Handling Radio Resource Control Rejection

Abstract

A method performed by a wireless device includes receiving a radio resource control reject (RRCReject) message, and determining whether to take action according to the RRCReject message based on a configuration of the wireless device. The method may also include receiving a configuration message including a configuration from a network node.

Description

Background Art

[0001] The 3GPP NR / NG-RAN architecture is described in, for example, TS 38.300 v.15.3.0 subclause 4.1 as follows:

[0002] NG-RAN nodes are either:

[0003] - the gNB, providing the NR user plane and control plane protocol termination towards the UE; or

[0004] - ng-eNB, providing E-UTRA user plane and control plane protocol termination towards the UE.

[0005] The gNB and ng-eNB are interconnected with each other via the Xn interface. The gNB and ng-eNB are also connected to the 5GC via the NG interface, more specifically to the AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) via the NG-C interface and to the UPF (User Plane Function) via the NG-U interface (see 3GPP TS 23.501 [3]).

[0006] NOTE: The F1 interface and architecture for functional split are defined in 3GPP TS 38.401 [4].

[0007] Figure 1 Diagram showing the NG-RAN architecture.

[0008] The access stratum (AS) is a functional grouping consisting of parts in the user equipment (UE) and in the infrastructure and protocols between these parts that are specific to the access technology (i.e., the way in which the specific physical medium between the user equipment and the infrastructure is used to carry information). The access stratum provides services related to the transmission of data over the radio interface and the management of the radio interface to the rest of the system.

[0009] The protocol in the AS for managing the radio interface between the UE and NG-RAN is the Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol (terminated in the gNB on the network side). The RRC protocol in NR / NG-RAN performs the functions listed in subclause 7 of TS 38.300. 3GPP TS 38.331 and 3GPP TS 36.331 define the RRC protocol for NR and E-UTRA, respectively.

[0010] The Non-Access Stratum (NAS) is a functional grouping consisting of parts in the User Equipment (UE) and in the infrastructure and protocols between these parts that are not specific to access technologies. As related to protocols, the Non-Access Stratum is a set of protocols in the 5G System (5GS). NAS is used to transport non-radio signaling between the User Equipment (UE) and the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) for NR / NG-RAN access.

[0011] The NAS control protocol (terminated in the AMF on the network side) performs the functions listed in 3GPP TS 23.501, such as: authentication, mobility management, security control, etc.

[0012] The RRC protocol disclosed in TS 38.331 v 15.4.0 subclause 4.2.2 defines Signalling Radio Bearers (SRBs) as follows:

[0013] "Signaling Radio Bearers" (SRBs) are defined as Radio Bearers (RBs) used only for the transmission of RRC and NAS messages. More specifically, the following SRBs are defined:

[0014] - SRB0 is used for RRC messages using CCCH logical channel;

[0015] - SRB1 is used for RRC messages (which may include accompanying NAS messages) and for NAS messages before SRB2 is established, all using the DCCH logical channel;

[0016] - SRB2 is used for NAS messages, all using the DCCH logical channel. SRB2 has a lower priority than SRB1 and can be configured by the network after security activation;

[0017] -SRB3 is used for specific RRC messages when the UE is in EN-DC, all using the DCCH logical channel.

[0018] In the downlink, the accompanying NAS messages are only used for bearer establishment / modification / release. In the uplink, the accompanying NAS messages are only used to deliver the initial NAS messages during connection establishment and connection recovery.

[0019] NOTE 1: NAS messages delivered via SRB2 are also included in RRC messages, however they do not include any RRC protocol control information.

[0020] Once security is activated, all RRC messages on SRB1, SRB2 and SRB3, including those containing NAS messages, are integrity protected and ciphered by PDCP. NAS applies integrity protection and ciphering to NAS messages independently.

[0021] Note: FFS, which SRBs are used for NE-DC, NR-NR DC.

[0022] Regarding the RRC Reject procedure in NR, the network can reject an incoming UE that attempts to resume or establish an RRC connection in a given target cell. This is typically used by the network as one of the existing load protection mechanisms (in addition to, for example, unified access control in NR) when the network is overloaded for a period of time and wants to reject the UE. Figure 2 Illustration of network rejection of RRC connection establishment. Figure 3 Illustration of network rejection of RRC connection recovery.

[0023] Upon receiving the RRCReject message, the UE starts a waiting timer (whose value is provided in the RRCReject message). If the upper layers request an attempt, the upper layers are also informed that a barring is applicable. Upon expiration of the waiting timer, the barring is mitigated and the UE may attempt to access the cell again (provided there are no other barring conditions implied by access control). The procedure is described in the RRC specification as follows:

[0024] 5.3.15 RRC Connection Rejection

[0025] 5.3.15.1 Initiation

[0026] When the UE attempts to establish or resume an RRC connection, the UE initiates this procedure upon receiving an RRCReject.

[0027] 5.3.15.2 UE receives RRCReject

[0028] The UE shall:

[0029] 1> If timer T300 is running, stop timer T300;

[0030] 1> If timer T319 is running, stop timer T319;

[0031] 1> If timer T302 is running, stop timer T302;

[0032] 1> Reset MAC and release the default MAC cell group configuration;

[0033] 1> If waitTime is configured in RRCReject:

[0034] 2>Then start timer T302, where the timer value is set to waitTime;

[0035] 1> If RRCReject is received in response to a request from an upper layer:

[0036] 2> then notify the upper layer: access prohibition applies to all access categories except category '0' and '2';

[0037] 1> If RRCReject is received in response to RRCSetupRequest:

[0038] 2> Notify the upper layer: Establishing the RRC connection failed, and the process ends;

[0039] 1> Otherwise, if RRCReject is received in response to RRCResumeRequest or RRCResumeRequest1:

[0040] 2> If the upper layer triggers recovery:

[0041] 3> Notify the upper layer; restore the RRC connection failed;

[0042] NOTE: FFS, in which case the upper layers are informed that a recovery failure occurred upon receiving an RRC reject.

[0043] 2> If recovery is triggered due to RNA update:

[0044] 3>Then set the variable pendingRnaUpdate to true;

[0045] 2> then discard the current K derived according to 5.3.13.3 gNB Key, K RRCenc Key, K RRCint Key, K UPint Key and K UPenc Key;

[0046] 2> SRB1 is suspended, and the process ends;

[0047] While timer T302 is running, the RRC_INACTIVE UE shall continue to monitor paging.

[0048] The message is described in the RRC specification as follows:

[0049] -RRCReject

[0050] The RRCReject message is used to reject RRC connection establishment or RRC connection recovery.

[0051] Signaling Radio Bearer: SRB0

[0052] RLC-SAP:TM

[0053] Logical channel: CCCH

[0054] Direction: Network to UE

[0055] RRCReject message

[0056]

[0057]

[0058]

[0059] As can be seen, the RRCReject message is transmitted over SRB0 and is therefore not integrity protected and not encrypted. The background of this solution in 3GPP is that RRC Reject will be used during overload and the target node should not bother to extract the context and start security in order to protect and / or encrypt the RRCReject message.

[0060] It may be noted that the rejection procedure shares some similarities in NR and LTE, but this disclosure only describes the procedure used in NR.

[0061] There are some challenges. For example, for existing methods where RRCReject is sent on SRB0 and is unprotected and unencrypted, a fake base station may be used. This generally refers to a device that masquerades as a real base station, and an attacker may use it to perform some improper behavior such as unauthorized surveillance, communication disruption, and / or unsolicited advertising. Other names for fake base stations include IMSI catchers, stingrays, rogue base stations, and cell site simulators.

[0062] More specifically, for the current mechanism, RRCReject is not security protected and can therefore be abused by fake base stations. A fake base station may send a self-constructed or previously captured RRCReject message to the UE, causing the UE to stop communicating. Since the message is not protected, the UE has no way to distinguish whether the message is sent by a real base station or a fake base station. In other words, a fake base station can broadcast a cell with some system information, and any incoming UE from RRC_IDLE, RRC_INACTIVE, or even in RRC_CONNECTED state via reconstruction may try to restore / set up a connection there and be rejected in some kind of denial of service attack.

[0063] This problem can be mitigated due to the presence of the waitTime timer described above. The waitTime (maximum value of 16 seconds) is included in the RRCReject message by design, which gives the UE a chance to try again (if necessary) and avoid lock-out. The assumption is that a real network will set the timer value to protect itself when it is still overloaded. Therefore, the attacker can only stop the UE from communicating for 16 seconds at a time.

[0064] However, with existing mechanisms, the attacker is able to send another RRCReject message and then keep doing so. This will keep the UE from communicating for as long as the attacker keeps sending RRCReject messages. Another technique to solve the above problem is to use a network policy that indicates to the UE whether to accept a specific RRC message before security activation. For example, in the case of 4G / LTE, clause 9.9.3.52 in TS 24.301 and clause 5.3.8.3 in TS 36.331 explain the use of such a network policy. In this technique, a protocol called the Non-Access Stratum (NAS) protocol gives the network policy to the UE at runtime. The UE uses the given policy and, if an RRC message is received before security activation, it will ignore the message if the policy says so.

[0065] The above techniques work in some cases, but are too restrictive and therefore may not be practical because network policies apply to the entire network. A network typically has many gNBs, and each gNB may have different versions and capabilities. Therefore, it is not possible to allow different policies for each gNB for a single network policy.

[0066] Coming up with a way to handle RRCReject messages safely while being flexible and practical is extremely challenging. Summary of the invention

[0067] Certain aspects of the present disclosure and its embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges.According to certain embodiments, methods and systems for identifying and preventing attacks by fake base stations during a rejection process are disclosed.

[0068] According to certain embodiments, a method performed by a wireless device includes receiving a radio resource control reject (RRCReject) message, and determining whether to act upon the RRCReject message based on a configuration of the wireless device.

[0069] According to certain embodiments, a wireless device includes a processing circuit configured to receive an RRCReject message and determine whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on a configuration of the wireless device.

[0070] According to certain embodiments, a method performed by a network node includes sending a configuration to a wireless device for the wireless device to determine whether to take action based on a radio resource control reject, RRCReject, message.

[0071] According to certain embodiments, a network node comprises a processing circuit configured to send a configuration to a wireless device for determining whether to take action based on a radio resource control reject, RRCReject, message.

[0072] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages. For example, certain embodiments may enable a UE to identify an attack by a fake base station during a rejection process. The UE or network may take countermeasures that make the attack less attractive, or, if an attack occurs, avoid: the UE being trapped under the coverage of a fake base station and potentially out of service.

[0073] Other advantages may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.Some embodiments may have none of the described advantages, some may have some or all of the described advantages. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0074] For a more complete understanding of the disclosed embodiments and their features and advantages, reference is now made to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0075] Figure 1 Diagram showing the NG-RAN architecture;

[0076] Figure 2 Figure 1 shows a network rejection of an RRC connection establishment;

[0077] Figure 3 Figure 1 shows a network rejection of an RRC connection recovery;

[0078] Figure 4 illustrates an example wireless network in accordance with certain embodiments;

[0079] Figure 5 illustrates an example network node according to certain embodiments;

[0080] Figure 6 illustrates an example wireless device in accordance with certain embodiments;

[0081] Figure 7 illustrates an example user device according to certain embodiments;

[0082] Figure 8 illustrates a virtualization environment in which functionality implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized according to certain embodiments;

[0083] Fig. 9 illustrates a telecommunications network connected to a host computer via an intermediate network in accordance with certain embodiments;

[0084] Fig.10 illustrates a generalized block diagram of a host computer communicating with a user device via a base station over a partially wireless connection in accordance with certain embodiments;

[0085] Fig.11 A method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment is illustrated;

[0086] Fig.12 Another method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment is illustrated;

[0087] Fig.13 Another method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment is illustrated;

[0088] Fig.14 Another method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment is illustrated;

[0089] Fig.15 illustrates an example method performed by a wireless device in accordance with certain embodiments;

[0090] Fig.16 illustrates an exemplary virtual computing device according to some embodiments;

[0091] Fig.17 illustrates an example method performed by a network node according to certain embodiments; and

[0092] Fig.18 Another exemplary virtual computing device is illustrated in accordance with certain embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0093] Some of the 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; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0094] Generally, all terms used in this article will be interpreted according to their common meaning in the relevant technical field, unless clearly given and / or implied different meanings from the context in which it is used. All references to one / an / the element, equipment, assembly, part, step, etc. will be interpreted as referring to at least one instance of the element, equipment, assembly, part, step, etc., unless otherwise clearly stated. The steps of any method disclosed herein do not necessarily have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless a step is clearly described as after or before another step, and / or implies that a step must be after or before another step. In any appropriate case, any feature of any embodiment disclosed herein can be applied to any other embodiment. Similarly, any advantage of any embodiment can be applied to any other embodiment, and vice versa. From the following description, other purposes, features and advantages of the attached embodiments will be apparent.

