Method and user equipment for enhancing the processing of user equipment routing selection policy (URSP) rule selection

Abstract

A method for enhancing the handling of UE routing selection policy (URSP) rule selection by a user equipment (UE) is provided. The UE initiates sending a protocol data unit (PDU) of an application to a mobile communication network. The UE determines that it does not have a URSP signaled from the mobile communication network. In response to the presence of a pre-configured URSP rule of a home public land mobile network (HPLMN) in a universal subscriber identity module (USIM), the UE uses only the pre-configured URSP rule of the HPLMN in the USIM to derive a configuration of a PDU session through which to send the PDU of the application program.

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 150,161, filed on February 17, 2021, entitled "USIM URSP Rule Selection", the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical field

[0003] This application generally relates to mobile communications, and more particularly, to enhancements to the processing of UE Route Selection Policy (URSP) rule selection by a User Equipment (UE). Background art

[0004] In a typical mobile communication environment, a UE (also known as a Mobile Station, MS) with wireless communication capabilities, such as a mobile phone (also known as a cellular or cell phone) or a tablet Personal Computer (PC), can transmit voice and / or data signals to one or more mobile communication networks. The wireless communication between the UE and the mobile communication network can be performed using various Radio Access Technologies (RATs), such as Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) technology, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) technology, Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) technology, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) technology, Code Division Multiple Access 2000 (CDMA-2000) technology, Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) technology, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) technology, Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) technology, etc. In particular, GSM / GPRS / EDGE technology is also known as 2G technology; WCDMA / CDMA-2000 / TD-SCDMA technology is also known as 3G technology; LTE / LTE-A / TD-LTE technology is also known as 4G technology.

[0005] These RAT technologies have been used in various telecommunication standards to provide a common protocol that enables different wireless devices to communicate at the municipal, national, regional, and even global levels. An example of an emerging telecommunication standard is 5G New Radio (NR). 5G NR is a series of enhancements to the LTE mobile standard promulgated by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). It aims to better support mobile broadband Internet access by improving spectral efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing services.

[0006] In 5G NR, a UE may be equipped with a URSP, which is a set of one or more URSP rules. The URSP rules include information on which protocol data unit (PDU) session of a given service or application on a network slice should be used when the service or application is activated. Specifically, the URSP may be pre-configured by a Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) or a Stand-alone Non-Public Network (SNPN), or may be signaled from an HPLMN or an SNPN. According to 3GPP specifications and / or requirements compliant with 5G NR technology, if the UE does not have a signaled URSP, the UE shall use the pre-configured URSP stored in the Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM). However, the URSP pre-configured in the USIM is stored per PLMN. That is, there may be one or more URSP rules for the HPLMN and one or more URSP rules for the Registered PLMN (RPLMN) in the USIM, which results in uncertain UE behavior in URSP rule selection. Therefore, the UE may select an inappropriate URSP rule and fail to derive the correct PDU session configuration for a given service or application. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present application proposes that the UE may only use the pre-configured URSP rules of the HPLMN. If there are pre-configured URSP rules of the HPLMN in the USIM, the UE shall ignore the URSP rules of one or more other PLMNs in the USIM. In addition, if there are only pre-configured URSP rules of one or more PLMNs other than the HPLMN in the USIM or there is no pre-configured URSP in the USIM, then the UE may use the pre-configured URSP rules in the Mobility Equipment (ME) (if the UE has pre-configured URSP in the ME). Advantageously, the UE may select an appropriate URSP rule (i.e., the pre-configured URSP rule of the HPLMN) in the USIM to derive the correct PDU session configuration for a given service or application.

[0008] In one aspect of the present application, a method is provided. The method includes the following steps: The UE initiates sending a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) of an application to a mobile communication network; determines that the UE does not have a URSP signaled from the mobile communication network; and in response to the presence of a preconfigured URSP rule of the HPLMN in the USIM, uses only the preconfigured URSP rule of the HPLMN in the USIM to derive the configuration of the PDU session, and sends the PDU of the application through this configuration.

[0009] In another aspect of the present application, a UE including a wireless transceiver and a controller is provided. The wireless transceiver is configured to perform wireless transmission and reception to and from a mobile communication network. The controller is configured to initiate sending a PDU of an application to a mobile communication network, determine that the UE does not have a URSP signaled from the mobile communication network, and in response to the presence of a preconfigured URSP rule of the HPLMN in the USIM, use only the preconfigured URSP rule of the HPLMN in the USIM to derive the configuration of the PDU session, and send the PDU of the application through this configuration.

