW Packet Gateway

[0256] PHICH Physical Hybrid ARQ Indicator Channel

[0257] PLMN Public Land Mobile Network

[0258] PMI Precoder Matrix Indicator

[0259] PRACH Physical Random Access Channel

[0260] PRS Positioning Reference Signal

[0261] PSS Primary Synchronization Signal

[0262] PUCCH Physical Uplink Control Channel

[0263] PUSCH Physical Uplink Shared Channel

[0264] RACH Random Access Channel

[0265] QAM Quadrature Amplitude Modulation

[0266] RAN Radio Access Network

[0267] RAT Radio Access Technology

[0268] RLM Radio Link Management

[0269] RNC Radio Network Controller

[0270] RNTI Radio Network Temporary Identifier

[0271] RRC Radio Resource Control

[0272] RRM Radio Resource Management

[0273] RS reference signal

[0274] RSCP Received signal code power

[0275] RSRP Reference Symbol Received Power or Reference Signal Received Power

[0276] RSRQ Reference Signal Received Quality or Reference Symbol Received Quality

[0277] RSSI Received Signal Strength Indicator

[0278] RSTD Reference Signal Time Difference

[0279] SCH Synchronization Channel

[0280] SCell Secondary Cell

[0281] SDU Service Data Unit

[0282] SFN System Frame Number

[0283] SGW Service Gateway

[0284] SI System Information

[0285] SIB System Information Block

[0286] SNR Signal to Noise Ratio

[0287] SON Self-Optimizing Network

[0288] SS Sync Signal

[0289] SSS Auxiliary Sync Signal

[0290] TDD Time Division Duplex

[0291] TDOA Time Difference of Arrival

[0292] TOA Time of Arrival

[0293] TSS Triple Synchronization Signal

[0294] TTI Transmission Time Interval

[0295] UE User Equipment

[0296] UL Uplink

[0297] UMTS Universal Mobile Telecommunications System

[0298] USIM Universal Subscriber Identity Module

[0299] UTDOA Uplink Time Difference of Arrival

[0300] UTRA Universal Terrestrial Radio Access

[0301] UTRAN Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network

[0302] WCDMA Wideband CDMA

[0303] WLAN Wide Area Network

Claims

1. A method for redirecting a user device having a routing misconfiguration, the method comprising: detecting, in response to an access request sent by the user equipment, a potential misconfiguration associated with the user equipment or a subscriber identity module SIM associated with the user equipment; as well as generating an error code indicating a potential misconfiguration associated with the user equipment or the SIM associated with the user equipment, wherein the error code further indicates that the potential misconfiguration is an incorrect routing identifier and includes additional subscriber information; wherein the authentication module directs the access request to a first functional module based on the incorrect routing identifier included in the access request, and the authentication module redirects the access request to a second functional module based on the generated error code or information included in the generated error code, wherein the second functional module authenticates or registers the user equipment or SIM; and Among them, the first functional module includes at least one of a first authentication server function AUSF module, a first unified data management UDM module and a first unified data repository UDR module, and the second functional module includes at least one of a second AUSF module, a second UDM module and a second UDR module. 2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising sending the error code to the authentication module.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The additional user information comprises a subscription identity associated with the user equipment or the SIM.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: Detecting the potential misconfiguration comprises detecting that a subscription identifier associated with the user equipment or the SIM is unknown or unrecognizable.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: Detecting the potential misconfiguration includes detecting an unknown home network public key.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The authentication module includes an access and mobility management function AMF module.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: It is determined that the user equipment is managed by another network segment within the associated home public land mobile network.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: Determining that the user equipment is managed by another network segment includes performing a check on a subscription permanent identifier associated with the user equipment and / or a home network public key identifier associated with the user equipment.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein: There is no private key in the network segment that matches the home network public key identifier.

10. A core network authentication system for authenticating a wireless user equipment to a core network, the core network authentication system comprising: a memory having instructions stored thereon; as well as A processing circuit, wherein the processing circuit executes the instructions to perform the method according to claim 1.

11. A non-transitory tangible computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processing circuit, cause the processing circuit to perform the method of claim 1.

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