[0095] Although this disclosure uses 5G terminology, for example, gNB and NR RRC message or field names, it should be understood that the techniques disclosed herein are applicable to NR and E-UTRA, eNB, ng-eNB and gNB.

[0096] Disclosed herein are solutions that propose several new mechanisms to handle the problems discussed above. For example, according to certain embodiments, a method at a wireless device is disclosed for identifying and preventing attacks by fake base stations during a rejection process. Also disclosed is a wireless device, including appropriate hardware (e.g., processing circuitry) configured to perform the method. According to additional embodiments, a method at a base station is disclosed for taking actions to prevent attacks by fake base stations during a rejection process. Also disclosed is a base station / gNB, including appropriate hardware (e.g., processing circuitry) configured to perform the method. These and other embodiments that address one or more of the problems disclosed herein will be described in more detail below.

[0097] According to certain embodiments, an authenticated RRCReject message may be used. For example, in certain embodiments, the RRCReject message may contain a signature so that the UE can verify whether the signature belongs to the real network. If the signature verification fails, the UE may know that either the RRCReject message was not sent by the real network or an attacker has tampered with its content.

[0098] Depending on the specific embodiment, signature calculation and verification may use asymmetric cryptography or public key cryptography. In this cryptography, there are two types of security keys. One is called a public key, which is known to many parties and can be distributed. The other is called a private key, which is only known to the owner and is not distributed. One of the applications of asymmetric cryptography is the calculation and verification of signatures (also called digital signatures). The sender will use its private key to calculate the signature. The recipient will use the sender's public key to verify the signature. The beauty of this cryptography is that many recipients may have the sender's public key.

[0099] According to some embodiments, each gNB may have their own private key. And the UE will have the gNB's public key (pre-provisioned or provisioned at runtime). The gNB will calculate the signature of the RRCReject message and the UE will verify the signature. According to some embodiments, it is also possible that there is a single private key for the entire network and all gNBs have a copy of the private key. According to some embodiments, it is also possible that there is a single private key for the entire network and all gNBs use some central network function to obtain the signature of the RRCReject message to be sent to the UE.

[0100] Regardless of the setup used, in certain embodiments, the computation and verification of the signature may include one or more of the following inputs:

[0101] - Contents of the RRC message

[0102] - The type of RRC message (e.g. associated with the rejected procedure, which could be RRC Setup, RRC Recovery, RRC Re-establishment, etc.)

[0103] - Full timestamp

[0104] - Partial timestamps (e.g. using only "hour" would allow the clocks at the UE and gNB to drift within the hour range)

[0105] - Radio resource attributes (e.g., Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI), frame number, cell identifier, gNB identifier, UE identifier)

[0106] - Geographic information (e.g., latitude, longitude, altitude)

[0107] - A "runtime" value (e.g. a one-time number (a number used only once) chosen by the UE and / or the gNB)

[0108] The signature may also have replay protection, so that the UE may be able to detect if it is receiving the same message more than once. In addition, the signature may have wormhole protection, so that the UE may be able to detect if it is receiving a message that it should not have received (e.g., in a different location than expected).

[0109] The use of these public key mechanisms during RRC Reject may be a network configurable use when the UE has security activated. Thus, the UE may know that the RRCReject message should only be accepted if that has been configured. Otherwise, the RRCReject message should be ignored and the UE should perform cell selection to another cell which may be in another frequency and / or RAT.

[0110] According to certain embodiments, a dedicated RRCReject message may be used. For example, according to certain embodiments, the RRCReject message may be used only in SRB1. For example, in a certain type of deployment, it may be that the network may send the RRCReject message in SRB1, such as, for example, when the network supports and uses RRC_INACTIVE, or the network may run an access layer security mode command procedure before rejecting the UE. The non-public network defined in 3GPP TR 23.734 is an example of such a deployment. For example, the non-public network may be a network included in a factory.

[0111] Such a network may indicate to the UE that no RRCReject message in SRB0 is considered, but only the RRCReject message in SRB1 is considered. The network may send such an indication to the UE in any security-protected RRC / NAS message. The network may also provide such an indication to the UE in advance (for example, in a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) or a universal integrated circuit card (UICC)). In a variant thereof, RRCRelease with waitTimer sent on SRB1 may be used instead of RRCReject in response to RRCReestablishment, RRCSetup, RRCResume, etc. Typically, the handling of the RRC stack and RRC messages is static on the UE side. For example, there are software / hardware instructions or logic on how to parse and process RRC messages.

[0112] However, it is proposed herein that the RRC stack (in general) and the handling of RRC messages (in general) can be dynamically configured at the gNB and / or UE side. Without loss of generality, this disclosure focuses on the UE side and the RRCReject message; however, it is generally believed that the techniques and methods disclosed herein are also applicable to the network side.

[0113] According to some embodiments, the UE may not process the RRCReject message at all. Thus, once the UE determines the message type, the UE may simply ignore the RRCReject message. Alternatively, the UE may simply ignore the RRCReject message because it would otherwise ignore any unknown message type.

[0114] The advantage of this mechanism (compared to using network policy) is that the UE may not need to fully parse the RRCReject message before ignoring it. The UE may also not need to perform any further processing, such as determining whether security has been activated in general. The UE may also not need to check whether the RRCReject message specifically has any security protection.

[0115] There may be certain deployments where the network may not use RRCReject at all. It is only possible that network deployments such as non-public networks (e.g., in factories) may not require the use of RRCReject. Those networks that do not use RRCReject may indicate to the UE that no RRCReject message is to be considered, for example, a "no RRCReject in this network" flag in an access layer security mode command message or some other security-protected RRC / NAS message. The network may also provide such an indication to the UE in advance (e.g., in a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) or a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC)). It may also be standardized that all non-public networks or specific non-public networks or networks with specific identifiers do use the RRCReject message.

[0116] According to certain embodiments, the UE may identify a fake base station and report it to the real network. In a specific embodiment, the UE may record the reception of at least one RRCReject message on SRB0 and the associated information, and notify the network. For example, in a specific embodiment, if after the waiting timer expires, the UE successfully accesses the same cell, indicating that the cell is "not" from a fake base station, the UE may delete the recorded information. However, if the UE is subsequently rejected multiple times or a threshold number X times, the UE may record various information, including, for example: how many times the UE has detected a fake base station, the waiting time value provided, and / or information broadcast by the cell in which it has appeared (e.g., system information, cell identifier, other network identifier, tracking area code, etc.). Then, once the UE manages to reconnect / restore to the network, the UE may notify the network that there are logs for potential fake base stations. In a specific embodiment, the network may request these logs from the UE. Upon receiving the request, the UE may report the logs, which may enable the network to identify whether it is really a fake base station, or whether it is a network node that has been overloaded for a longer timer.

[0117] In certain embodiments, the threshold for the number of rejections until the UE starts these logs may be set by the network or fixed in the specification.

[0118] According to certain embodiments, the UE may avoid being locked in a cell from a pseudo base station. For example, in a particular embodiment, if the UE suspects that the cell is from a pseudo base station, the UE may consider the cell to be prohibited. At that time, the UE may select another cell, possibly in another frequency or RAT. This suspicion can be modeled as a rule, where this is triggered only after X attempts are rejected in the same cell and / or the same frequency and / or the same RAT. In a particular embodiment, the network may also record the prohibition event of the target cell after X attempts. This feature may also be a feature that can be configured to be enabled / disabled by the network. In a particular embodiment, the UE may be configured to accept or not accept the RRCReject message via SRB1 (ie, when it has activated security). If the UE receives such a message when it is configured not to accept the RRCReject message, the UE may perform cell selection and ignore the received RRCReject message.

[0119] In a specific embodiment, the activation / deactivation of the rule for the RRCReject message can be set with a validity area configured by the network, which can be a cell, a set of cells, a tracking area, a list of tracking area identifiers, etc. Within the area, the activation or deactivation can be valid. For example, assume that: the UE is configured by the network with security signaling (such as, for example, by reconfiguration on SRB1) to not accept RRCReject messages in the area, and the UE moves outside the area. Then, if while moving, the UE attempts to recover and is rejected, then that can be accepted.

[0120] In a specific embodiment, when performing cell selection after suspecting rejection by a fake base station, the UE can perform a tracking area update so that it attempts to connect to the real network immediately. That can be modeled by AS / NAS interaction, where the AS notifies the NAS of the failure, and the NAS triggers NAS recovery via a tracking area update. If the UE is rejected in an inactive state, the UE can transition to idle. Various embodiments have been described based on UEs and base stations operating in a wireless network. These devices and networks will now be described in more detail.

[0121] Figure 4 A wireless network is illustrated in accordance with some embodiments.

[0122] 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 4 For simplicity, Figure 4The wireless network of FIG. 1 depicts only network 106, network nodes 160 and 160b, and wireless devices 110, 110b, and 110c. 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 telephone, a service provider, or any other network node or end device. In the illustrated components, network node 160 and wireless device 110 are depicted with additional details. The wireless network may provide communication and other types of services to one or more wireless devices to facilitate wireless devices accessing and / or using services provided by or via the wireless network.

[0123] 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 particular standard or other type of predefined rules or procedures. Thus, a particular embodiment of a wireless network may implement a communication standard such as a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), a Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G standard; a wireless local area network (WLAN) standard such as an IEEE 802.11 standard; and / or any other suitable wireless communication standard such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, and / or ZigBee standards.

[0124] The network 106 may include one or more backhaul networks, core networks, IP networks, public switched telephone networks (PSTNs), 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 communication between devices.

[0125] The network node 160 and the wireless device 110 include various components described in more detail below. These components work together to provide network node and / or wireless device functionality, such as providing wireless connections in a wireless network. In various 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 data and / or signal communications, whether via wired or wireless connections.

[0126] Figure 5An example network node according to certain embodiments is illustrated. As used herein, a network node refers to: a device that is capable, 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 may be classified based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, in other words, their transmit power levels), and may then also be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. A base station may 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 centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU) (sometimes referred to as a remote radio head (RRH)). Such a remote radio unit may be integrated with an antenna as or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna-integrated radio device. Portions of distributed radio base stations may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS). Still other examples of network nodes include multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment (such as an MSR BS), a network controller (such as a radio network controller (RNC) or a base station controller (BSC)), a base transceiver station (BTS), a transmission point, a transmission node, a multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), a core network node (e.g., MSC, MME), an O&M node, an OSS node, a SON node, a positioning node (e.g., E-SMLC), and / or an MDT. 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 device group) that is capable of, configured to, arranged to, and / or operable to enable access of a wireless device to a wireless network and / or provide access to a wireless network to a wireless device or provide a certain service to a wireless device that has accessed a wireless network.