[0010] In one example, the UE ignores the preconfigured URSP rules of another PLMN in the USIM. In particular, the USIM includes an Elementary File (EF) for storing the preconfigured URSP rules of each PLMN.

[0011] In one example, in response to there being only preconfigured URSP rules of multiple PLMNs other than the HPLMN in the USIM, the UE determines whether the UE has a URSP preconfigured in the ME. In response to the UE having a URSP preconfigured in the ME, the UE uses the preconfigured URSP rule in the ME to derive the configuration of the PDU session, and sends the PDU of the application through this configuration.

[0012] In one example, in response to the UE having a URSP preconfigured in the ME, the UE uses the preconfigured URSP rule in the ME to derive the configuration of the PDU session, and sends the PDU of the application through this configuration. In response to the UE having a URSP preconfigured in the ME, the UE uses the preconfigured URSP rule in the ME to derive the configuration of the PDU session, and sends the PDU of the application through this configuration.

[0013] In one example, the UE does not operate in the SNPN access mode.

[0014] In one example, determining that the UE does not have a URSP signaled from the mobile communication network includes: determining that the UE has not received a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) message from the mobile communication network that includes a URSP associated with the HPLMN.

[0015] In one example, the URSP rules preconfigured in the USIM are preconfigured by the HPLMN, and the URSP preconfigured in the ME is preconfigured by the HPLMN.

[0016] Other aspects and features of the present application will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following description of specific embodiments of the method and apparatus for enhancing the UE's processing of URSP rule selection. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The present application can be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description and embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0018] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a mobile communication environment according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 2 is a block diagram of a UE shown according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 3 is a flowchart of a method for enhancing the UE's processing of URSP rule selection provided by an embodiment of the present application; and

[0021] Figure 4A and Figure 4B is a schematic diagram showing a preferred order of selecting URSP rules according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0022] The following description is for illustrative purposes of the general principles of the present application and should not be taken in a limiting sense. It should be understood that these embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. The terms "comprise", "comprising", "include" and / or "including", when used in the present application, specify the presence of the described features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0023] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a mobile communication environment according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0024] As Figure 1 shown, the mobile communication environment 100 includes a UE 110 and a mobile communication network 120.

[0025] The UE 110 can be a feature phone, a smart phone, a tablet personal computer (PC), a laptop computer, a machine type communication (MTC) device, or any mobile communication device that supports one or more RATs used by the mobile communication network 120. The UE 110 can connect to the mobile communication network 120 to obtain mobile services (e.g., voice and / or data services). As defined in the 3GPP specifications, the UE 110 can be referred to as a combination of a ME and a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) (e.g., a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) or a Universal SIM (USIM), depending on the RAT used), where the ME generally refers to the hardware part of the UE.

[0026] The mobile communication network 120 can include an access network 121 and a core network 122. The access network 121 is responsible for processing radio signals, terminating radio protocols, and connecting the UE 110 to the core network 122, while the core network 122 is responsible for performing mobility management, network-side authentication, and interacting with public / external networks (e.g., the Internet and / or the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)). For example, the IMS can serve as a service delivery platform that consists of various network functions for providing Internet Protocol (IP) multimedia services (e.g., Voice over LTE (VoLTE) / Voice over NR (VoNR), Video over LTE (ViLTE) / Video over NR (ViNR), Short Message Service (SMS), Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), and eXtensible Markup Language (XML) Configuration Access Protocol (XCAP), etc.) to the UE 110 through the mobile communication network 120.

[0027] In one embodiment, the mobile communication network 120 is a 5G network (e.g., an NR network), and the access network 121 and the core network 122 can be the Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) and the 5G Core Network (5GC), respectively.

[0028] The NG-RAN can include one or more gNBs. Each gNB can also include one or more Transmission Reception Points (TRPs), and each gNB or TRP can be referred to as a 5G cellular station. Some gNB functions may be distributed across different TRPs, while other functions may be centralized, thus enabling the flexibility and scope of a particular deployment to meet the requirements of a specific scenario.

[0029] The 5GC can support various network functions, including the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), the Session Management Function (SMF), the User Plane Function (UPF), the Policy Control Function (PCF), the Application Function (AF), and the Authentication Server Function (AUSF), where each network function can be implemented as a network element on dedicated hardware, or a software instance running on dedicated hardware, or a virtualized function instantiated on a suitable platform (e.g., cloud infrastructure).

