Non-access layer congestion indication

Abstract

Various aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communications. In some aspects, a user equipment (UE) may receive a procedure rejection message for non-cellular access from a network at a non-access stratum (NAS) layer, and provide a first congestion indication for the non-cellular access from the NAS layer to a lower layer based at least in part on receiving the procedure rejection message. The UE may avoid initiating establishment of a signaling connection at a lower layer based at least in part on the first congestion indication. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 033,812, filed on June 2, 2020, and entitled “NON-ACCESS STRATUM CONGESTION INDICATIONS,” and U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application No. 17 / 303,335, filed on May 27, 2021, and entitled “NON-ACCESS STRATUM CONGESTION INDICATIONS,” which are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to wireless communications, and to techniques and apparatus for non-access stratum congestion indication. Background Art

[0004] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various telecommunication services such as telephone, video, data, messaging, and broadcasting. Typical wireless communication systems may employ multiple access technologies that can support communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power). Examples of such multiple access technologies include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) systems, time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) systems, and long term evolution (LTE). LTE / LTE-Advanced is a collection of enhancements to the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) mobile standard released by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).

[0005] A wireless network may include multiple base stations (BSs) that can support communications for multiple user equipment (UEs). A UE may communicate with a BS via a downlink and an uplink. A "downlink" or "forward link" refers to a communication link from a BS to a UE, and an "uplink" or "reverse link" refers to a communication link from a UE to a BS. As will be described in more detail herein, a BS may be referred to as a Node B, gNB, access point (AP), radio head, transmit receive point (TRP), new radio (NR) BS, or 5G Node B.

[0006] The above multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunication standards to provide a common protocol that enables different user devices to communicate at the city, country, region, and even global level. NR (which may also be referred to as 5G) is a set of enhancements to the LTE mobile standard released by 3GPP. NR is designed to better integrate with other open standards by improving spectrum efficiency, reducing costs, improving services, utilizing new spectrum, and using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) (CP-OFDM) with cyclic prefix (CP) on the downlink (DL), using CP-OFDM and / or SC-FDM (e.g., also referred to as discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM)) on the uplink (UL), and supporting beamforming, multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna technology and carrier aggregation, so as to better support mobile broadband Internet access. However, as the demand for mobile broadband access continues to grow, there is a need for further improvements to LTE, NR and other radio access technologies. Summary of the invention

[0007] In some aspects, a method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE) may include: receiving a procedure reject message for non-cellular access from a network at a non-access stratum (NAS) layer; providing a first congestion indication for the non-cellular access from the NAS layer to a lower layer based at least in part on receiving the procedure reject message; and avoiding initiating establishment of a signaling connection at the lower layer based at least in part on the first congestion indication.

[0008] In some aspects, a method of wireless communication performed by a UE may include: receiving, at a NAS layer, a procedure reject message for non-cellular access from a network; providing, from the NAS layer to a lower layer, a congestion indication for the non-cellular access based at least in part on receiving the procedure reject message; determining at the lower layer whether to select another network or access point for the non-cellular access based at least in part on the congestion indication; and selecting another network or access point on the non-cellular access based at least in part on determining at the lower layer to select another network or access point for the non-cellular access.

[0009] In some aspects, a method of wireless communication performed by a network device includes: receiving a registration request or a service request from a UE at a NAS layer using a signaling connection established at a lower layer for a non-cellular access in a network; identifying a congestion condition in the network; sending a procedure reject message to the UE based at least in part on identifying the congestion condition; and providing a congestion indication to the lower layers in the network based at least in part on identifying the congestion condition.

[0010] In some aspects, a UE for wireless communication may include a memory and one or more processors coupled to the memory. The one or more processors may be configured to: receive a procedure reject message for non-cellular access from a network at a NAS layer; provide a first congestion indication for non-cellular access from the NAS layer to a lower layer based at least in part on receiving the procedure reject message; and avoid initiating establishment of a signaling connection at the lower layer based at least in part on the first congestion indication.

[0011] In some aspects, a UE for wireless communication may include a memory and one or more processors coupled to the memory. The one or more processors may be configured to: receive a procedure reject message for non-cellular access from a network at a NAS layer; provide a congestion indication for non-cellular access from the NAS layer to a lower layer based at least in part on receiving the procedure reject message; determine at the lower layer whether to select another network or access point for non-cellular access based at least in part on the congestion indication; and select another network or access point on the non-cellular access based at least in part on determining at the lower layer to select another network or access point for non-cellular access.

[0012] In some aspects, a network device for wireless communication may include a memory and one or more processors coupled to the memory. The one or more processors may be configured to: receive a registration request or a service request from a UE at a NAS layer using a signaling connection established at a lower layer for non-cellular access in a network; identify a congestion condition in the network; send a procedure reject message to the UE based at least in part on identifying the congestion condition; and provide a congestion indication to the lower layer in the network based at least in part on identifying the congestion condition.

[0013] In some aspects, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may store one or more instructions for wireless communication. The one or more instructions, when executed by one or more processors of a UE, may cause the one or more processors to perform the following operations: receiving a procedure rejection message for non-cellular access from a network at a NAS layer; providing a first congestion indication for non-cellular access from the NAS layer to a lower layer based at least in part on receiving the procedure rejection message; and avoiding initiating establishment of a signaling connection at the lower layer based at least in part on the first congestion indication.

[0014] In some aspects, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may store one or more instructions for wireless communication. The one or more instructions, when executed by one or more processors of a UE, may cause the one or more processors to perform the following operations: receiving a procedure rejection message for non-cellular access from a network at a NAS layer; providing a congestion indication for non-cellular access from the NAS layer to a lower layer based at least in part on receiving the procedure rejection message; determining at the lower layer whether to select another network or access point for non-cellular access based at least in part on the congestion indication; and selecting another network or access point on non-cellular access based at least in part on determining at the lower layer to select another network or access point for non-cellular access.

[0015] In some aspects, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may store one or more instructions for wireless communication. The one or more instructions, when executed by one or more processors of a network device, may cause the one or more processors to perform the following operations: using a signaling connection established at a lower layer for non-cellular access in a network to receive a registration request or a service request from a UE at a NAS layer; identifying a congestion condition in the network; sending a procedure rejection message to the UE based at least in part on identifying the congestion condition; and providing a congestion indication to the lower layer in the network based at least in part on identifying the congestion condition.

[0016] In some aspects, an apparatus for wireless communication may include: means for receiving, at a NAS layer, a procedure reject message for non-cellular access from a network; means for providing, from the NAS layer to a lower layer, a first congestion indication for the non-cellular access based at least in part on receiving the procedure reject message; and means for avoiding, at the lower layer, initiating establishment of a signaling connection based at least in part on the first congestion indication.

[0017] In some aspects, an apparatus for wireless communication may include: means for receiving, at a NAS layer, a procedure reject message for non-cellular access from a network; means for providing, from the NAS layer to a lower layer, a congestion indication for the non-cellular access based at least in part on receiving the procedure reject message; means for determining at the lower layer whether to select another network or access point for the non-cellular access based at least in part on the congestion indication; and means for selecting another network or access point on the non-cellular access based at least in part on determining at the lower layer to select another network or access point for the non-cellular access.