[0127] exist Figure 5 In the embodiment, the network node 160 includes a processing circuit 170, a device readable medium 180, an interface 190, an auxiliary device 184, a power supply 186, a power circuit 187, and an antenna 162. Figure 4The network node 160 illustrated in the example wireless network of can represent a device including the illustrated combination of hardware components, but other embodiments can include network nodes with different combinations of components. It is to 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. Moreover, although the components of the network node 160 are depicted as a single box located within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in reality, the network node can include multiple different physical components that make up the single illustrated component (for example, the device readable medium 180 can include multiple separate hard drives and multiple RAM modules).

[0128] Similarly, the network node 160 may be composed of multiple physically separated components (e.g., NodeB components and RNC components, or BTS components and BSC components, etc.), which may each have their own corresponding components. In some cases where the network node 160 includes multiple individual components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the individual components may be shared between several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In such a case, each unique NodeB and RNC pair may be considered a single individual network node in some instances. In some embodiments, the network node 160 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such an embodiment, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate device readable media 180 for different RATs), and some components may be reused (e.g., RATs may share the same antenna 162). The network node 160 may also include multiple sets of various illustrated components for different wireless technologies (such as, for example, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, or Bluetooth wireless technologies) integrated into the network node 160. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets and other components within the network node 160 .

[0129] The processing circuit 170 is configured to perform any determination, calculation, or similar operation (e.g., certain obtaining operations) described herein as being provided by the network node. These operations performed by the processing circuit 170 may include: processing information obtained by the processing circuit 170, 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 determinations as a result of the processing.

[0130] The processing circuit 170 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 combination of hardware, software, and / or encoded logic operable to provide network node 160 functionality alone or in conjunction with other network node 160 components (such as device readable medium 180). For example, the processing circuit 170 may execute instructions stored in a memory within the processing circuit 170 or in the device readable medium 180. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features, functions, or benefits discussed herein. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 170 may include a system on a chip (SOC).

[0131] In some embodiments, processing circuitry 170 may include one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 172 and baseband processing circuitry 174. In some embodiments, radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 172 and baseband processing circuitry 174 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 172 and baseband processing circuitry 174 may be on the same chip or chipset, board, or unit.

[0132] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as being provided by a network node, base station, eNB, or other such network device may be performed by a processing circuit 170 executing instructions stored on a memory or device-readable medium 180 within the processing circuit 170. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuit 170, such as in a hardwired manner, without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable medium. In any of those embodiments, the processing circuit 170 can be configured to perform the described functionality, whether or not executing instructions stored on a device-readable storage medium. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to just the processing circuit 170 or to other components of the network node 160, but are enjoyed by the network node 160 as a whole, and / or generally by end users and wireless networks.

[0133] Device-readable medium 180 may include any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including, but not limited to, permanent storage devices, 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 may be used by processing circuit 170. Device-readable medium 180 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 processing circuit 170 and utilized by network node 160. Device-readable medium 180 may be used to store any computations performed by processing circuit 170 and / or any data received via interface 190. In some embodiments, processing circuit 170 and device-readable medium 180 may be considered integrated.

[0134] The interface 190 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between the network node 160, the network 106 and / or the wireless device 110. As shown, the interface 190 includes (one or more) ports / (one or more) terminals 194 to send data to the network 106 and receive data from the network 106, for example, via a wired connection. The interface 190 also includes a radio front-end circuit 192, which can be coupled to the antenna 162, or in some embodiments as part of the antenna 162. The radio front-end circuit 192 includes a filter 198 and an amplifier 196. The radio front-end circuit 192 can be connected to the antenna 162 and the processing circuit 170. The radio front-end circuit can be configured to adjust the signal transmitted between the antenna 162 and the processing circuit 170. The radio front-end circuit 192 can receive digital data to be sent to other network nodes or wireless devices via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuit 192 can convert the digital data into a radio signal with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 198 and / or amplifiers 196. The radio signals may then be transmitted via antenna 162. Similarly, when data is received, antenna 162 may collect the radio signals, which are then converted into digital data by radio front end circuitry 192. The digital data may be passed to processing circuitry 170. In other embodiments, the interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0135] In some alternative embodiments, the network node 160 may not include a separate radio front end circuit 192, and instead, the processing circuit 170 may include the radio front end circuit and may be connected to the antenna 162 without the separate radio front end circuit 192. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuit 172 may be considered part of the interface 190. In still other embodiments, the interface 190 may include one or more ports or terminals 194, the radio front end circuit 192, and the RF transceiver circuit 172 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the interface 190 may communicate with the baseband processing circuit 174, which is part of the digital unit (not shown).

[0136] Antenna 162 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna 162 may be coupled to radio front-end circuit 190 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna 162 may include one or more omnidirectional, sector or flat panel antennas operable to transmit / receive, for example, radio signals between 2 GHz and 66 GHz. Omnidirectional antennas may be used to transmit / receive radio signals in any direction, sector antennas may be used to transmit / receive radio signals from devices within a specific area, and flat panel antennas may be line of sight antennas for transmitting / receiving radio signals in a relatively straight line. In some instances, the use of more than one antenna may be referred to as MIMO. In some embodiments, antenna 162 may be separate from network node 160 and may be connected to network node 160 via an interface or port.

[0137] Antenna 162, interface 190 and / or processing circuit 170 can be configured to perform any receiving operation and / or certain obtaining operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data and / or signal can be received from a wireless device, another network node and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, antenna 162, interface 190 and / or processing circuit 170 can be configured to perform any transmitting operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data and / or signal can be transmitted to a wireless device, another network node and / or any other network equipment.

[0138] The power circuit 187 may include or be coupled to a power management circuit and is configured to supply power to the components of the network node 160 for performing the functionality described herein. The power circuit 187 may receive power from the power supply 186. The power supply 186 and / or the power circuit 187 may be configured to provide power to the respective components in a form suitable for the various components of the network node 160 (e.g., at a voltage and current level required for each respective component). The power supply 186 may be included in the power circuit 187 and / or the network node 160, or outside the power circuit 187 and / or the network node 160. For example, the network node 160 may be connected to an external power source (e.g., an electrical socket) via an input circuit or interface (such as a cable), whereby the external power source supplies power to the power circuit 187. As another example, the power supply 186 may include a power source in the form of a battery or a battery pack, which is connected to the power circuit 187 or integrated in the power circuit 187. If the external power source fails, the battery may provide backup power. Other types of power sources, such as photovoltaic devices, may also be used.

[0139] Alternative embodiments of network node 160 may include, in addition to Figure 5 , which may be responsible for providing certain aspects of the functionality of the network node, including any of the functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 160 may include a user interface device to allow information to be input into the network node 160 and to allow information to be output from the network node 160. This may allow a user to perform diagnostics, maintenance, repair, and other management functions on the network node 160.

[0140] Figure 6An example wireless device according to certain embodiments is illustrated. As used herein, a wireless device refers to a device that is capable of, configured to, arranged to, and / or operable to wirelessly communicate with a network node and / or other wireless devices. Unless otherwise indicated, the term wireless device may 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 conveying information through the air to transmit and / or receive wireless signals. In some embodiments, the wireless device may be configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, the wireless device may be designed to transmit information to the network on a predetermined schedule when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from the network. Examples of wireless devices 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, tablets, laptop computers, laptop embedded equipment (LEE), laptop mounted equipment (LME), smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), vehicle-mounted wireless terminal devices, etc. The wireless device may support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example, by implementing 3GPP standards for sidelink communication, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and in this case may be referred to as a D2D communication device. As yet another specific example, in the context of the Internet of Things (IoT), a wireless device may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurement and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurement to another wireless device and / or a network node. In this case, the wireless device may be a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, which may be referred to as an MTC device in the 3GPP context. As a specific example, the wireless device may 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 equipment (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, etc.), personal wearable devices (e.g., watches, fitness trackers, etc.). In other cases, the wireless device may represent a vehicle or other device that is capable of monitoring and / or reporting its operating status or other functions associated with its operation. The wireless device as described above may represent an endpoint of a wireless connection, in which case the device may be referred to as a wireless terminal. Furthermore, the wireless device as described above may be mobile, in which case it may also be referred to as a mobile device or a mobile terminal.

[0141] As shown, the wireless device 110 includes an antenna 111, an interface 114, a processing circuit 120, a device-readable medium 130, a user interface device 132, an auxiliary device 134, a power supply 136, and a power circuit 137. The wireless device 110 may include multiple sets of one or more of the illustrated components for different wireless technologies supported by the wireless device 110, such as, for example, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, WiMax, or Bluetooth wireless technologies, to name just a few. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets as other components within the wireless device 110.

[0142] Antenna 111 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to send and / or receive wireless signals, and is connected to interface 114. In some alternative embodiments, antenna 111 may be separate from wireless device 110 and may be connected to wireless device 110 via an interface or port. Antenna 111, interface 114 and / or processing circuit 120 may be configured to perform any receiving or transmitting operation described herein as being performed by a wireless device. Any information, data and / or signal may be received from a network node and / or another wireless device. In some embodiments, radio front end circuitry and / or antenna 111 may be considered an interface.

[0143] As shown, the interface 114 includes a radio front-end circuit 112 and an antenna 111. The radio front-end circuit 112 includes one or more filters 118 and an amplifier 116. The radio front-end circuit 114 is connected to the antenna 111 and the processing circuit 120, and is configured to adjust the signal transmitted between the antenna 111 and the processing circuit 120. The radio front-end circuit 112 may be coupled to the antenna 111, or as part of the antenna 111. In some embodiments, the wireless device 110 may not include a separate radio front-end circuit 112; more precisely, the processing circuit 120 may include a radio front-end circuit and may be connected to the antenna 111. Similarly, in some embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuit 122 may be considered as part of the interface 114. The radio front-end circuit 112 may receive digital data to be sent to other network nodes or wireless devices via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuit 112 may convert the digital data into a radio signal with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 118 and / or amplifiers 116. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 111. Similarly, when data is received, antenna 111 may collect radio signals, which are then converted into digital data by radio front end circuit 112. The digital data may be passed to processing circuit 120. In other embodiments, the interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0144] The processing circuit 120 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 wireless device 110 functionality, either alone or in conjunction with other wireless device 110 components, such as device readable medium 130. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features or benefits discussed herein. For example, the processing circuit 120 may execute instructions stored in a memory within the processing circuit 120 or in the device readable medium 130 to provide the functionality disclosed herein.

[0145] As shown, the processing circuit 120 includes one or more of the RF transceiver circuit 122, the baseband processing circuit 124, and the application processing circuit 126. In other embodiments, the processing circuit may include different components and / or different combinations of components. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 120 of the wireless device 110 may include a SOC. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuit 122, the baseband processing circuit 124, and the application processing circuit 126 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In an alternative embodiment, part or all of the baseband processing circuit 124 and the application processing circuit 126 may be combined into one chip or chipset, and the RF transceiver circuit 122 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In some alternative embodiments, part or all of the RF transceiver circuit 122 and the baseband processing circuit 124 may be on the same chip or chipset, and the application processing circuit 126 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In some further alternative embodiments, part or all of the RF transceiver circuit 122, the baseband processing circuit 124, and the application processing circuit 126 may be combined in the same chip or chipset. In some embodiments, RF transceiver circuitry 122 may be part of interface 114 . RF transceiver circuitry 122 may condition RF signals for processing circuitry 120 .

[0146] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as being performed by the wireless device may be provided by processing circuitry 120 executing instructions stored on a device-readable medium 130, which in some embodiments may be a computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by processing circuitry 120, such as in a hardwired manner, without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium. In any of those particular embodiments, processing circuitry 120 can be configured to perform the described functionality regardless of whether instructions stored on a device-readable storage medium are executed. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to just processing circuitry 120 or to other components of wireless device 110, but are enjoyed by wireless device 110 as a whole, and / or generally by end users and wireless networks.