[0030] The AMF provides UE-based authentication, authorization, mobility management, etc. The SMF is responsible for session management and assigns Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to UEs. It also selects and controls the UPF for data transmission. If a UE has multiple sessions, different SMFs can be assigned to each session to manage them separately and may provide different functions for each session. The AF provides information about packet flows to the PCF, which is responsible for policy control, to support Quality of Service (QoS). The PCF determines policies regarding mobility and session management based on this information to enable the normal operation of the AMF and SMF. The AUSF stores the authentication data of the UE, and the UDM stores the subscription data of the UE.

[0031] According to a novel aspect, the UE 110 is capable of selecting the correct URSP rule in the USIM to derive the configuration of the PDU session, and sending the PDU of the application through this configuration. Specifically, when it is determined that the UE has no URSP notified by signaling, the UE only uses the URSP rules pre-configured by the HPLMN, and if there are URSP rules pre-configured by the HPLMN in the USIM, the URSP rules of other one or more PLMNs in the USIM are ignored. In addition, if there are only pre-configured URSP rules of one or more PLMNs other than the HPLMN in the USIM or there is no pre-configured URSP in the USIM, the UE 110 uses the pre-configured URSP rules in the ME (if the UE has pre-configured URSP in the ME).

[0032] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing a UE according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0033] As Figure 2 shown, the UE (e.g., UE 110) may include a wireless transceiver 10, a controller 20, a storage device 30, a display device 40, and an input / output (I / O) device 50.

[0034] The wireless transceiver 10 is configured to perform wireless transmission and reception to and from the mobile communication network 120 using the UICC (denoted as C1 in Figure 2 ). The UICC may be a SIM / USIM card, depending on the RAT used by the mobile communication network 120. Optionally, the UICC may be a programmable SIM / USIM directly embedded in the UE 110 (e.g., eSIM / eUSIM). As an example, the USIM may or may not store the URSP pre-configured by the HPLMN, and the pre-configured URSP is stored in the USIM according to the PLMN. Specifically, the USIM may include an EF dedicated to storing the pre-configured URSP rules for each PLMN (e.g., EF URSP ) as defined in 3GPP TS 31.102. An example format of the EF is shown in Table 1 below.

[0035]

[0036] Table 1

[0037] The encoding of the URSP rule data object is shown in Table 2 below:

[0038]

[0039] Table 2

[0040] For wireless transceiver and reception, the wireless transceiver 10 may include a baseband processing device 11, a radio frequency (RF) device 12, and an antenna 13, where the antenna 13 may include an antenna array for beamforming.

[0041] The baseband processing device 11 is configured to perform baseband signal processing and control the communication between the UICC and the RF device 12. The baseband processing device 11 may include multiple hardware components to perform baseband signal processing, including analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) / digital-to-analog conversion (DAC), gain adjustment, modulation / demodulation, encoding / decoding, etc.

[0042] The RF device 12 may receive an RF wireless signal through the antenna 13, convert the received RF wireless signal into a baseband signal for processing by the baseband processing device 11, or receive a baseband signal from the baseband processing device 11 and convert the received baseband signal into an RF wireless signal, and then transmit it through the antenna 13. The RF device 12 may also include multiple hardware devices for radio frequency conversion. For example, the RF device 12 may include a mixer to multiply the baseband signal by a carrier oscillating at the radio frequency of one or more supported RATs, where the radio frequency may be any radio frequency used in 5G NR technology (e.g., for mmWave, 30 GHz to 300 GHz) or other radio frequencies, depending on the RAT used.

[0043] The controller 20 may be a general-purpose processor, a micro control unit (MCU), an application processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a holographic processing unit (HPU), a neural processing unit (NPU), etc., including various circuits for providing data processing and computing functions, controlling the wireless transceiver 10 to access the UICC for wireless communication with the mobile communication network 120, storing data in the storage device 30 and retrieving data from the storage device 30, sending a series of frame data (e.g., representing text messages, graphics, images, etc.) to the display device 40, and receiving user input or output signals through the I / O device 50.

[0044] In particular, the controller 20 coordinates the foregoing operations of the wireless transceiver 10, the storage device 30, the display device 40, and the I / O device 50 to execute the method of this application.

[0045] In another embodiment, the controller 20 may be incorporated into the baseband processing device 11 to serve as a baseband processor.

[0046] As those skilled in the art will understand, the circuitry of the controller 20 will generally include transistors configured to control the operation of the circuitry according to the functions and operations described in this application. As will be further understood, the specific structure or interconnection of the transistors is typically determined by a compiler, such as a Register Transfer Language (RTL) compiler. The RTL compiler may operate based on a script that is very similar to assembly language code to compile the script into a form for the layout or fabrication of the final circuit. In fact, RTL is well-known for its role and use in facilitating the electronic and digital system design process.