[0018] In some aspects, an apparatus for wireless communication may include: means for receiving a registration request or a service request from a UE at a NAS layer using a signaling connection established at a lower layer for a non-cellular access in a network; means for identifying a congestion condition in the network; means for sending a procedure reject message to the UE based at least in part on identifying the congestion condition; and means for providing a congestion indication to the lower layers in the network based at least in part on identifying the congestion condition.

[0019] The various aspects generally include methods, apparatuses, systems, computer program products, non-transitory computer-readable media, UEs, base stations, wireless communication devices, and / or processing systems as fully described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the drawings and description.

[0020] The foregoing has been fairly broadly outlined according to the features and technical advantages of the examples of the present disclosure, so that the following specific embodiments may be better understood. Additional features and advantages will be described below. The disclosed concepts and specific examples may be easily used as the basis for modifying or designing other structures for the same purpose of achieving the present disclosure. Such equivalent constructions do not depart from the scope of the appended claims. When considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the characteristics of the concepts disclosed herein (both their organization and methods of operation) and the associated advantages will be better understood according to the description below. Each of the figures in the accompanying drawings is provided for the purpose of illustration and description, and is not intended to be a limitation on the limits of the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order that the above-mentioned features of the present disclosure may be fully understood, a more specific description of the invention briefly summarized above may be obtained by referring to various aspects, some of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings only illustrate certain typical aspects of the present disclosure and are therefore not to be considered as limiting the scope thereof, as the description may allow for other equally effective aspects. The same reference numerals in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements.

[0022] Figure 1 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating an example of a wireless communication network according to the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram conceptually illustrating an example of communication between a base station and a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication network according to the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of non-access stratum congestion indication according to the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 4is a schematic diagram illustrating an example process performed, for example, by a UE according to the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example process performed, for example, by a UE according to the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example process, for example, performed by a network device, according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Various aspects of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure can be embodied in many different forms, and should not be interpreted as being limited to any specific structure or function presented throughout the present disclosure. Instead, these aspects are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and the scope of the present disclosure will be conveyed to those skilled in the art. Based on the teachings herein, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of the present disclosure is intended to cover any aspect of the present disclosure disclosed herein, whether the aspect is implemented independently of any other aspect of the present disclosure or implemented in combination with any other aspect. For example, a device may be implemented using any number of aspects set forth herein, or a method may be implemented using any number of aspects set forth herein. In addition, the scope of the present disclosure is intended to cover such a device or method implemented using other structures, functions, or structures and functions other than the various aspects of the present disclosure set forth herein or different from the various aspects of the present disclosure set forth herein. It should be understood that any aspect of the present disclosure disclosed herein may be embodied by one or more elements of the claims.

[0029] Several aspects of telecommunication systems will now be presented with reference to various devices and techniques. These devices and techniques will be described in the following detailed description by various blocks, modules, components, circuits, steps, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively referred to as "elements") and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. These elements may be implemented using hardware, software, or a combination thereof. Whether such elements are implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0030] It should be noted that while various aspects may be described herein using terminology generally associated with 5G or NR radio access technologies (RATs), various aspects of the present disclosure may be applied to other RATs, such as 3G RATs, 4G RATs, and / or RATs subsequent to 5G (e.g., 6G).

[0031] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a wireless network 100 according to the present disclosure. The wireless network 100 may be or may include elements of a 5G (NR) network and / or an LTE network, as well as other examples. The wireless network 100 may include a plurality of base stations 110 (shown as BS 110a, BS 110b, BS 110c, and BS 110d) and other network entities. A base station (BS) is an entity that communicates with a user equipment (UE), and may also be referred to as an NR BS, Node B, gNB, 5G Node B (NB), access point, or transmit receive point (TRP). Each BS may provide communication coverage for a specific geographic area. In 3GPP, the term "cell" may refer to a coverage area of ​​a BS and / or a BS subsystem serving the coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used.

[0032] A BS may provide communication coverage for a macro cell, a pico cell, a femto cell, and / or another type of cell. A macro cell may cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., several kilometers in radius) and may allow unrestricted access by UEs with service subscription. A pico cell may cover a relatively small geographic area and may allow unrestricted access by UEs with service subscription. A femto cell may cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a residence) and may allow restricted access by UEs having an association with the femto cell (e.g., UEs in a closed subscriber group (CSG)). A BS for a macro cell may be referred to as a macro BS. A BS for a pico cell may be referred to as a pico BS. A BS for a femto cell may be referred to as a femto BS or a home BS. In Figure 1 In the example shown in , BS 110a may be a macro BS for macro cell 102a, BS 110b may be a pico BS for pico cell 102b, and BS 110c may be a femto BS for femto cell 102c. A BS may support one or more (e.g., three) cells. The terms "eNB", "base station", "NR BS", "gNB", "TRP", "AP", "Node B", "5G NB", and "cell" may be used interchangeably herein.

[0033] In some aspects, the cells may not necessarily be stationary, and the geographic area of ​​the cells may move depending on the location of the mobile BS. In some aspects, the BSs may be interconnected with each other and / or with one or more other BSs or network nodes (not shown) in the wireless network 100 through various types of backhaul interfaces (such as direct physical connections or virtual networks) using any suitable transport network.

[0034] The wireless network 100 may also include a relay station. A relay station is an entity that can receive transmissions of data from an upstream station (e.g., a BS or a UE) and send transmissions of data to a downstream station (e.g., a UE or a BS). A relay station may also be a UE that is capable of relaying transmissions for other UEs. Figure 1 In the example shown in , a relay BS 110d may communicate with a macro BS 110a and a UE 120d to facilitate communication between the BS 110a and the UE 120d. A relay BS may also be referred to as a relay station, a relay base station, or a relay.

[0035] The wireless network 100 may be a heterogeneous network including different types of BSs, such as macro BSs, pico BSs, femto BSs, and / or relay BSs. These different types of BSs may have different transmit power levels, different coverage areas, and different effects on interference in the wireless network 100. For example, a macro BS may have a high transmit power level (e.g., 5 to 40 watts), while a pico BS, a femto BS, and a relay BS may have a lower transmit power level (e.g., 0.1 to 2 watts).

[0036] A network controller 130 may be coupled to a set of BSs and may provide coordination and control for these BSs. The network controller 130 may communicate with the BSs via a backhaul. The BSs may also communicate with each other directly or indirectly, for example, via a wireless or wired backhaul.