[0147] The processing circuit 120 may be configured to perform any determination, calculation, or similar operation (e.g., certain obtaining operations) described herein as being performed by the wireless device. Such operations as performed by the processing circuit 120 may include: processing information obtained by the processing circuit 120, such as by converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or the converted information with information stored by the wireless device 110, 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.

[0148] The device-readable medium 130 may be operable to store a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, etc., and / or other instructions executable by the processing circuit 120. The device-readable medium 130 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 120. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 120 and the device-readable medium 130 may be considered to be integrated.

[0149] The user interface device 132 may provide a component that allows a human user to interact with the wireless device 110. Such interaction may be in a variety of forms, such as visual, auditory, tactile, etc. The user interface device 132 may be operable to generate output to the user and allow the user to provide input to the wireless device 110. The type of interaction may vary depending on the type of user interface device 132 installed in the wireless device 110. For example, if the wireless device 110 is a smart phone, the interaction may be via a touch screen; if the wireless device 110 is a smart meter, the interaction may be through a screen that provides usage (e.g., the number of gallons used) or a speaker that provides an audible alarm (e.g., if smoke is detected). The user interface device 132 may include input interfaces, devices and circuits and output interfaces, devices and circuits. The user interface device 132 is configured to allow information to be input into the wireless device 110 and is connected to the processing circuit 120 to allow the processing circuit 120 to process the input information. The user interface device 132 may include, for example, a microphone, a proximity sensor or other sensor, a key / button, a touch display, one or more cameras, a USB port or other input circuits. The user interface device 132 is also configured to allow information to be output from the wireless device 110 and to allow the processing circuit 120 to output information from the wireless device 110. The user interface device 132 may include, for example, a speaker, a display, a vibration circuit, a USB port, a headphone interface, or other output circuits. Using one or more input and output interfaces, devices, and circuits of the user interface device 132, the wireless device 110 can communicate with an end user and / or a wireless network and allow them to benefit from the functionality described herein.

[0150] The auxiliary device 134 is operable to provide more specific functionality that may not normally be performed by a wireless device. This may include specialized sensors for taking measurements for various purposes, interfaces for additional types of communications such as wired communications, etc. The inclusion and types of components of the auxiliary device 134 may vary depending on the embodiment and / or situation.

[0151] In some embodiments, the power source 136 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 power cell. The wireless device 110 may further include a power circuit 137 for delivering power from the power source 136 to various parts of the wireless device 110, which require power from the power source 136 to perform any functionality described or indicated herein. In some embodiments, the power circuit 137 may include a power management circuit. The power circuit 137 may additionally or alternatively be operable to receive power from an external power source; in this case, the wireless device 110 may be connectable 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 137 may also be operable to deliver power from an external power source to the power source 136. For example, this may be used for charging the power source 136. The power circuit 137 may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification of the power from the power source 136 to make the power suitable for the respective components of the wireless device 110 to which the power is supplied.

[0152] Figure 7 Figure 7 An embodiment of a UE in accordance with various aspects described herein is illustrated. 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. Rather, a UE may represent a device that is intended to be sold to or operated by a human user, but that 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 that may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart meter). UE 200 may be any UE identified by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including a NB-IoT UE, a Machine Type Communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE. As Figure 7 The UE 200 illustrated in FIG. 1 is an example of a wireless device configured to communicate according to 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 wireless device and UE may be used interchangeably. Thus, although Figure 7 Although it is a UE, the components discussed herein are also applicable to a wireless device, and vice versa.

[0153] exist Figure 7In the embodiment, UE 200 includes processing circuit 201, which is operably coupled to input / output interface 205, radio frequency (RF) interface 209, network connection interface 211, memory 215 including random access memory (RAM) 217, read-only memory (ROM) 219 and storage medium 221 or the like, communication subsystem 231, power supply 233 and / or any other components or any combination thereof. Storage medium 221 includes operating system 223, application 225 and data 227. In other embodiments, storage medium 221 may include other similar types of information. Some UEs may utilize Figure 7 All components shown in the UE may be used, or only a subset of the components may be used. The degree of integration between components may vary from one UE to another. In addition, some UEs may contain multiple instances of components, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0154] exist Figure 7 In the embodiment of the present invention, the processing circuit 201 can be configured to process computer instructions and data. The processing circuit 201 can be configured to implement: any sequential state machine operable to execute machine instructions stored in a memory as a machine-readable computer program, such as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, FPGA, ASIC, etc.); programmable logic, together with appropriate firmware; one or more stored programs, general-purpose processors (such as microprocessors or digital signal processors (DSPs)), together with appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuit 201 may include two central processing units (CPUs). The data may be information in a form suitable for use by a computer.

[0155] In the depicted embodiment, the input / output interface 205 may be configured to provide a communication interface to an input device, an output device, or an input and output device. The UE 200 may be configured to use an output device via the input / output interface 205. 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 the UE 200 and output from the UE 200. 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 200 may be configured to use an input device via the input / output interface 205 to allow a user to capture information into the UE 200. 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 directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smart card, and the like. The presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from the user. The sensor may be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, a light sensor, a proximity sensor, another similar sensor, or any combination thereof. For example, the input device may be an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a digital camera, a microphone, and a light sensor.

[0156] exist Figure 7 In the embodiment of the present invention, the RF interface 209 can be configured to provide a communication interface to RF components (such as transmitters, receivers, and antennas). The network connection interface 211 can be configured to provide a communication interface to the network 243a. The network 243a 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 243a can include a Wi-Fi network. The network connection interface 211 can be configured to include: a receiver and a transmitter interface for communicating with one or more other devices through a communication network according to one or more communication protocols (such as Ethernet, TCP / IP, SONET, ATM, or the like). The network connection interface 211 can implement receiver and transmitter functionality suitable for communication network links (e.g., optical, electrical, and the like). The transmitter and receiver functions can share circuit components, software, or firmware, or alternatively can be implemented separately.

[0157] RAM 217 may be configured to interface with processing circuit 201 via bus 202 to provide storage or caching of data or computer instructions during execution of software programs such as operating systems, applications, and device drivers. ROM 219 may be configured to provide computer instructions or data to processing circuit 201. For example, ROM 219 may be configured to store unchanged low-level system code or data of basic system functions (such as basic input and output (I / O), booting, or receiving keystrokes from a keyboard) stored in non-volatile memory. Storage medium 221 may be configured to include memory such as RAM, ROM, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disk, optical disk, floppy disk, hard disk, removable cassette, or flash drive. In one example, storage medium 221 may be configured to include operating system 223, application 225 (such as a web browser application, a widget or gadget engine, or another application), and data file 227. The storage medium 221 may store a combination of operating systems or any one of a variety of operating systems for use by the UE 200 .

[0158] The storage medium 221 may be configured to include many physical drive units, such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), a floppy disk 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 disk (HD-DVD) optical drive, an internal hard drive, a Blu-ray optical 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 memory or any combination thereof. The storage medium 221 may allow the UE 200 to access computer executable instructions, applications, or the like stored on a temporary or non-temporary storage medium to unload data or upload data. An article (such as an article utilizing a communication system) may be tangibly embodied in the storage medium 221, which may include a device-readable medium.

[0159] exist Figure 7In the embodiment, the processing circuit 201 can be configured to communicate with the network 243b using the communication subsystem 231. The network 243a and the network 243b can be the same one or more networks or different one or more networks. The communication subsystem 231 can be configured to include one or more transceivers for communicating with the network 243b. For example, the communication subsystem 231 can be configured to include: one or more transceivers for communicating with another device capable of wireless communication (such as another wireless device, UE or base station of a radio access network (RAN)) according to one or more communication protocols (such as IEEE 802.11, CDMA, WCDMA, GSM, LTE, UTRAN, WiMax or the like). One or more remote transceivers communicate. Each transceiver can include a transmitter 233 and / or a receiver 235 to respectively implement the transmitter or receiver functionality (e.g., frequency allocation and the like) applicable to the RAN link. In addition, the transmitter 233 and the receiver 235 of each transceiver can share circuit components, software or firmware, or alternatively can be implemented separately.

[0160] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication functions of the communication subsystem 231 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 the location, another similar communication function, or any combination thereof. For example, the communication subsystem 231 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, Bluetooth communication, and GPS communication. The network 243b 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 243b may be a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, and / or a near-field network. The power supply 213 may be configured to provide alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) power to the components of the UE 200.

[0161] The features, benefits and / or functions described herein may be implemented in one of the components of UE 200, or may be divided across multiple components of UE 200. In addition, the features, benefits and / or functions described herein may be implemented with any combination of hardware, software or firmware. In one example, the communication subsystem 231 may be configured to include any of the components described herein. In addition, the processing circuit 201 may be configured to communicate with any of such components via the bus 202. In another example, any of such components may be represented by program instructions stored in a memory, which perform the corresponding functions described herein when executed by the processing circuit 201. In another example, the functionality of any of such components may be divided between the processing circuit 201 and the communication subsystem 231. In another example, the non-computationally intensive functions of any of such components may be implemented with software or firmware, and the computationally intensive functions may be implemented with hardware.

[0162] Figure 8 300 is a schematic block diagram of an illustrated virtualized environment, in which the functions implemented by some embodiments can be virtualized. In this context, virtualization means creating a virtual version of a device or apparatus, which can include virtualized hardware platforms, storage devices, and networking resources. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to a node (e.g., a virtualized base station or a virtualized radio access node) or a device (e.g., a UE, a wireless device, or any other type of communication device) or a component thereof, and involves an implementation in which at least part of the functionality is 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).

[0163] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines implemented in one or more virtual environments 300 hosted by one or more of hardware nodes 330. Additionally, in embodiments where the virtual nodes are not radio access nodes or do not require radio connectivity (e.g., core network nodes), then the network nodes may be fully virtualized.

[0164] Functionality may be implemented by one or more applications 320 (alternatively, they may be 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 of the embodiments disclosed herein. Applications 320 run in a virtualized environment 300, which provides hardware 330 including processing circuitry 360 and memory 390. Memory 390 contains instructions 395 executable by processing circuitry 360, whereby applications 320 are operable to provide one or more of the features, benefits, and / or functions disclosed herein.

[0165] The virtualized environment 300 includes a general-purpose or special-purpose network hardware device 330, which includes a collection of one or more processors or processing circuits 360, which may 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-purpose processors. Each hardware device may include a memory 390-1, which may be a non-persistent memory for temporarily storing software or instructions 395 executed by the processing circuit 360. Each hardware device may include one or more network interface controllers (NICs) 370, also known as network interface cards, which include a physical network interface 380. Each hardware device may also include a non-transitory, permanent machine-readable storage medium 390-2 having stored therein instructions and / or software 395 executable by the processing circuit 360. The software 395 may include any type of software, including software used to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 350 (also referred to as hypervisors), software that executes virtual machines 340, and software that enables them to perform the functions, features and / or benefits described with respect to some of the embodiments described herein.

[0166] The virtual machine 340 includes virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage devices, and can be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 350 or hypervisor. Different embodiments of the instances of the virtual device 320 can be implemented on one or more of the virtual machines 340, and the implementation can be done in different ways.

[0167] During operation, processing circuitry 360 executes software 395 to instantiate a hypervisor or virtualization layer 350, which may sometimes be referred to as a virtual machine monitor (VMM). Virtualization layer 350 may present to virtual machines 340 a virtual operating platform that appears to be networked hardware.