[0047] The storage device 30 may be a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including non-volatile memory, or a magnetic storage device such as a hard disk or tape, or an optical disc, or any combination thereof for storing data (such as pre-configured URSPs in the HPLMN), instruction and / or program code of applications, communication protocols, and / or the methods of this application. If a pre-configured URSP is stored in the storage device 30, the pre-configured URSP may be referred to as the pre-configured URSP in the ME. For example, the communication protocol may include the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and the 4G LTE or 5G NR protocol stack, which includes a Non-Access-Stratum (NAS) layer for communicating with AMF / SMF / MME entities connected to the core network 122, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer for high-layer configuration and control, a Packet Data Convergence Protocol / Radio Link Control (PDCP / RLC) layer, a Media Access Control (MAC) layer, and a Physical (PHY) layer.

[0048] The display device 40 may be a Liquid-Crystal Display (LCD), a Light-Emitting Diode (LED) display, an Organic LED (OLED) display, an Electronic Paper Display (EPD), etc., for providing a display function. Alternatively, the display device 40 may further include one or more touch sensors disposed thereon or thereunder, for sensing the touch, contact or proximity of an object such as a finger or a stylus.

[0049] The I / O device 50 may include one or more buttons, a keyboard, a mouse, a touchpad, a camera, a microphone, and / or a speaker, etc., as a Man-Machine Interface (MMI) for interacting with the user.

[0050] It should be understood that Figure 2 the components described in the embodiments of are only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application. For example, the UE may include more components, such as a power supply and / or a Global Positioning System (GPS) device, where the power supply may be a mobile / replaceable battery that powers all other components of the UE, and the GPS device may provide the location information of the UE for some location-based services or applications to use. Alternatively, the UE may include fewer components. For example, the UE may not include the display device 40 and / or the I / O device 50.

[0051] Figure 3 It is a flowchart of a method for enhancing the UE's processing of URSP rule selection provided for the embodiments of the present application.

[0052] The method for enhancing the UE's processing of URSP rule selection may be applied to and executed by a UE (such as UE 110) that does not operate in the SNPN access mode (which refers to the operation mode in which the UE only selects the SNPN).

[0053] In step S310, the UE initiates sending a PDU of an application to the mobile communication network. For example, in response to the activation of the application (e.g., by the user or by the mobile communication network), the UE may initiate sending a PDU of the application (e.g., an IP packet).

[0054] In step S320, the UE determines that it does not have a URSP signaled from the mobile communication network (step S320). In one example, the mobile communication network (e.g., PLMN or SNPN) may provide the URSP to the UE via signaling such as a NAS signaling message (e.g., MANAGE UE POLICY COMMAND message). When the UE does not receive any NAS signaling message including the URSP associated with the HPLMN or the subscribed SNPN, the UE may determine that it does not have a signaled URSP, where the NAS message may be a MANAGE UE POLICY COMMAND message.

[0055] In step S330, the UE determines whether there is a preconfigured URSP rule for the HPLMN in the USIM.

[0056] After step S330, if there is a preconfigured URSP rule for the HPLMN in the USIM, the method proceeds to step S340. Otherwise, if there is only a preconfigured URSP rule for a PLMN other than the HPLMN in the USIM or there is no preconfigured URSP in the USIM, the method proceeds to step S350.

[0057] In step S340, the UE derives the configuration of the PDU session only using the preconfigured URSP rule for the HPLMN in the USIM, through which the PDU of the application is sent, and ignores the preconfigured URSP rules of one or more other PLMNs in the USIM.

[0058] In step S350, the UE uses the preconfigured URSP rule in the ME to derive the configuration of the PDU session, through which the PDU of the application is sent.

[0059] Figure 4A and Figure 4B is a schematic diagram showing the preferred order of selecting URSP rules according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0060] As Figure 4A shown, the UE does not have a signaled URSP, so the UE turns to select the first set of preferred URSP rules, that is, the preconfigured URSP rule for the HPLMN in the USIM, and ignores the preconfigured URSP rules of one or more other PLMNs (e.g., RPLMN) in the USIM.

[0061] As Figure 4BAs shown, the UE does not have a URSP without signaling notification, and there is no pre-configured URSP rule for the HPLMN in the USIM. Therefore, the UE turns to select the second set of preferred URSP rules, that is, the URSP rules pre-configured in the ME. Note that even if there are pre-configured URSP rules for one or more PLMNs other than the HPLMN (such as the registered PLMN) in the USIM, the UE will ignore the pre-configured URSP rules for the other one or more PLMNs in the USIM and use the URSP rules pre-configured in the ME.