[0037] UE 120 (e.g., 120a, 120b, 120c) can be dispersed throughout the wireless network 100, and each UE can be stationary or mobile. UE can also be referred to as an access terminal, terminal, mobile station, subscriber unit, station, etc. UE can be a cellular phone (e.g., a smart phone), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wireless modem, a wireless communication device, a handheld device, a laptop computer, a cordless phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a tablet device, a camera, a gaming device, a netbook, a smartbook, an ultrabook, a medical device or apparatus, a biometric sensor / device, a wearable device (smart watch, smart clothing, smart glasses, smart wristband, smart jewelry (e.g., smart ring, smart bracelet, etc.)), an entertainment device (e.g., a music or video device, or a satellite wireless unit, etc.), a vehicle component or sensor, a smart meter / sensor, an industrial manufacturing device, a global positioning system device, or any other suitable device configured to communicate via a wireless or wired medium.

[0038] Some UEs may be considered as machine type communication (MTC) or evolved or enhanced machine type communication (eMTC) UEs. MTC and eMTC UEs include, for example, robots, drones, remote devices, sensors, meters, monitors and / or location tags, which may communicate with a base station, another device (e.g., a remote device) or other entities. A wireless node may provide a connection to a network (e.g., a wide area network such as the Internet or a cellular network) or a connection to a network, for example, via a wired or wireless communication link. Some UEs may be considered as Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and / or may be implemented as NB-IoT (narrowband Internet of Things) devices. Some UEs may be considered as customer premises equipment (CPE). UE 120 may be included inside a housing that houses components of UE 120 (e.g., processor components and / or memory components). In some aspects, a processor component and a memory component may be coupled together. For example, a processor component (e.g., one or more processors) and a memory component (e.g., a memory) may be operationally coupled, communicatively coupled, electronically coupled, and / or electrically coupled.

[0039] Typically, any number of wireless networks can be deployed in a given geographic area. Each wireless network can support a specific RAT and can operate on one or more frequencies. RAT can also be referred to as radio technology and / or air interface. Frequency can also be referred to as carrier and / or channel. Each frequency can support a single RAT in a given geographic area to avoid interference between wireless networks of different RATs. In some cases, NR or 5G RAT networks can be deployed.

[0040] In some aspects, two or more UEs 120 (e.g., shown as UE 120a and UE 120e) can communicate directly using one or more sidelink channels (e.g., without using base station 110 as an intermediary for communicating with each other). For example, UE 120 can communicate using peer-to-peer (P2P) communication, device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) protocol (e.g., which may include vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) protocol, or vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) protocol, etc.) and / or mesh network. In this case, UE 120 can perform scheduling operations, resource selection operations, and / or other operations described elsewhere herein as being performed by base station 110.

[0041] The devices of the wireless network 100 can communicate using an electromagnetic spectrum, which can be subdivided into various categories, frequency bands, channels, etc. based on frequency or wavelength. For example, the devices of the wireless network 100 can communicate using an operating frequency band having a first frequency range (FR1) (which can span from 410 MHz to 7.125 GHz), and / or can communicate using an operating frequency band having a second frequency range (FR2) (which can span from 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz). Frequencies between FR1 and FR2 are sometimes referred to as mid-band frequencies. Although a portion of FR1 is greater than 6 GHz, FR1 is often referred to as a "sub-6 GHz (below 6 GHz)" band. Similarly, FR2 is often referred to as a "millimeter wave" band, although it is different from the extremely high frequency (EHF) band (30 GHz–300 GHz) identified as a "millimeter wave" band by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Therefore, unless otherwise expressly stated, it should be understood that the term "sub-6 GHz" and the like (if used herein) can broadly refer to frequencies less than 6 GHz, frequencies within FR1, and / or mid-band frequencies (e.g., greater than 7.125 GHz). Similarly, unless otherwise expressly stated, it should be understood that the term "millimeter wave" and the like (if used herein) can broadly refer to frequencies within the EHF band, frequencies within FR2, and / or mid-band frequencies (e.g., less than 24.25 GHz). It is contemplated that the frequencies included in FR1 and FR2 may be modified, and that the techniques described herein are applicable to those modified frequency ranges.

[0042] As mentioned above, Figure 1 is provided as an example. Other examples may differ from those described above. Figure 1 Examples described.

[0043] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an example 200 of base station 110 communicating with UE 120 in wireless network 100 according to the present disclosure. Base station 110 may be equipped with T antennas 234a through 234t, and UE 120 may be equipped with R antennas 252a through 252r, where T≥1 and R≥1.

[0044] At the base station 110, the transmit processor 220 may receive data for one or more UEs from the data source 212, select one or more modulation and coding schemes (MCS) for each UE based at least in part on a channel quality indicator (CQI) received from the UE, process (e.g., encode and modulate) the data for the UE based at least in part on the MCS selected for each UE, and provide data symbols for all UEs. The transmit processor 220 may also process system information (e.g., for semi-static resource partitioning information (SRPI)) and control information (e.g., CQI requests, grants, upper layer signaling), and provide overhead symbols and control symbols. The transmit processor 220 may also generate reference symbols for reference signals (e.g., cell-specific reference signals (CRS), demodulation reference signals (DMRS)) and synchronization signals (e.g., primary synchronization signals (PSS) or secondary synchronization signals (SSS)). A transmit (TX) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) processor 230 may perform spatial processing (e.g., precoding) on ​​data symbols, control symbols, overhead symbols, and / or reference symbols, if applicable, and may provide T output symbol streams to T modulators (MOD) 232a through 232t. Each modulator 232 may process a respective output symbol stream (e.g., for OFDM) to obtain an output sample stream. Each modulator 232 may further process (e.g., convert to analog, amplify, filter, and upconvert) the output sample stream to obtain a downlink signal. The T downlink signals from modulators 232a through 232t may be transmitted via T antennas 234a through 234t, respectively.

[0045] At the UE 120, antennas 252a to 252r may receive downlink signals from the base station 110 and / or other base stations, and may provide received signals to demodulators (DEMODs) 254a to 254r, respectively. Each demodulator 254 may condition (e.g., filter, amplify, downconvert, and digitize) the received signal to obtain input samples. Each demodulator 254 may further process the input samples (e.g., for OFDM) to obtain received symbols. The MIMO detector 256 may obtain received symbols from all R demodulators 254a to 254r, perform MIMO detection on the received symbols (if applicable), and provide detected symbols. The receive processor 258 may process (e.g., demodulate and decode) the detected symbols, provide decoded data for the UE 120 to the data sink 260, and provide decoded control information and system information to the controller / processor 280. The term "controller / processor" may refer to one or more controllers, one or more processors, or a combination thereof. The channel processor may determine reference signal received power (RSRP), received signal strength indicator (RSSI), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), and / or CQI, among other examples.In some aspects, one or more components of UE 120 may be included in a housing.

[0046] The network controller 130 may include a communication unit 294, a controller / processor 290, and a memory 292. The network controller 130 may include, for example, one or more devices in a core network. The network controller 130 may communicate with the base station 110 via the communication unit 294.