[0168] like Figure 8As shown in , hardware 330 can be a standalone network node with common or specific components. Hardware 330 can include antenna 3225, and some functions can be implemented via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 330 can be part of a larger hardware cluster (e.g., such as in a data center or customer premises equipment (CPE)), where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration (MANO) 3100, which also oversees the life cycle management of application 320, among other things.

[0169] Virtualization of hardware is referred to in some contexts as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV can be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry-standard high-volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage devices, which can be located in data centers and customer premises equipment.

[0170] In the context of NFV, virtual machines 340 may be software implementations of physical machines that run programs as if they were executed on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each of virtual machines 340 and the portion of hardware 330 that executes the virtual machine, whether it is hardware dedicated to the virtual machine and / or hardware shared by the virtual machine and other virtual machines in virtual machines 340, form a separate virtual network element (VNE).

[0171] Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function (VNF) is responsible for handling a specific network function running in one or more virtual machines 340 on top of the hardware networking infrastructure 330 and corresponds to Figure 8 Application 320.

[0172] In some embodiments, one or more radio units 3200, each including one or more transmitters 3220 and one or more receivers 3210, may be coupled to one or more antennas 3225. The radio units 3200 may communicate directly with the hardware nodes 330 via one or more appropriate network interfaces, and may be used in combination with virtual components to provide radio capabilities to a virtual node, such as a radio access node or base station.

[0173] In some embodiments, some signaling can be accomplished by using a control system 3230 , which may alternatively be used for communications between the hardware node 330 and the radio unit 3200 .

[0174] Fig. 9 An example telecommunications network connected to a host computer via an intermediary network is illustrated in accordance with some embodiments.

[0175] refer to Fig. 9According to an embodiment, a communication system includes a telecommunication network 410, such as a cellular network of the 3GPP type, and the telecommunication network 410 includes an access network 411 (such as a radio access network) and a core network 414. The access network 411 includes a plurality of base stations 412a, 412b, 412c, such as NBs, eNBs, gNBs or other types of wireless access points, each defining a corresponding coverage area 413a, 413b, 413c. Each base station 412a, 412b, 412c may be connected to the core network 414 via a wired or wireless connection 415. A first UE 491 located in the coverage area 413c is configured to be wirelessly connected to the corresponding base station 412c or to be paged by the corresponding base station 412c. A second UE 492 in the coverage area 413a may be wirelessly connected to the corresponding base station 412a. Although multiple UEs 491, 492 are illustrated in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to situations where a single UE is in the coverage area or where a single UE is connected to the corresponding base station 412.

[0176] The telecommunications network 410 itself is connected to a host computer 430, 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 430 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider, or may be operated by or on behalf of a service provider. Connections 421 and 422 between the telecommunications network 410 and the host computer 430 may extend directly from the core network 414 to the host computer 430, or may be via an optional intermediate network 420. The intermediate network 420 may be one or a combination of more than one of a public, private, or managed network; the intermediate network 420 (if any) may be a backbone network or the Internet; specifically, the intermediate network 420 may include two or more subnets (not shown).

[0177] Fig. 9The communication system as a whole enables connectivity between connected UEs 491, 492 and a host computer 430. This connectivity may be described as an over-the-top (OTT) connection 450. The host computer 430 and the connected UEs 491, 492 are configured to communicate data and / or signaling via the OTT connection 450 using the access network 411, the core network 414, any intermediate networks 420, and possibly additional infrastructure (not shown) as intermediaries. The OTT connection 450 may be transparent in the sense that the participating communication devices through which the OTT connection 450 passes are unaware of the routing of uplink and downlink communications. For example, the base station 412 may not be informed or need not be informed of the past routing of incoming downlink communications having data originating from the host computer 430 to be forwarded (e.g., handed over) to the connected UE 491. Similarly, the base station 412 does not need to know the future routing of outgoing uplink communications originating from the UE 491 toward the host computer 430.

[0178] Fig.10 An example host computer is illustrated that communicates with a user device over a partially wireless connection via a base station in accordance with some embodiments.

[0179] Now refer to Fig.10 Describe the example implementation according to the embodiment of the UE, base station and host computer discussed in the previous paragraph. In the communication system 500, the host computer 510 includes hardware 515, the hardware 515 includes a communication interface 516, and the communication interface 516 is configured to establish and maintain a wired or wireless connection of the interface of different communication devices of the communication system 500. The host computer 510 further includes a processing circuit 518, and the processing circuit 518 may have storage and / or processing capabilities. Specifically, the processing circuit 518 may include one or more programmable processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or a combination of these (not shown) suitable for executing instructions. The host computer 510 further includes software 511, which is stored in the host computer 510 or can be accessed by the host computer 510 and can be executed by the processing circuit 518. The software 511 includes a host application 512. The host application 512 can be operable to provide services to remote users, such as UEs 530 connected via an OTT connection 550 terminated at the UE 530 and the host computer 510. When providing services to remote users, the host application 512 can provide user data transmitted using the OTT connection 550.

[0180] The communication system 500 further comprises a base station 520, which is provided in the telecommunication system and comprises hardware 525, enabling it to communicate with the host computer 510 and with the UE 530. The hardware 525 may comprise: a communication interface 526 for establishing and maintaining a wired or wireless connection with interfaces of different communication devices of the communication system 500, and a communication interface 526 for establishing and maintaining a connection with devices located in the coverage area ( Fig.10 The communication interface 526 may be configured to facilitate a connection 560 to the host computer 510. The connection 560 may be direct, or it may be through a core network (eg, a wireless network) of the telecommunications system. Fig.10 The base station 520 may be configured to communicate with the base station 520 via a communication channel (not shown) and / or through one or more intermediate networks external to the telecommunications system. In the illustrated embodiment, the hardware 525 of the base station 520 further includes processing circuitry 528, which may include one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or a combination of these (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. The base station 520 may further have software 521 stored internally or accessible via an external connection.

[0181] The communication system 500 further includes the UE 530 already mentioned. Its hardware 535 may include a radio interface 537, which is configured to establish and maintain a wireless connection 570 with a base station serving the coverage area where the UE 530 is currently located. The hardware 535 of the UE 530 further includes a processing circuit 538, which may include one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or a combination of these (not shown) suitable for executing instructions. The UE 530 further includes software 531, which is stored in the UE 530 or accessible by the UE 530 and can be executed by the processing circuit 538. The software 531 includes a client application 532. The client application 532 may be operable to provide services to human or non-human users via the UE 530 under the support of the host computer 510. In the host computer 510, the executing host application 512 can communicate with the executing client application 532 via the OTT connection 550 that terminates at the UE 530 and the host computer 510. When providing services to the user, the client application 532 can receive request data from the host application 512 and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 550 can transmit both the request data and the user data. The client application 532 can interact with the user to generate the user data it provides.

[0182] Notice, Fig.10 The host computer 510, base station 520 and UE 530 shown in FIG. 5 may be similar to or equivalent to Fig. 9The host computer 430, one of the base stations 412a, 412b, 412c and one of the UEs 491, 492. That is, the internal workings of these entities can be as follows Fig.10 As shown in , and independently, the surrounding network topology can be Fig. 9 network topology.

[0183] exist Fig.10 In the figure, OTT connection 550 has been abstractly drawn to illustrate the communication between host computer 510 and UE 530 via base station 520, without explicitly mentioning any intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages via these devices. The network infrastructure can determine the routing, and the network infrastructure can be configured to hide the routing from UE 530, or hide the routing from the service provider operating host computer 510, or hide the routing from both. When OTT connection 550 is active, the network infrastructure can further make decisions by which it dynamically changes the routing (e.g., based on network reconfiguration or load balancing considerations).

[0184] The wireless connection 570 between the UE 530 and the base station 520 is in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of the OTT service provided to the UE 530 using the OTT connection 550, where the wireless connection 570 forms the final segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments can avoid or mitigate fake base station attacks, improve data rates, latency, and power consumption, and thereby provide benefits such as reduced user waiting time, better responsiveness, and extended battery life.

[0185] 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 functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 550 between the host computer 510 and the UE 530 in response to changes in the measurement results. The network functionality and / or measurement process for reconfiguring the OTT connection 550 may be implemented in the software 511 and hardware 515 of the host computer 510 or in the software 531 and hardware 535 of the UE 530 or in both. In an embodiment, a sensor (not shown) may be deployed in or associated with a communication device through which the OTT connection 550 passes; the sensor may participate in the measurement process by providing the value of the monitored quantity exemplified above or providing the value of other physical quantities according to which the software 511, 531 can calculate or estimate the monitored quantity. The reconfiguration of the OTT connection 550 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routes, etc.; the reconfiguration does not need to affect the base station 520, and it may be unknown or imperceptible to the base station 520. Such processes and functionality may be known and put into practice in the art. In certain embodiments, the measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling, thereby facilitating measurements of throughput, propagation time, latency, and the like by the host computer 510. The measurements may be achieved because the software 511 and 531 causes messages (particularly empty or 'dummy' messages) to be transmitted using the OTT connection 550 while it monitors propagation time, errors, etc.

[0186] Fig.11 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE, which may be a reference Fig. 9 and Fig.10 To simplify this disclosure, only the Fig.11 In step 610, the host computer provides user data. In sub-step 611 of step 610 (which may be optional), the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In step 620, the host computer initiates a transmission to the UE carrying the user data. In step 630 (which may be optional), in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the base station transmits the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the host computer to the UE. In step 640 (which may also be optional), the UE executes a client application associated with the host application executed by the host computer.

[0187] Fig.12 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE, which may be a reference Fig. 9 and Fig.10To simplify this disclosure, only the Fig.12 In step 710 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 720, the host computer initiates a transmission to the UE carrying the user data. According to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the transmission may be delivered via a base station. In step 730 (which may be optional), the UE receives the user data carried in the transmission.

[0188] Fig.13 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE, which may be a reference Fig. 9 and Fig.10 To simplify this disclosure, only the Fig.13 Reference is made to the accompanying drawings of . In step 810 (which may be optional), the UE receives input data provided by the host computer. Additionally or alternatively, in step 820, the UE provides user data. In sub-step 821 of step 820 (which may be optional), the UE provides user data by executing a client application. In sub-step 811 of step 810 (which may be optional), the UE executes the client application, and the client application 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, in sub-step 830 (which may be optional), the UE initiates the transmission of user data to the host computer. In step 840 of the method, according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the host computer receives user data transmitted from the UE.

[0189] Fig.14 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE, which may be a reference Fig. 9 and Fig.10 To simplify this disclosure, only the Fig.14 In step 910 (which may be optional), the base station receives user data from the UE in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure. In step 920 (which may be optional), the base station initiates a transmission of the received user data to the host computer. In step 930 (which may be optional), the host computer receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the base station.

[0190] Any suitable steps, methods, features, functions or benefits disclosed herein may be performed by one or more functional units or modules of one or more virtual devices. Each virtual device may include some of these functional units. These functional units may be implemented via processing circuits and other digital hardware, the processing circuits may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers, and other digital hardware may include digital signal processors (DSPs), dedicated digital logic, and the like. The processing circuit may be configured to execute program codes stored in a memory, which may include one or more types of memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), cache memory, flash memory device, optical storage device, etc. The program code stored in the memory includes: program instructions for executing one or more telecommunications and / or data communication protocols, and instructions for implementing one or more of the technologies described herein. In some implementations, the processing circuit may be used to cause the corresponding functional unit to perform the corresponding functions according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0191] Fig.15 A method 1000 performed by a wireless device 110 is depicted in accordance with certain embodiments. At step 1002, the wireless device 110 receives a RRCReject message. At step 1004, the wireless device 110 determines whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on the configuration of the wireless device.

[0192] In particular embodiments, wireless device 110 receives a configuration message including a configuration from network node 160 .