[0062] Although the present application has been described by way of examples and preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the present application is not limited thereto. Without departing from the scope and spirit of the present application, those skilled in the art of this technology can still make various changes and modifications. Therefore, the scope of the present application should be defined and protected by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing the processing of route selection policy rule selection for a user device, comprising: The user equipment initiates sending a protocol data unit of an application to a mobile communication network; Determine that the user equipment does not have a user equipment routing selection policy (URSP) signaled from the mobile communication network; In response to the presence of a pre-configured URSP rule of a home public land mobile network (HPLMN) in a universal subscriber identity module (USIM), use the pre-configured URSP rule of the HPLMN in the USIM to derive a configuration of a protocol data unit session, and send the protocol data unit of the application through this configuration; And In response to there being only pre-configured URSP rules of PLMNs other than the HPLMN in the USIM, determine whether the user equipment has a URSP pre-configured in the mobile device; And In response to the user equipment having a URSP pre-configured in the mobile device, use the pre-configured URSP rule in the mobile device to derive the configuration of the protocol data unit session, and send the protocol data unit of the application through this configuration.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Ignore the pre-configured URSP rules of another PLMN in the USIM.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The USIM includes a basic file for storing pre-configured URSP rules for each PLMN.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: In response to there being no pre-configured URSP in the USIM, determine whether the user equipment has a URSP pre-configured in the mobile device; And In response to the user equipment having a URSP pre-configured in the mobile device, use the pre-configured URSP rule in the mobile device to derive the configuration of the protocol data unit session, and send the protocol data unit of the application through this configuration.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The user equipment does not operate in an independent non-public network access mode.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Determining that the user equipment does not have a URSP signaled from the mobile communication network includes: Determine that the user equipment has not received a non-access stratum message from the mobile communication network that includes a URSP associated with the HPLMN.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The pre-configured URSP rules in the USIM are pre-configured by the HPLMN.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The URSP pre-configured in the mobile device is pre-configured by the HPLMN.

9. A user device for enhancing the processing of route selection policy rule selection, comprising: A wireless transceiver configured to perform wireless transmission and reception with a mobile communication network; A controller configured to initiate sending a protocol data unit of an application to the mobile communication network, determine that the user equipment does not have a user equipment routing selection policy (URSP) signaled from the mobile communication network, and in response to the presence of a pre-configured URSP rule of a home public land mobile network (HPLMN) in a universal subscriber identity module (USIM), allow the user equipment to use the pre-configured URSP rule of the HPLMN in the USIM to derive a configuration of a protocol data unit session, and send the protocol data unit of the application through this configuration, and in response to there being only pre-configured URSP rules of PLMNs other than the HPLMN in the USIM, determine whether the user equipment has a URSP pre-configured in the mobile device; And In response to the user equipment having a URSP preconfigured in the mobile device, the user equipment is allowed to use the URSP rules preconfigured in the mobile device to derive the configuration of the protocol data unit session, and send the protocol data unit of the application through this configuration.

10. The user device according to claim 9, characterized in that The controller is further configured to allow the user equipment to ignore the preconfigured URSP rules of another PLMN in the USIM.

11. The user device according to claim 9, characterized in that The USIM includes an elementary file for storing the preconfigured URSP rules of each PLMN.

12. The user device according to claim 9, characterized in that The controller is further configured to: In response to there being no preconfigured URSP in the USIM, determine whether the user equipment has a URSP preconfigured in the mobile device; and In response to the user equipment having a URSP preconfigured in the mobile device, allow the user equipment to use the URSP rules preconfigured in the mobile device to derive the configuration of the protocol data unit session, and send the protocol data unit of the application through this configuration.

13. The user device according to claim 9, characterized in that The user equipment does not operate in an independent non-public network access mode.

14. The user equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that Determining that the user equipment does not have a URSP signaled from the mobile communication network includes: Determining that the user equipment does not receive a non-access stratum message from the mobile communication network that includes a URSP associated with the HPLMN.

15. The user equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that The preconfigured URSP rules in the USIM are preconfigured by the HPLMN.

16. The user equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that The URSP preconfigured in the mobile device is preconfigured by the HPLMN.

17. A user equipment for enhancing the processing of route selection policy rule selection of a user equipment, comprising: A processor, coupled to a memory, where data and instructions are stored in the memory, and when executed by the processor of the user equipment, cause the user equipment to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-8 above.

18. A non-volatile computer-readable storage medium storing data and instructions, which when executed by a processor of a user equipment for enhancing the processing of route selection policy rule selection of a user equipment, cause the user equipment to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-8 above.

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