[0047] Antennas (e.g., antennas 234a to 234t and / or antennas 252a to 252r) may include or may be included in one or more antenna panels, antenna groups, antenna element sets, and / or antenna arrays, among other examples. Antenna panels, antenna groups, antenna element sets, and / or antenna arrays may include one or more antenna elements. Antenna panels, antenna groups, antenna element sets, and / or antenna arrays may include coplanar antenna element sets and / or non-coplanar antenna element sets. Antenna panels, antenna groups, antenna element sets, and / or antenna arrays may include antenna elements within a single housing and / or antenna elements within multiple housings. Antenna panels, antenna groups, antenna element sets, and / or antenna arrays may include antennas coupled to one or more transmitting and / or receiving components (such as Figure 2 One or more antenna elements of one or more components).

[0048] On the uplink, at the UE 120, a transmit processor 264 may receive and process data from a data source 262 and control information (e.g., for reports including RSRP, RSSI, RSRQ, and / or CQI) from a controller / processor 280. The transmit processor 264 may also generate reference symbols for one or more reference signals. The symbols from the transmit processor 264 may be precoded by a TX MIMO processor 266 (if applicable), further processed by modulators 254a through 254r (e.g., for DFT-s-OFDM, CP-OFDM), and sent to the base station 110. In some aspects, the modulator and demodulator (e.g., MOD / DEMOD 254) of the UE 120 may be included in a modem of the UE 120. In some aspects, the UE 120 includes a transceiver. The transceiver may include any combination of antennas 252, modulators and / or demodulators 254, MIMO detectors 256, receive processors 258, transmit processors 264, and / or TX MIMO processors 266. The transceiver may be used by a processor (e.g., controller / processor 280) and memory 282 to perform aspects of any of the methods described herein (e.g., as described with reference to Figure 3-Figure 6 described).

[0049] At the base station 110, uplink signals from the UE 120 and other UEs may be received by the antenna 234, processed by the demodulator 232, detected by the MIMO detector 236 (if applicable), and further processed by the receive processor 238 to obtain decoded data and control information sent by the UE 120. The receive processor 238 may provide the decoded data to the data sink 239 and the decoded control information to the controller / processor 240. The base station 110 may include a communication unit 244 and transmit to the network controller 130 via the communication unit 244. The base station 110 may include a scheduler 246 to schedule the UE 120 for downlink and / or uplink communications. In some aspects, the modulator and demodulator (e.g., MOD / DEMOD 232) of the base station 110 may be included in a modem of the base station 110. In some aspects, the base station 110 includes a transceiver. The transceiver may include any combination of antennas 234, modulators and / or demodulators 232, MIMO detectors 236, receive processors 238, transmit processors 220, and / or TX MIMO processors 230. The transceiver may be used by a processor (e.g., controller / processor 240) and memory 242 to perform aspects of any of the methods described herein (e.g., as described with reference to Figure 3-Figure 6 described).

[0050] A controller / processor 240 of the base station 110, a controller / processor 280 of the UE 120, a network device having components similar to those shown for the base station 110, an access and mobility management function (AMF) having components similar to those shown for the base station 110, a core network function having components similar to those shown for the base station 110, or a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point having components similar to those shown for the base station 110, and / or Figure 2 Any other component of the may perform one or more techniques associated with non-access stratum (NAS) congestion indication, as described in more detail elsewhere herein. For example, the controller / processor 240 of the base station 110, the controller / processor 280 of the UE 120, a network device, an AMF, a core network function, a WLAN access point, and / or Figure 2 Any other component may perform or direct e.g. Figure 4 The process of 400 Figure 5 The process of 500 Figure 6 600 and / or operations of other processes as described herein. Memories 242 and 282 may store data and program codes for base station 110 and UE 120, respectively. In some aspects, memory 242 and / or memory 282 may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions (e.g., code and / or program code) for wireless communication. For example, one or more instructions, when executed by one or more processors of base station 110 and / or UE 120 (e.g., directly, or after compilation, conversion and / or interpretation), may cause one or more processors, UE 120 and / or base station 110 to perform or direct, for example, Figure 4 The process of 400 Figure 5 The process of 500 Figure 6 The operations of process 600 and / or other processes as described herein. In some aspects, executing instructions may include running instructions, converting instructions, compiling instructions, and / or interpreting instructions, among other examples.

[0051] In some aspects, the UE 120 may include: means for receiving a procedure rejection message for non-cellular access from the network at the NAS layer; means for providing a first congestion indication for non-cellular access from the NAS layer to a lower layer based at least in part on receiving the procedure rejection message; means for avoiding initiating establishment of a signaling connection at the lower layer based at least in part on the first congestion indication; and the like. In some aspects, such means may include combining Figure 2One or more components of UE 120 are depicted, such as controller / processor 280, transmit processor 264, TX MIMO processor 266, MOD 254, antenna 252, DEMOD 254, MIMO detector 256, receive processor 258, etc.

[0052] In some aspects, the UE 120 may include: means for receiving a procedure rejection message for non-cellular access from the network at the NAS layer; means for providing a congestion indication for the non-cellular access from the NAS layer to the lower layers based at least in part on receiving the procedure rejection message; means for determining at the lower layers whether to select another network or access point for the non-cellular access based at least in part on the congestion indication; means for selecting another network or access point on the non-cellular access based at least in part on determining at the lower layers to select another network or access point for the non-cellular access; and the like. In some aspects, such means may include combining Figure 2 One or more components of UE 120 are depicted, such as controller / processor 280, transmit processor 264, TX MIMO processor 266, MOD 254, antenna 252, DEMOD 254, MIMO detector 256, receive processor 258, etc.

[0053] In some aspects, a network device may include: a unit for identifying a congestion condition in a network; a unit for receiving a registration request or a service request from a UE at a NAS layer using a signaling connection established at a lower layer for a non-cellular access in the network; a unit for sending a procedure rejection message to the UE based at least in part on identifying the congestion condition; a unit for providing a congestion indication to a lower layer in the network based at least in part on identifying the congestion condition; etc. In some aspects, such a unit may include a unit in conjunction with Figure 2 One or more components of the base station 110 are depicted, such as antenna 234, DEMOD 232, MIMO detector 236, receive processor 238, controller / processor 240, transmit processor 220, TX MIMO processor 230, MOD 232, antenna 234, etc.

[0054] Although Figure 2 The blocks in the 200 and 210 are shown as distinct components, but the functions described above with respect to the blocks may be implemented in a single hardware, software, or combined component or in various combinations of components. For example, the functions described with respect to the transmit processor 264, the receive processor 258, and / or the TX MIMO processor 266 may be performed by or under the control of the controller / processor 280.

[0055] As mentioned above, Figure 2is provided as an example. Other examples may differ from those described above. Figure 2 Examples described.

[0056] NAS is a functional layer in the radio protocol stack between the core network and the UE. The NAS layer is used to manage the establishment of communication sessions and to maintain continuous communication with the UE as the UE moves. Maintaining continuous communication as the UE moves may involve the use of a NAS mobility management process, which may be a 5G Mobility Management (5GMM) process. The UE may initiate a 5GMM registration process or a 5GMM service request process with the 5G network. The network may provide a value for a 5GMM backoff timer (e.g., timer T3346) in a rejected 5GMM process. Upon receiving the value of the backoff timer, the UE may start the backoff timer. While the backoff timer is running, the UE cannot initiate any 5GMM process.