[0193] In certain embodiments, the configuration activates security in the wireless device 110, and when the wireless device has activated security, the wireless device 110 determines whether to take action based on the RRCReject message.

[0194] In certain embodiments, wireless device 110 determines a validity area based on configuration and determines whether to act upon the RRCReject message based on whether the wireless device is within the validity area. In certain further embodiments, the validity area includes at least one of: a cell, a cell set, a tracking area, and a tracking area identifier list.

[0195] In a particular embodiment, when determining whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on the configuration, the wireless device 110 determines to take at least one action based on the RRCReject message when the wireless device is within the validity area, or determines not to take action based on the RRCReject message when the wireless device is not within the validity area.

[0196] In a particular embodiment, when determining whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on the configuration, the wireless device 110 determines not to take action based on the RRCReject message when the wireless device is within the validity area, or determines to take at least one action based on the RRCReject message when the wireless device is not within the validity area.

[0197] In a particular embodiment, wireless device 110 determines based on a configuration that the wireless device is to verify a signature associated with the RRCReject message.

[0198] In a particular embodiment, when determining whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on the configuration, the wireless device 110 determines whether the signature in the RRCReject message is verified. When the signature in the RRCReject message is verified, the wireless device 110 takes at least one action based on the RRCReject message, or when the signature is not verified, does not take action based on the RRCReject message.

[0199] In a particular embodiment, when determining whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on the configuration, the wireless device 110 determines whether the RRCReject message is transmitted on a protected signal radio bearer SRB. When the RRCReject message is transmitted on a protected SRB, the wireless device 110 takes at least one action based on the RRCReject message, or when the RRCReject message is not transmitted on an unprotected SRB, does not take action based on the RRCReject message.

[0200] In a particular embodiment, the SRB is protected if the SRB is at least one of integrity protected and encrypted, or is unprotected if the SRB is neither integrity protected nor encrypted.

[0201] In a particular embodiment, if the SRB is SRB1, then the SRB is protected, or if the SRB is SRB0, then the SRB is not protected.

[0202] In a particular embodiment, when taking the at least one action, the wireless device performs at least one of: performing cell reselection, disconnecting from the first network, changing an RRC state at the wireless device, performing a tracking area update, and attempting to connect to a second network.

[0203] In certain embodiments, not taking action based on the RRCReject message includes at least one of remaining connected to the network and not changing the RRC state at wireless device 110 .

[0204] In certain embodiments, when determining whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on the configuration, the wireless device 110 determines whether the RRCReject message is valid or invalid, and reports whether the RRCReject message is valid or invalid to the network.

[0205] In certain embodiments, wireless device 110 considers the cell associated with the RRCReject message to be barred and / or selects another cell that is not associated with the RRCReject message.

[0206] In certain embodiments, determining whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on the configuration is based on the type of the RRCReject message.

[0207] Fig.16 Illustration of wireless network (e.g. Figure 4 1. A schematic block diagram of a virtual device 1100 in a wireless network (such as a wireless network shown in FIG. 1 ). The device may be in a wireless device or a network node (such as a wireless device or a network node). Figure 4 The apparatus 1100 is implemented in the wireless device 110 or the network node 160 shown in FIG. 1100 is operable to perform the reference Fig.15 The example methods described herein may also be performed in accordance with any other process or method disclosed herein. Fig.15 The method is not necessarily performed only by the device 1100. At least some operations of the method may be performed by one or more other entities.

[0208] The virtual device 1100 may include processing circuits and other digital hardware, the processing circuits may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers, and the other digital hardware may include digital signal processors (DSPs), dedicated digital logic, and the like. The processing circuit may be configured to execute program codes stored in a memory, which may include one or more types of memory, such as a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory, a cache memory, a flash memory device, an optical storage device, and the like. The program code stored in the memory includes: program instructions for executing one or more telecommunications and / or data communication protocols, and instructions for implementing one or more of the technologies described herein in several embodiments. In some implementations, the processing circuit may be used to cause the receiving module 1110, the determining module 1120, and any other suitable unit of the device 100 to perform corresponding functions according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0209] According to some embodiments, the receiving module 1110 may perform some of the receiving functions of the device 1100. For example, the receiving module 1110 may receive an RRCReject message.

[0210] According to some embodiments, the determination module 1120 may perform some of the determination functions of the apparatus 1100. For example, the determination module 1120 may determine whether to take action according to the RRCReject message based on the configuration of the wireless device.

[0211] The term "unit" may have a conventional meaning in the field of electronics, electrical devices and / or electronic devices, and may include, for example: electrical and / or electronic circuits, devices, modules, processors, memories, logical solid-state and / or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions for performing corresponding tasks, processes, calculations, output and / or display functions, etc., such as those described in this document.

[0212] Fig.17 A method 1200 performed by the network node 160 is depicted in accordance with certain embodiments. At step 1602, the network node 160 sends a configuration to the wireless device 110 for determining by the wireless device whether to act upon the RRCReject message.

[0213] In certain embodiments, the configuration activates security within the wireless device 110, and the method further includes configuring, by the network node 160, the wireless device 110 to determine whether to act upon the RRCReject message based on the configuration when the wireless device 110 has activated security.

[0214] In certain embodiments, the configuration includes a validity area, and the network node 160 configures the wireless device 110 to determine whether to act upon the RRCReject message based on whether the wireless device 110 is within the validity area. In certain embodiments, the validity area includes at least one of: a cell, a cell set, a tracking area, and a tracking area identifier list.

[0215] In a particular embodiment, the network node 160 configures the wireless device to take at least one action based on the RRCReject message when the wireless device is within the validity region or to take no action based on the RRCReject message when the wireless device is not within the validity region.

[0216] In a particular embodiment, the network node 160 configures the wireless device to determine not to take action based on the RRCReject message when the wireless device is within the validity region, or to determine to take at least one action based on the RRCReject message when the wireless device is not within the validity region.

[0217] In certain embodiments, the configuration indicates that wireless device 110 is to verify the signature associated with the RRCReject message.

[0218] In a particular embodiment, network node 160 configures wireless device 110 to determine whether the signature in the RRCReject message is verified, and to take at least one action based on the RRCReject message when the signature in the RRCReject message is verified, or to take no action based on the RRCReject message when the signature is not verified.

[0219] In a particular embodiment, the configuration configures the wireless device to: determine whether the RRCReject message is transmitted on a protected SRB, and when the RRCReject message is transmitted on a protected SRB, take at least one action based on the RRCReject message, or when the RRCReject message is not transmitted on an unprotected SRB, take no action based on the RRCReject message.

[0220] In a particular embodiment, the SRB is protected if the SRB is at least one of integrity protected and encrypted, or is unprotected if the SRB is neither integrity protected nor encrypted.

[0221] In a particular embodiment, if the SRB is SRB1, then the SRB is protected, or if the SRB is SRB0, then the SRB is not protected.

[0222] In a particular embodiment, configuring the wireless device 110 to take at least one action includes configuring the wireless device 110 to perform at least one of: performing cell reselection, disconnecting from a first network, changing an RRC state at the wireless device, performing a tracking area update, and attempting to connect to a second network.

[0223] In certain embodiments, when configuring wireless device 110 to not take action based on the RRCReject message, network node 160 configures wireless device 110 to remain connected to the network and / or not change the RRC state at wireless device 110 .

[0224] In a particular embodiment, the configuration configures the wireless device 110 to determine whether the RRCReject message is valid or invalid, and report whether the RRCReject message is valid or invalid to the network.

[0225] In a particular embodiment, the configuration configures the wireless device to at least one of: consider a cell associated with the RRCReject message to be barred; and select another cell not associated with the RRCReject message.

[0226] In certain embodiments, the configuration configures the wireless device 110 to determine whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on the type of the RRCReject message.

[0227] Fig.18 Illustration of wireless network (e.g. Figure 4 1300 in a wireless network). The device can be in a wireless device or a network node (e.g., Figure 4 The apparatus 1300 is implemented in the wireless device 110 or the network node 160 shown in FIG. 1300 is operable to perform the reference Fig.17 The example methods described herein may also be performed in accordance with any other process or method disclosed herein. Fig.17 The method is not necessarily performed only by the device 1300. At least some operations of the method can be performed by one or more other entities.

[0228] The virtual device 1300 may include processing circuits and other digital hardware, the processing circuits may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers, and the other digital hardware may include a digital signal processor (DSP), dedicated digital logic, and the like. The processing circuit may be configured to execute program codes stored in a memory, which may include one or more types of memory, such as a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory, a cache memory, a flash memory device, an optical storage device, and the like. The program code stored in the memory includes: program instructions for executing one or more telecommunications and / or data communication protocols, and instructions for implementing one or more of the technologies described herein in several embodiments. In some implementations, the processing circuit may be used to cause the sending module 1310 and any other suitable unit of the device 1300 to perform corresponding functions according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0229] According to some embodiments, the transmission module 1310 may perform some of the transmission functions of the apparatus 1300. For example, the transmission module 1310 may transmit to the wireless device 110 a configuration for the wireless device to determine whether to take action according to the RRCReject message.

[0230] The term "unit" may have a conventional meaning in the field of electronics, electrical devices and / or electronic devices, and may include, for example: electrical and / or electronic circuits, devices, modules, processors, memories, logical solid-state and / or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions for performing corresponding tasks, processes, calculations, output and / or display functions, etc., such as those described in this document.

[0231] Example Embodiments

[0232] Group A Example Embodiments

[0233] Example Embodiments 1. A method performed by a wireless device for identifying and preventing attacks by fake base stations during a rejection procedure, the method comprising: determining that an RRCReject message is sent by a fake base station and / or is tampered with.

[0234] Example Embodiment 2. The method of Embodiment 1, wherein the determining is based on verifying a signature in the RRCReject message.

[0235] Example Embodiment 3. The method of Embodiment 1, wherein the determining is based on a predetermined network deployment.

[0236] Example Embodiment 4. The method of Embodiment 1, wherein the determining is based on a configurable RRC stack.

[0237] Example Embodiment 5. The method of any of Embodiments 1-4, further comprising: reporting the fake base station to a trusted network.

[0238] Example Embodiment 6. The method of any of Embodiments 1-5, further comprising: considering a cell associated with a fake base station as barred.

[0239] Example Embodiment 7. The method of any of the preceding embodiments, further comprising: providing user data; and forwarding the user data to a host computer via transmission to a base station.

[0240] Group B Example Embodiments

[0241] Example Embodiment 8. A method performed by a base station for identifying and preventing attacks by fake base stations during a rejection procedure.

[0242] Example Embodiment 9. The method of Embodiment 8, further comprising: providing an authenticated signature in the RRCReject message.

[0243] Example embodiment 10. The method of embodiment 8, further comprising: providing the RRCReject message only on a predetermined network deployment.

[0244] Example Embodiment 11. The method of Embodiment 8, wherein the base station may provide a configurable RRC stack.

[0245] Example Embodiment 12. The method of any of Embodiments 8-12, further comprising: receiving a report of a fake base station from a wireless device.

[0246] Example Embodiment 13. The method of any of the preceding embodiments, further comprising: obtaining user data; and forwarding the user data to a host computer or a wireless device.

[0247] Group C Example Embodiments

[0248] Example embodiment 14. A wireless device for identifying and preventing attacks by fake base stations during a rejection process, the wireless device comprising: a processing circuit configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments in Group A; and a power supply circuit configured to supply power to the wireless device.

[0249] Example embodiment 15. A base station for identifying and preventing attacks by fake base stations during a rejection process, the base station comprising: a processing circuit configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments in Group B; a power supply circuit configured to supply power to the base station.

[0250] Example embodiment 16. A user equipment (UE) for identifying and preventing attacks by fake base stations during a rejection process, the UE comprising: an antenna configured to send and receive wireless signals; a radio front-end circuit connected to the antenna and a processing circuit and configured to adjust signals transmitted between the antenna and the processing circuit; the processing circuit is configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments in Group A; an input interface connected to the processing circuit and configured to allow information to be input into the UE for processing by the processing circuit; an output interface connected to the processing circuit and configured to output information that has been processed by the processing circuit from the UE; and a battery connected to the processing circuit and configured to supply power to the UE.

[0251] Example embodiment 17. A communication system comprising a host computer, the host computer comprising: a processing circuit configured to provide user data; and a communication interface configured to forward the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), wherein the cellular network comprises a base station having a radio interface and a processing circuit, the processing circuit of the base station being configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments in Group B.

[0252] Example Embodiment 18. The communication system of the aforementioned embodiment further comprises a base station.

[0253] Example embodiment 19. The communication system of the above two embodiments further comprises a UE, wherein the UE is configured to communicate with the base station.

[0254] Example embodiment 20. The communication system of the preceding 3 embodiments, wherein: the processing circuit of the host computer is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing user data; and the UE comprises a processing circuit configured to execute a client application associated with the host application.

[0255] Example embodiment 21. A method implemented in a communication system, the communication system comprising a host computer, a base station and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: at the host computer, providing user data; and at the host computer, initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a cellular network including the base station, wherein the base station performs any of the steps of any of the embodiments in Group B.

[0256] Example embodiment 22. The method of the preceding embodiment, further comprising: at the base station, transmitting user data.

[0257] Example embodiment 23. The method of the preceding 2 embodiments, wherein the user data is provided at the host computer by executing a host application, the method further comprising: at the UE, executing a client application associated with the host application.

[0258] Example embodiment 24. A user equipment (UE) configured to communicate with a base station, the UE comprising a processing circuit and a radio interface configured to perform an embodiment of the preceding 3 embodiments.

[0259] Example embodiment 25. A communication system comprising a host computer, the host computer comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a communication interface configured to forward the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), wherein the UE comprises a radio interface and processing circuitry, and components of the UE are configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments in Group A.

[0260] Example embodiment 26. The communication system of the preceding embodiment, wherein the cellular network further comprises a base station configured to communicate with the UE.

[0261] Example embodiment 27. The communication system of the preceding 2 embodiments, wherein: the processing circuit of the host computer is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing user data; and the processing circuit of the UE is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application.

[0262] Example embodiment 28. A method implemented in a communication system, the communication system comprising a host computer, a base station and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: at the host computer, providing user data; and at the host computer, initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a cellular network including the base station, wherein the UE performs any of the steps of any of the embodiments in Group A.

[0263] Example embodiment 29. The method of the preceding embodiment, further comprising: at the UE, receiving user data from the base station.

[0264] Example embodiment 30. A communication system comprising a host computer, the host computer comprising: a communication interface configured to receive user data originating from a transmission from a user equipment (UE) to a base station; wherein the UE comprises a radio interface and a processing circuit, the processing circuit of the UE being configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments of Group A.

[0265] Example embodiment 31. The communication system of the aforementioned embodiment further comprises a UE.

[0266] Example embodiment 32. The communication system of the preceding 2 embodiments, further comprising a base station, wherein the base station comprises: a radio interface configured to communicate with the UE; and a communication interface configured to forward user data carried by transmissions from the UE to the base station to a host computer.

[0267] Example embodiment 33. The communication system of the preceding 3 embodiments, wherein: the processing circuit of the host computer is configured to execute a host application; and the processing circuit of the UE is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing user data.

[0268] Example embodiment 34. The communication system of the aforementioned 4 embodiments, wherein: the processing circuit of the host computer is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing request data; and the processing circuit of the UE is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing user data in response to the request data.

[0269] Example embodiment 35. A method implemented in a communication system, the communication system comprising a host computer, a base station and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: at the host computer, receiving user data transmitted from the UE to the base station, wherein the UE performs any of the steps of any of the embodiments in Group A.

[0270] Example embodiment 36. The method of the preceding embodiment, further comprising: at the UE, providing user data to the base station.

[0271] Example embodiment 37. The method of the preceding two embodiments, further comprising: executing, at the UE, a client application, thereby providing user data to be transmitted; and executing, at the host computer, a host application associated with the client application.

[0272] Example embodiment 38. The method of the aforementioned three embodiments further comprises: executing a client application at the UE; and receiving input data of the client application at the UE, wherein the input data is provided at the host computer by executing a host application associated with the client application, wherein the user data to be transmitted is provided by the client application in response to the input data.

[0273] Example embodiment 39. A communication system comprising a host computer, the host computer comprising a communication interface, the communication interface being configured to receive user data originating from a transmission from a user equipment (UE) to a base station, wherein the base station comprises a radio interface and a processing circuit, the processing circuit of the base station being configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments of Group B.

[0274] Example embodiment 40. The communication system of the aforementioned embodiment further comprises a base station.

[0275] Example embodiment 41. The communication system of the aforementioned two embodiments further comprises a UE, wherein the UE is configured to communicate with the base station.

[0276] Example embodiment 42. The communication system of the preceding 3 embodiments, wherein: the processing circuit of the host computer is configured to execute a host application; and the UE is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing user data to be received by the host computer.

[0277] Example embodiment 43. A method implemented in a communication system, the communication system comprising a host computer, a base station and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving, at the host computer, from the base station user data originating from a transmission that the base station has received from the UE, wherein the UE performs any of the steps of any of the embodiments in Group A.

[0278] Example embodiment 44. The method of the preceding embodiment, further comprising: receiving, at the base station, user data from the UE.

[0279] Example Embodiment 45. The method of the preceding two embodiments, further comprising: at the base station, initiating transmission of the received user data to the host computer.

[0280] abbreviation

[0281] At least some of the following abbreviations may be used in this disclosure. If there is an inconsistency between abbreviations, how it is used above shall take precedence. If listed multiple times below, the first listing shall take precedence over any subsequent listing(s).

[0282] 1x RTT CDMA2000 1x Radio Transmission Technology

[0283] 3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project

[0284] 5G Fifth Generation

[0285] ABS Almost Blank Subframe

[0286] ARQ Automatic Repeat Request

[0287] AWGN Additive White Gaussian Noise

[0288] BCCH Broadcast Control Channel

[0289] BCH Broadcast Channel

[0290] CA Carrier Aggregation

[0291] CC Carrier Component

[0292] CCCH SDU Common Control Channel SDU

[0293] CDMA Code Division Multiple Access

[0294] CGI Cell Global Identifier

[0295] CIR Channel Impulse Response

[0296] CP Cyclic Prefix

[0297] CPICH Common Pilot Channel

[0298] CPICH Ec / No The received energy per CPICH chip divided by the power density in the band

[0299] CQI Channel Quality Information

[0300] C-RNTI Cell RNTI

[0301] CSI Channel State Information

[0302] DCCH Dedicated Control Channel

[0303] DL Downlink

[0304] DM Demodulation

[0305] DMRS Demodulation Reference Signal

[0306] DRX Discontinuous Reception

[0307] DTX Discontinuous Transmission

[0308] DTCH Dedicated Traffic Channel

[0309] DUT Device Under Test

[0310] E-CID Enhanced Cell ID (positioning method)

[0311] E-SMLC Evolved Service Mobile Location Center

[0312] ECGI Evolved CGI

[0313] eNB E-UTRAN NodeB

[0314] ePDCCH Enhanced Physical Downlink Control Channel

[0315] E-SMLC Evolved Service Mobile Location Center

[0316] E-UTRA Evolved UTRA

[0317] E-UTRAN Evolved UTRAN

[0318] FDD Frequency Division Duplex

[0319] FFS needs further study

[0320] GERAN GSM EDGE Radio Access Network

[0321] Base stations in gNB NR

[0322] GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System

[0323] GSM Global System for Mobile Communications

[0324] HARQ Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request

[0325] HO Handover

[0326] HSPA High Speed ​​Packet Access

[0327] HRPD High Rate Packet Data

[0328] LOS Line of Sight

[0329] LPP LTE Positioning Protocol

[0330] LTE Long Term Evolution

[0331] MAC Media Access Control

[0332] MBMS Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service

[0333] MBSFN Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service Single Frequency Network

[0334] MBSFN ABS MBSFN Almost Blank Subframe

[0335] MDT Minimized Drive Test

[0336] MIB Master Information Block

[0337] MME Mobility Management Entity

[0338] MSC Mobile Switching Center

[0339] NPDCCH Narrowband Physical Downlink Control Channel

[0340] NR New Radio

[0341] OCNG OFDMA Channel Noise Generator

[0342] OFDM Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing

[0343] OFDMA Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access

[0344] OSS Operation Support System

[0345] OTDOA observed time difference of arrival

[0346] O&M Operation and Maintenance

[0347] PBCH Physical Broadcast Channel

[0348] P-CCPCH Primary Common Control Physical Channel

[0349] PCell Primary Cell

[0350] PCFICH Physical Control Format Indicator Channel

[0351] PDCCH Physical Downlink Control Channel

[0352] PDCP Packet Data Convergence Protocol

[0353] PDP Profile Delay Curve

[0354] PDSCH Physical Downlink Shared Channel

[0355] PGW Packet Gateway

[0356] PHICH Physical Hybrid ARQ Indicator Channel

[0357] PLMN Public Land Mobile Network

[0358] PMI Precoder Matrix Indicator

[0359] PRACH Physical Random Access Channel

[0360] PRS Positioning Reference Signal

[0361] PSS Primary Synchronization Signal

[0362] PUCCH Physical Uplink Control Channel

[0363] PUSCH Physical Uplink Shared Channel

[0364] RACH Random Access Channel

[0365] QAM Quadrature Amplitude Modulation

[0366] RAN Radio Access Network

[0367] RAT Radio Access Technology

[0368] RLC Radio Link Control

[0369] RLM Radio Link Management

[0370] RNC Radio Network Controller

[0371] RNTI Radio Network Temporary Identifier

[0372] RRC Radio Resource Control

[0373] RRM Radio Resource Management

[0374] RS reference signal

[0375] RSCP Received Signal Code Power

[0376] RSRP Reference symbol received power or reference signal received power

[0377] RSRQ Reference signal reception quality or reference symbol reception quality

[0378] RSSI Received Signal Strength Indicator

[0379] RSTD Reference Signal Time Difference

[0380] SCH Synchronization Channel

[0381] sCell

[0382] SDAP Service Data Adaptation Protocol

[0383] SDU Service Data Unit

[0384] SFN System Frame Number

[0385] SGW Service Gateway

[0386] SI System Information

[0387] SIB System Information Block

[0388] SNR Signal to Noise Ratio

[0389] SON Self-Optimizing Network

[0390] SS Sync Signal

[0391] SSS Secondary synchronization signal

[0392] TDD Time Division Duplex

[0393] TDOA Time Difference of Arrival

[0394] TOA Time of Arrival

[0395] TSS third synchronization signal

[0396] TTI Transmission Time Interval

[0397] UE User Equipment

[0398] UL Uplink

[0399] UMTS Universal Mobile Telecommunications System

[0400] USIM Universal Subscriber Identity Module

[0401] UTDOA Uplink Time Difference of Arrival

[0402] UTRA Universal Terrestrial Radio Access

[0403] UTRAN Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network

[0404] WCDMA Wide CDMA

[0405] WLAN Wide Area Network.