[0057] In 5G networks, NAS protocols are used on 3GPP access and non-3GPP access (e.g., Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) / Wi-Fi). Non-3GPP access can be referred to as non-cellular access provided through non-cellular access points. Registration and service request procedures can also be used on non-3GPP access. The network can also send a back-off timer on non-3GPP access. On non-3GPP access, the trigger for initiating the 5GMM process comes from the lower layers. The lower layers on non-3GPP access are the WLAN connection layer and the Internet Protocol (IP) Security (IPSec) layer.

[0058] When the WLAN connection layer establishes an IP connection for the UE via the WLAN access point, the IPSec tunnel establishment process is triggered in the lower layer to establish IPSec to the evolved packet data gateway (ePDG) in the 5G core network. At this time, a signaling connection to the 5G core network in the lower layer is established. The UE can establish a signaling connection in the lower layer is a trigger for initiating a 5GMM process (e.g., a registration process or a service request process) in the NAS layer. This is different from 3GPP access, in which the NAS layer triggers the 5GMM process, which in turn triggers the establishment of a signaling connection in the lower layer.

[0059] As explained above, the lower layers of the UE using non-3GPP access can establish a signaling connection (WLAN connection and IPSec tunnel to ePDG), and the trigger for the service process can be provided from the lower layers to the NAS layer. The NAS layer (or the UE for the NAS layer) can initiate a service request process. The network can reject the service request process and provide the back-off timer value to the NAS layer in the service rejection message. The network can release the signaling connection (ePDG releases the IPSec tunnel). However, there is nothing to prevent the lower layers from re-establishing the signaling connection (i.e., WLAN IP connection and IPSec establishment again).

[0060] One solution is to have the NAS layer block the service request procedure at the NAS layer while the back-off timer is running. When the back-off timer expires, the NAS layer initiates the service request procedure. The disadvantage of this solution is that the signaling connection in the lower layers is maintained while the NAS layer is blocked. Maintaining an unavailable signaling connection on the WLAN is inefficient from a power consumption perspective. The lower layers are consuming power to maintain an unavailable signaling connection. If the back-off timer is long, such as longer than 15 minutes, the UE may look for another network to connect to on a non-3GPP access. The UE may waste processing resources and signaling resources.

[0061] According to various aspects described herein, the NAS 5GMM layer may provide an indication to a lower layer that a timer (e.g., backoff timer T3346) is running at the NAS layer. When the timer is running, the lower layer may not initiate the establishment of a signaling connection. Additionally or alternatively, if the timer value is provided by the NAS layer, the lower layer may decide to implement a power saving mechanism (e.g., disabling WLAN) when the timer is running. When the timer expires, the NAS layer may provide an indication to the lower layer that the congestion timer has stopped at the NAS layer. The lower layer may establish a signaling connection (WLAN connection and IPSec tunnel to ePDG). Therefore, the UE can save power.

[0062] In some aspects, the NAS layer may provide the value of the timer to the lower layers. In some aspects, the lower layers may determine to search for another network to connect to on a non-3GPP access. For example, if the value of the timer is provided to the lower layers, the lower layers may determine that the value is too long and that a WLAN connection needs to be obtained more quickly. The lower layers may select another access point or network. As a result, the user of the UE may have a better experience.

[0063] In some aspects, the access point of the network may release the signaling connection (ePDG releases the IPSec tunnel). The ePDG may utilize the congestion indication and the backoff timer value to release the IPSec tunnel toward the UE (via lower layer signaling). The lower layers may start the backoff timer and not initiate a signaling connection establishment while the timer is running. When the timer expires, the lower layers may establish a signaling connection (WLAN connection and IPSec tunnel to the ePDG). Thus, the UE and the network may save signaling resources.

[0064] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example 300 of NAS congestion indication according to the present disclosure. Figure 3 As shown, an access point (AP) 310 and a UE 320 (eg, Figure 1 and Figure 2 UE 120) depicted in can communicate with each other.

[0065] As shown by reference numeral 330, AP 310 may determine that there is congestion at the AMF, and identify a congestion indication to be sent to UE 320. UE 320 may send a registration request or service request for non-3GPP access. As shown by reference numeral 335, UE 320 may receive a procedure reject message. This may be due to congestion at the AMF. The reject message may include a value for a backoff timer. UE 320 may start a backoff timer.

[0066] In some aspects, the UE 320 may provide a congestion indication from the NAS layer to the lower layers, as shown by reference numeral 340. As shown by reference numeral 345, the UE 320 may avoid initiating establishment of a signaling connection (because the signaling connection may originate from the lower layers for non-3GPP access). In some aspects, the UE 320 may take further action, as shown by reference numeral 350. For example, the lower layers (or the UE for the lower layers) may disable WLAN usage to save power. Alternatively, the lower layers (or the UE for the lower layers) may select another network or another AP. The UE may determine to select another network or another AP based at least in part on the value of the back-off timer (e.g., if the back-off timer is too long).

[0067] In some aspects, the AP 310 may share congestion indications from the NAS layer to lower layers in the network, as shown by reference numeral 355. Since the congestion indications are shared between the NAS layer and the lower layers, the AP 310 may coordinate, synchronize, and / or link information and / or actions taken on behalf of the AMF with information and / or actions taken on behalf of the ePDG. In some aspects, the information and / or actions taken by the NAS layer may be coordinated, synchronized, and / or linked with information and / or actions taken by the lower layers. Thus, the UE and the network save time, processing resources, and signaling resources.

[0068] In some aspects, the UE may establish a signaling connection in a lower layer on a non-3GPP access, and initiate a 5GMM process at the NAS layer using the signaling connection based at least in part on the establishment of the signaling connection in the lower layer. The UE may receive a process rejection message from the network on the non-3GPP access, wherein the process rejection message includes a congestion backoff timer value. The UE may provide a first congestion indication to the lower layer of the non-3GPP access based at least in part on the process rejection message. The UE may use the backoff timer value to start a backoff timer (e.g., T3346) at the 5GMM layer. The UE may avoid initiating the establishment of a signaling connection in the lower layer based at least in part on the first congestion indication. When the backoff timer T3346 expires, the UE may provide a second congestion indication to the lower layer. The UE may stop avoiding initiating the establishment of a signaling connection in the lower layer based at least in part on the second congestion indication.

[0069] In some aspects, the 5GMM process may include a registration process or a service request process. Initiating the 5GMM process may include sending a registration request message or a service request message. Initiating the 5GMM process at the NAS layer using a signaling connection and based at least in part on the establishment of the signaling connection in the lower layer may include receiving an indication from the lower layer about establishing the signaling connection. The process rejection message may include a registration rejection message or a service rejection message. The process rejection message may include a cause value indicating congestion.

[0070] In some aspects, the method may include initiating a 5GMM procedure at the NAS layer using a signaling connection and based at least in part on the establishment of the signaling connection in the lower layers. In some aspects, the method may include providing a value of a backoff timer to the lower layers along with the first congestion indication. In some aspects, the method may include implementing a power saving mechanism in the lower layers based at least in part on the first indication (and the backoff timer value). In some aspects, the power saving mechanism in the lower layers may include disabling WLAN use, preventing IPSec establishment, and the like.