Claims

1. A method (1000) performed by a wireless device (110), the method comprising: Receiving (1002) a radio resource control reject RRCReject message; as well as determining (1004) whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on the configuration of the wireless device, wherein: The configuration activates security in the wireless device, and When the wireless device has activated security, determining whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on the configuration is performed.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: A configuration message including the configuration is received from a network node (160).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: A validity region is determined based on the configuration, and wherein the wireless device determines whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on whether the wireless device is within the validity region.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the validity area comprises at least one of: a cell, a cell set, a tracking area, and a tracking area identifier list.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on the configuration comprises: When the wireless device is within the validity area, determining to take at least one action based on the RRCReject message; or When the wireless device is not within the validity area, it is determined not to take action based on the RRCReject message.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on the configuration comprises: When the wireless device is within the validity area, determining not to take action based on the RRCReject message; or When the wireless device is not within the validity region, determining to take at least one action based on the RRCReject message.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: The wireless device is to verify a signature associated with the RRCReject message based on the configuration.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein determining whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on the configuration comprises: Determining whether the signature in the RRCReject message is verified; as well as When the signature in the RRCReject message is verified, taking at least one action based on the RRCReject message, or when the signature is not verified, taking no action based on the RRCReject message.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on the configuration comprises: determining whether the RRCReject message is transmitted on a protected signaling radio bearer (SRB); as well as When the RRCReject message is transmitted on a protected SRB, taking at least one action based on the RRCReject message, or when the RRCReject message is not transmitted on an unprotected SRB, taking no action based on the RRCReject message.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein: The SRB is protected if the SRB is at least one of integrity protected and encrypted, or is unprotected if the SRB is neither integrity protected nor encrypted.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein: If the SRB is SRB1, then the SRB is protected, or If the SRB is SRB0, the SRB is not protected.

12. The method of any one of claims 5 to 6 and 8 to 11, wherein taking the at least one action comprises at least one of: Perform cell reselection; disconnecting from the first network; changing an RRC state at the wireless device; performing tracking area updates; and Try connecting to a second network.

13. The method of any one of claims 5 to 6 and 8 to 11, wherein not taking action based on the RRCReject message comprises at least one of: remaining connected to a network and not changing an RRC state at the wireless device.

14. The method of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein determining whether to take action according to the RRCReject message based on the configuration comprises: determining whether the RRCReject message is valid or invalid, and reporting to a network whether the RRCReject message is valid or invalid.

15. The method of any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising at least one of the following: The cell associated with the RRCReject message is considered to be barred; and Another cell not associated with the RRCReject message is selected.

16. The method of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein determining whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on the configuration is based on a type of the RRCReject message.

17. A wireless device (110), comprising: The processing circuit (120) is configured to: Receiving a radio resource control reject (RRCReject) message; as well as determining whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on the configuration of the wireless device, wherein: The configuration activates security in the wireless device, and When the wireless device has activated security, determining whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on the configuration is performed.

18. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein the processing circuit is configured to receive a configuration message including the configuration from a network node (160).

19. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine a validity region based on the configuration, and wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on whether the wireless device is within the validity region.

20. The wireless device of claim 19, wherein the validity area comprises at least one of: a cell, a cell set, a tracking area, and a tracking area identifier list.

21. The wireless device of claim 19, wherein when determining whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on the configuration, the processing circuit is configured to: When the wireless device is within the validity area, determining to take at least one action based on the RRCReject message; or When the wireless device is not within the validity area, it is determined not to take action based on the RRCReject message.

22. The wireless device of claim 19, wherein when determining whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on the configuration, the processing circuit is configured to: When the wireless device is within the validity area, determining not to take action based on the RRCReject message; or When the wireless device is not within the validity region, determining to take at least one action based on the RRCReject message.

23. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine, based on the configuration, that the wireless device is to verify a signature associated with the RRCReject message.

24. The wireless device of claim 23, wherein when determining whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on the configuration, the processing circuit is configured to: determining whether the signature in the RRCReject message is verified; and When the signature in the RRCReject message is verified, taking at least one action based on the RRCReject message, or when the signature is not verified, taking no action based on the RRCReject message.

25. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein when determining whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on the configuration, the processing circuit is configured to: determining whether the RRCReject message is transmitted on a protected signaling radio bearer (SRB); and When the RRCReject message is transmitted on a protected SRB, taking at least one action based on the RRCReject message, or when the RRCReject message is not transmitted on an unprotected SRB, taking no action based on the RRCReject message.

26. The wireless device of claim 25, wherein: The SRB is protected if the SRB is at least one of integrity protected and encrypted, or is unprotected if the SRB is neither integrity protected nor encrypted.

27. The wireless device of claim 25, wherein: If the SRB is SRB1, then the SRB is protected, or If the SRB is SRB0, the SRB is not protected.

28. The wireless device of any one of claims 21 to 22 and 24 to 27, wherein when taking the at least one action, the processing circuit is configured to perform at least one of the following: Perform cell reselection; disconnecting from the first network; changing an RRC state at the wireless device; performing tracking area updates; and Try connecting to a second network.

29. The wireless device of any one of claims 21 to 22 and 24 to 27, wherein when no action is taken based on the RRCReject message, the processing circuit is configured to perform at least one of: remaining connected to a network and not changing the RRC state at the wireless device.

30. The wireless device of any one of claims 17 to 27, wherein when determining whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on the configuration, the processing circuit is configured to: determine whether the RRCReject message is valid or invalid, and report to a network whether the RRCReject message is valid or invalid.

31. The wireless device of any one of claims 17 to 27, wherein the processing circuit is configured to perform at least one of the following: The cell associated with the RRCReject message is considered to be barred; and Another cell not associated with the RRCReject message is selected.

32. The wireless device of any one of claims 17 to 27, wherein determining whether to take action based on the RRCReject message is based on a type of the RRCReject message.

33. A method (1200) performed by a network node (160), the method comprising: A configuration is sent (1202) to a wireless device (110) for determining by the wireless device whether to take action based on a radio resource control reject, RRCReject, message, wherein: The configuration activates security within the wireless device, and The method further includes configuring the wireless device to determine whether to take action based on an RRCReject message when the wireless device has activated security based on the configuration.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein: The configuration includes a validity region, and The method further includes configuring the wireless device to determine whether to take action according to the RRCReject message based on whether the wireless device is within the validity region.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the validity area comprises at least one of: a cell, a cell set, a tracking area, and a tracking area identifier list.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising: The wireless device is configured to: When the wireless device is within the validity region, taking at least one action based on the RRCReject message; or When the wireless device is not within the validity area, no action is taken according to the RRCReject message.

37. The method of claim 34, further comprising: The wireless device is configured to: When the wireless device is within the validity area, determining not to take action based on the RRCReject message; or When the wireless device is not within the validity region, determining to take at least one action based on the RRCReject message.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein the configuration indicates that the wireless device is to verify a signature associated with the RRCReject message.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising: The wireless device is configured to: Determining whether the signature in the RRCReject message is verified; as well as When the signature in the RRCReject message is verified, taking at least one action based on the RRCReject message, or when the signature is not verified, taking no action based on the RRCReject message.

40. The method of claim 33, wherein the configuring configures the wireless device to: determining whether the RRCReject message is transmitted on a protected signaling radio bearer (SRB); and When the RRCReject message is transmitted on a protected SRB, taking at least one action based on the RRCReject message, or when the RRCReject message is not transmitted on an unprotected SRB, taking no action based on the RRCReject message.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein: The SRB is protected if the SRB is at least one of integrity protected and encrypted, or is unprotected if the SRB is neither integrity protected nor encrypted.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein: If the SRB is SRB1, then the SRB is protected, or If the SRB is SRB0, the SRB is not protected.

43. The method of any one of claims 36 to 37 and 39 to 42, wherein configuring the wireless device to take the at least one action comprises: The wireless device is configured to perform at least one of the following: Perform cell reselection; disconnecting from the first network; changing an RRC state at the wireless device; performing tracking area updates; and Try connecting to a second network.

44. The method of any one of claims 36 to 37 and 39 to 42, wherein configuring the wireless device to not take action based on the RRCReject message comprises: The wireless device is configured to at least one of remain connected to a network and not change an RRC state at the wireless device.

45. The method of any one of claims 33 to 42, wherein the configuration configures the wireless device to determine whether the RRCReject message is valid or invalid, and report whether the RRCReject message is valid or invalid to a network.

46. ​​The method of any one of claims 33 to 42, wherein the configuration configures the wireless device to perform at least one of the following: The cell associated with the RRCReject message is considered to be barred; and Another cell not associated with the RRCReject message is selected.

47. The method of any one of claims 33 to 42, wherein the configuration configures the wireless device to determine whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on a type of the RRCReject message.

48. A network node (160), comprising: The processing circuit (170) is configured to: send a configuration for determining whether to take action based on a radio resource control rejection (RRCReject) message to a wireless device, wherein: The configuration activates security within the wireless device, and The processing circuit configures the wireless device to determine whether to take action based on an RRCReject message based on the configuration when the wireless device has activated security.

49. The network node of claim 48, wherein: The configuration includes a validity region, and The processing circuit configures the wireless device to determine whether to take action according to the RRCReject message based on whether the wireless device is within the validity region.

50. The network node of claim 49, wherein the validity area comprises at least one of: a cell, a set of cells, a tracking area, and a tracking area identifier list.

51. The network node of claim 49, wherein the processing circuit is configured to: configuring the wireless device to: determine to take at least one action based on the RRCReject message when the wireless device is within the validity region; or The wireless device is configured to determine not to take action based on the RRCReject message when the wireless device is not within the validity area.

52. The network node of claim 49, wherein the processing circuit is configured to: configuring the wireless device to: determine not to take action based on the RRCReject message when the wireless device is within the validity area; or The wireless device is configured to determine to take at least one action based on the RRCReject message when the wireless device is not within the validity region.

53. The network node of claim 48, wherein the configuration indicates that the wireless device is to verify a signature associated with the RRCReject message.

54. The network node of claim 53, wherein the processing circuit is configured to: configuring the wireless device to: determine whether the signature in the RRCReject message is verified; and The wireless device is configured to take at least one action based on the RRCReject message when the signature in the RRCReject message is verified, or to take no action based on the RRCReject message when the signature is not verified.

55. The network node of claim 48, wherein the configuration configures the wireless device to: determining whether the RRCReject message is transmitted on a protected signaling radio bearer (SRB); and When the RRCReject message is transmitted on a protected SRB, taking at least one action based on the RRCReject message, or when the RRCReject message is not transmitted on an unprotected SRB, taking no action based on the RRCReject message.

56. The network node of claim 55, wherein: The SRB is protected if the SRB is at least one of integrity protected and encrypted, or is unprotected if the SRB is neither integrity protected nor encrypted.

57. The network node of claim 55, wherein: If the SRB is SRB1, then the SRB is protected, or If the SRB is SRB0, the SRB is not protected.

58. The network node of any one of claims 51 to 52 and 54 to 57, wherein when configuring the wireless device to take the at least one action, the processing circuit is configured to: configure the wireless device to perform at least one of the following: Perform cell reselection; disconnecting from the first network; changing an RRC state at the wireless device; performing tracking area updates; and Try connecting to a second network.

59. A network node as described in any one of claims 51 to 52 and 54 to 57, wherein when the wireless device is configured not to take action based on the RRCReject message, the processing circuit is configured to: configure the wireless device to perform at least one of the following: remain connected to the network and do not change the RRC state at the wireless device.

60. The network node of any one of claims 48 to 57, wherein the configuration configures the wireless device to determine whether the RRCReject message is valid or invalid, and report whether the RRCReject message is valid or invalid to a network.

61. The network node of any one of claims 48 to 57, wherein the configuration configures the wireless device to perform at least one of the following: The cell associated with the RRCReject message is considered to be barred; and Another cell not associated with the RRCReject message is selected.

62. The network node of any one of claims 48 to 57, wherein the configuration configures the wireless device to determine whether to take action based on the RRCReject message based on a type of the RRCReject message.

Images