[0071] In some aspects, the UE may determine at a lower layer to select another network. For example, the UE may establish a signaling connection in a lower layer on a non-3GPP access, and initiate a 5GMM process at the NAS layer using the signaling connection and at least in part based on the establishment of the signaling connection in the lower layer. The UE may receive a process rejection message from the network on a non-3GPP access, wherein the process rejection message includes a congestion backoff timer value. The UE may provide a congestion indication to the lower layer of the non-3GPP access based at least in part on the process rejection message. The UE may determine at a lower layer whether to select another network on the non-3GPP access based at least in part on the congestion indication. The UE may select another network on the non-3GPP access based at least in part on the determination.

[0072] In some aspects, the congestion indication may include a backoff timer value. In some aspects, determining at a lower layer whether to select another network on a non-3GPP access based at least in part on the congestion indication includes determining whether to select another network on a non-3GPP access based at least in part on the backoff timer value. The larger the backoff timer value, the greater the motivation to select another network. In some aspects, the method may include establishing a signaling connection, initiating a 5GMM process with the newly selected network, and stopping timer T3346.

[0073] In some aspects, a base station of a network may link a congestion indication at the NAS layer with a congestion indication at a lower layer. For example, a base station may establish a signaling connection with a UE in a lower layer on a non-3GPP access. The base station may receive a 5GMM process request from the UE at the NAS layer using the signaling connection and at least in part based on the establishment of the signaling connection in the lower layer. The base station may identify a congestion condition in the network and send a 5GMM process rejection message to the UE on a non-3GPP access, wherein the 5GMM process rejection message includes a congestion backoff timer value. The base station may provide a congestion indication to a lower layer of a non-3GPP access in the network based at least in part on identifying a congestion condition. The base station may release a signaling connection in a lower layer on a non-3GPP access. The connection release message may indicate congestion and include a backoff timer.

[0074] In some aspects, a base station may establish a signaling connection with a UE in a lower layer on a non-3GPP access including: establishing an IPSec connection between an ePDG in the network and the UE. The base station may receive a 5GMM procedure request from the UE at the NAS layer, and this may include: receiving a 5GMM procedure request in an access and mobility management function (AMF) in the network. The base station may identify a congestion condition in the network by identifying AMF congestion. The base station may provide a congestion indication to a lower layer of a non-3GPP access in the network based at least in part on identifying a congestion condition by sending a congestion indication from the AMF to the ePDG. The base station may release a signaling connection in a lower layer on a non-3GPP access by sending a connection release message from the ePDG to the UE. The backoff timer may be based at least in part on the backoff timer.

[0075] As mentioned above, Figure 3 is provided as an example. Other examples may differ from those described above. Figure 3 Examples described.

[0076] Figure 4 4 is a diagram illustrating an example process 400 performed, for example, by a UE according to the present disclosure. The example process 400 is a UE (e.g., Figure 1 and Figure 2 UE 120 depicted in Figure 3 An example of a UE depicted in FIG. 4 performing operations associated with a NAS congestion indication.

[0077] like Figure 4 As shown, in some aspects, process 400 may include receiving a procedure reject message for non-cellular access from the network at the NAS layer (block 410). For example, the UE (e.g., using receive processor 258, transmit processor 264, controller / processor 280, memory 282) may receive a procedure reject message for non-cellular access from the network at the NAS layer, as described above.

[0078] like Figure 4 As further shown, in some aspects, process 400 may include providing, from the NAS layer to lower layers, a first congestion indication for non-cellular access based at least in part on receiving the process reject message (block 420). For example, the UE (e.g., using receive processor 258, transmit processor 264, controller / processor 280, memory 282) may provide, from the NAS layer to lower layers, a first congestion indication for non-cellular access based at least in part on receiving the process reject message, as described above.

[0079] like Figure 4As further shown, in some aspects, process 400 may include avoiding initiating establishment of a signaling connection at a lower layer based at least in part on the first congestion indication (block 430). For example, the UE (e.g., using receive processor 258, transmit processor 264, controller / processor 280, memory 282) may avoid initiating establishment of a signaling connection at a lower layer based at least in part on the first congestion indication, as described above.

[0080] Process 400 may include additional aspects, such as any single aspect or any combination of the aspects described below and / or in conjunction with one or more other processes described elsewhere herein.

[0081] In a first aspect, process 400 includes implementing a power saving mechanism at a lower layer based at least in part on a first congestion indication.

[0082] In a second aspect, alone or in combination with the first aspect, the lower layers for non-cellular access include one or more of a WLAN connection layer or an IPSec layer.

[0083] In a third aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first and second aspects, process 400 includes disabling a WLAN connection based at least in part on the first congestion indication.

[0084] In a fourth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first to third aspects, the process 400 includes preventing IPSec establishment based at least in part on the first congestion indication.

[0085] In a fifth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first to fourth aspects, process 400 includes: starting a backoff timer at a NAS layer using a backoff timer value; providing a second congestion indication from the NAS layer to a lower layer based at least in part on expiration of the backoff timer; and initiating establishment of a signaling connection in the lower layer based at least in part on the second congestion indication.

[0086] In a sixth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first to fifth aspects, the process 400 includes providing a back-off timer value together with the first congestion indication from the NAS layer to a lower layer.

[0087] In a seventh aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first to sixth aspects, process 400 includes implementing a power saving mechanism at a lower layer based at least in part on the first congestion indication and the backoff timer value.

[0088] In the eighth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first to seventh aspects, process 400 includes: initiating establishment of a signaling connection at a lower layer; and initiating a registration process or a service request process at the NAS layer based at least in part on receiving an indication from the lower layer about establishing a signaling connection.

[0089] In a ninth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first to eighth aspects, the process reject message includes a cause value indicating congestion.

[0090] Although Figure 4 Example blocks of process 400 are shown, but in some aspects, process 400 may include Figure 4 The blocks depicted in the process 400 may be additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or blocks arranged in a different manner than those depicted in the process 400. Additionally or alternatively, two or more blocks in the blocks of process 400 may be executed in parallel.

[0091] Figure 5 5 is a diagram illustrating an example process 500 performed, for example, by a UE according to the present disclosure. The example process 500 is a UE (e.g., Figure 1 and Figure 2 UE 120 depicted in Figure 3 An example of a UE depicted in FIG. 4 performing operations associated with a NAS congestion indication.

[0092] like Figure 5 As shown, in some aspects, process 500 may include receiving a procedure reject message for non-cellular access from the network at the NAS layer (block 510). For example, the UE (e.g., using receive processor 258, transmit processor 264, controller / processor 280, memory 282) may receive a procedure reject message for non-cellular access from the network at the NAS layer, as described above.

[0093] like Figure 5 As further shown, in some aspects, process 500 may include providing, from the NAS layer to lower layers, a congestion indication for non-cellular access based at least in part on receiving the process reject message (block 520). For example, the UE (e.g., using receive processor 258, transmit processor 264, controller / processor 280, memory 282) may provide, from the NAS layer to lower layers, a congestion indication for non-cellular access based at least in part on receiving the process reject message, as described above.

[0094] like Figure 5As further shown, in some aspects, process 500 may include determining at a lower layer whether to select another network or access point for non-cellular access based at least in part on the congestion indication (block 530). For example, the UE (e.g., using receive processor 258, transmit processor 264, controller / processor 280, memory 282) may determine at a lower layer whether to select another network or access point for non-cellular access based at least in part on the congestion indication, as described above.

[0095] like Figure 5 As further shown, in some aspects, process 500 may include selecting another network or access point on a non-cellular access based at least in part on a determination at a lower layer to select another network or access point for non-cellular access (block 540). For example, the UE (e.g., using receive processor 258, transmit processor 264, controller / processor 280, memory 282) may select another network or access point on a non-cellular access based at least in part on a determination at a lower layer to select another network or access point for non-cellular access, as described above.

[0096] Process 500 may include additional aspects, such as any single aspect or any combination of the aspects described below and / or in conjunction with one or more other processes described elsewhere herein.

[0097] In a first aspect, the congestion indication includes a backoff timer value for a backoff timer, and determining whether to select another network or access point for non-cellular access includes determining whether to select another network or access point for non-cellular access based at least in part on a comparison of the backoff timer value with a timer threshold.

[0098] In a second aspect, either alone or in combination with the first aspect, process 500 includes initiating establishment of a signaling connection to a new network or access point at a lower layer based at least in part on a determination to select another network or access point; and sending a registration request or a service request to the new network or access point at the NAS layer based at least in part on an indication to establish a signaling connection at the lower layer.

[0099] In a third aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first and second aspects, the process 500 includes: stopping a backoff timer.

[0100] Although Figure 5 Example blocks of process 500 are shown, but in some aspects, process 500 may include Figure 5 The blocks depicted in the process 500 may be additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or blocks arranged in a different manner than those depicted in the process 500. Additionally or alternatively, two or more blocks in the blocks of process 500 may be executed in parallel.

[0101] Figure 6 6 is a diagram illustrating an example process 600 performed, for example, by a network device according to the present disclosure. The example process 600 is a network device (e.g., Figure 3 An example of AP 310, core network functions, AMF) performing operations associated with NAS congestion indication is depicted in FIG.

[0102] like Figure 6 As further shown, in some aspects, process 600 may include receiving a registration request or a service request from a UE at the NAS layer using a signaling connection established at lower layers for non-cellular access in the network (block 610). For example, a network device (e.g., using receive processor 238, transmit processor 220, controller / processor 240, memory 242) may receive a registration request or a service request from a UE at the NAS layer using a signaling connection established at lower layers for non-cellular access in the network, as described above.

[0103] like Figure 6 As shown, in some aspects, process 600 may include: identifying a congestion condition in the network (block 620). For example, a network device (e.g., using receive processor 238, transmit processor 220, controller / processor 240, memory 242) may identify a congestion condition in the network, as described above.

[0104] like Figure 6 As further shown, in some aspects, process 600 may include sending a process reject message to the UE based at least in part on identifying the congestion condition (block 630). For example, the network device (e.g., using receive processor 238, transmit processor 220, controller / processor 240, memory 242) may send the process reject message to the UE based at least in part on identifying the congestion condition, as described above.

[0105] like Figure 6 As further shown, in some aspects, process 600 may include providing a congestion indication to a lower layer in the network based at least in part on identifying a congestion condition (block 640). For example, a network device (e.g., using receive processor 238, transmit processor 220, controller / processor 240, memory 242) may provide a congestion indication to a lower layer in the network based at least in part on identifying a congestion condition, as described above.

[0106] Process 600 may include additional aspects, such as any single aspect or any combination of the aspects described below and / or in conjunction with one or more other processes described elsewhere herein.

[0107] In a first aspect, the signaling connection at the lower layer comprises an Internet Protocol Security connection between an ePDG in the network and the UE.

[0108] In a second aspect, alone or in combination with the first aspect, providing the congestion indication to the lower layer comprises: providing the congestion indication to the ePDG.

[0109] In a third aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first and second aspects, identifying an indication of congestion in a network comprises: identifying congestion at an AMF in the network.

[0110] In a fourth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first to third aspects, the process 600 includes: releasing a signaling connection at a lower layer.

[0111] In a fifth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first to fourth aspects, releasing the signaling connection at the lower layer includes: sending a connection release message from an ePDG in the network to the UE.

[0112] In a sixth aspect, either alone or in combination with one or more of the first to fifth aspects, process 600 comprises synchronizing operations at least partially based on congestion indications for the AMF with operations at least partially based on congestion indications for the ePDG of the signaling connection.

[0113] In a seventh aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of aspects 1 to 6, process 600 includes: indicating a value of a first backoff timer for a NAS layer to a lower layer in a congestion indication; and maintaining a second backoff timer for the lower layer based at least in part on the value of the first backoff timer.

[0114] Although Figure 6 Example blocks of process 600 are shown, but in some aspects process 600 may include Figure 6 The blocks depicted in the process 600 may be additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or blocks arranged in a different manner than those depicted in the process 600. Additionally or alternatively, two or more blocks in the blocks of process 600 may be executed in parallel.

[0115] The following provides an overview of some aspects of the disclosure:

[0116] Aspect 1: A method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE), comprising: receiving a procedure reject message for non-cellular access from a network at a non-access stratum (NAS) layer; providing a first congestion indication for non-cellular access from the NAS layer to a lower layer based at least in part on receiving the procedure reject message; and avoiding initiating establishment of a signaling connection at the lower layer based at least in part on the first congestion indication.

[0117] Aspect 2: The method of aspect 1 further comprises: implementing a power saving mechanism at the lower layer based at least in part on the first congestion indication.

[0118] Aspect 3: The method of aspect 1 or 2, wherein the lower layer for non-cellular access comprises one or more of a wireless local area network (WLAN) connection layer or an Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) layer.

[0119] Aspect 4: The method of Aspect 3 further comprises: disabling a WLAN connection based at least in part on the first congestion indication.

[0120] Aspect 5: The method of Aspect 3 or 4 further includes: preventing IPSec establishment based at least in part on the first congestion indication.

[0121] Aspect 6: The method of any one of Aspects 1-5, wherein the process rejection message includes a backoff timer value, and wherein the method further comprises: using the backoff timer value to start a backoff timer at the NAS layer; providing a second congestion indication from the NAS layer to the lower layer based at least in part on the expiration of the backoff timer; and initiating establishment of a signaling connection in the lower layer based at least in part on the second congestion indication.

[0122] Aspect 7: The method of Aspect 6 further includes: providing the backoff timer value together with the first congestion indication from the NAS layer to the lower layer.

[0123] Aspect 8: The method of aspect 7 further comprises: implementing a power saving mechanism at the lower layer based at least in part on the first congestion indication and the backoff timer value.

[0124] Aspect 9: The method described in any one of Aspects 1-8 further includes: initiating establishment of a signaling connection at the lower layer; and initiating a registration process or a service request process at the NAS layer based at least in part on receiving an indication from the lower layer regarding establishment of a signaling connection.

[0125] Aspect 10: The method of any one of Aspects 1-9, wherein the process reject message includes a cause value indicating congestion.

[0126] Aspect 11: A method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE), comprising: receiving a procedure reject message for non-cellular access from a network at a non-access stratum (NAS) layer; providing a congestion indication for non-cellular access from the NAS layer to a lower layer based at least in part on receiving the procedure reject message; determining at the lower layer whether to select another network or access point for non-cellular access based at least in part on the congestion indication; and selecting another network or access point on the non-cellular access based at least in part on determining at the lower layer to select another network or access point for non-cellular access.

[0127] Aspect 12: The method of Aspect 11, wherein the congestion indication includes a backoff timer value for a backoff timer, and wherein the determination of whether to select another network or access point for non-cellular access includes: determining whether to select another network or access point for non-cellular access based at least in part on a result of comparing the backoff timer value with a timer threshold.

[0128] Aspect 13: The method described in Aspect 12 further includes: initiating establishment of a signaling connection to a new network or access point at the lower layer based at least in part on determining to select another network or access point; and sending a registration request or a service request to the new network or access point at the NAS layer based at least in part on an indication of establishing the signaling connection at the lower layer.

[0129] Aspect 14: The method described in Aspect 12 or 13 further includes: stopping the backoff timer.

[0130] Aspect 15: A method of wireless communication performed by a network device, comprising: receiving a registration request or a service request from a user equipment (UE) at a non-access stratum (NAS) layer using a signaling connection established at a lower layer for non-cellular access in a network; identifying a congestion condition in the network; sending a process rejection message to the UE based at least in part on identifying the congestion condition; and providing a congestion indication to the lower layer in the network based at least in part on identifying the congestion condition.

[0131] Aspect 16: The method of aspect 15, wherein the signaling connection at the lower layer comprises an Internet Protocol security connection between an evolved packet data gateway (ePDG) in the network and the UE.

[0132] Aspect 17: The method of Aspect 16, wherein providing the congestion indication to the lower layer comprises: providing the congestion indication to the ePDG.

[0133] Aspect 18: The method of any one of Aspects 15-17, wherein identifying the congestion indication in the network comprises identifying congestion at an access and mobility management function in the network.

[0134] Aspect 19: The method of any one of Aspects 15-18, further comprising: releasing the signaling connection at the lower layer.

[0135] Aspect 20: The method of aspect 19, wherein releasing the signaling connection at the lower layer comprises: sending a connection release message from an evolved packet data gateway in the network to the UE.

[0136] Aspect 21: The method of any one of Aspects 15-20, further comprising: synchronizing operations of access and mobility management functions based at least in part on the congestion indication with operations of an evolved packet data gateway for the signaling connection based at least in part on the congestion indication.

[0137] Aspect 22: The method described in any one of Aspects 15-21 further includes: indicating the value of a first backoff timer for the NAS layer to the lower layer in the congestion indication; and maintaining a second backoff timer for the lower layer based at least in part on the value of the first backoff timer.

[0138] Aspect 23: An apparatus for wireless communication at a device, comprising: a processor; a memory coupled to the processor; and instructions, the instructions being stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform the method described in one or more of Aspects 1-22.

[0139] Aspect 24: An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising a memory and one or more processors coupled to the memory, the one or more processors being configured to perform the method of one or more of aspects 1-22.

[0140] Aspect 25: An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising at least one unit for performing the method of one or more aspects of aspects 1-22.

[0141] Aspect 26: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication, the code comprising instructions executable by a processor to perform the method of one or more of aspects 1-22.

[0142] Aspect 27: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing an instruction set for wireless communication, the instruction set comprising one or more instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors of a device, causes the device to perform the method described in one or more of aspects 1-22.

[0143] The foregoing disclosure provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the aspects to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practice of the various aspects.

[0144] As used herein, the term "component" is intended to be broadly interpreted as hardware, software, and / or a combination of hardware and software. As used herein, a processor is implemented using hardware, software, and / or a combination of hardware and software. Whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or other names, software will be broadly interpreted to mean instructions, instruction sets, codes, code segments, program codes, programs, subroutines, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, threads of execution, processes, and / or functions, and other examples.

[0145] It will be apparent that the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented with various forms of hardware and / or combinations of hardware and software. The actual specialized control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods is not limiting in any respect. Thus, the operation and behavior of the systems and / or methods are described herein without reference to specific software code—it is to be understood that software and hardware may be designed to implement the systems and / or methods based, at least in part, on the description herein.

[0146] As used herein, satisfying a threshold may refer to a value being greater than a threshold, greater than or equal to a threshold, less than a threshold, less than or equal to a threshold, equal to a threshold, not equal to a threshold, etc., depending on the context.

[0147] Even if the specific combination of features is recorded in the claims and / or disclosed in the specification, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of various aspects. In fact, many of these features can be combined in a manner not specifically recorded in the claims and / or specifically disclosed in the specification. Although each dependent claim listed below can directly depend on only one claim, the disclosure of various aspects includes the combination of each dependent claim and each other claim in the claim set. As used herein, the phrase of "at least one of" referring to the list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. For example, "at least one of a, b or c" is intended to cover a, b, c, ab, ac, bc and abc, and any combination (for example, aa, aaa, aab, aac, abb, acc, bb, bbb, bbc, cc and ccc or any other sorting of a, b and c) of multiple identical elements.

[0148] None of the elements, actions or instructions used herein should be interpreted as key or necessary, unless clearly described as such. In addition, as used herein, the articles "a" and "an" are intended to include one or more projects, and can be used interchangeably with "one or more". Further, as used herein, the article "said" is intended to include one or more projects quoted in conjunction with the article "said", and can be used interchangeably with "one or more". In addition, as used herein, the terms "set" and "group" are intended to include one or more projects (for example, related projects, unrelated projects, the combination of related projects and unrelated projects), and can be used interchangeably with "one or more". In the case of only expecting a project, phrases "only one" or similar language are used. In addition, as used herein, the terms "has", "have", "having" etc. are intended to be open terms. Further, unless otherwise explicitly stated, phrase "based on" is intended to mean "based at least in part". Furthermore, as used herein, the term "or" when used in a series is intended to be inclusive and can be used interchangeably with "and / or" unless expressly stated otherwise (eg, if used in conjunction with "either" or "only one of").

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising: Memory; as well as one or more processors coupled to the memory, the one or more processors configured to: sending a request for non-cellular access to a network; receiving, at a non-access stratum (NAS) layer, from the network a procedure reject message in response to the request for non-cellular access; providing a first congestion indication to at least one lower layer for a non-cellular access based at least in part on the process rejection message, the at least one lower layer comprising one or more of a wireless local area network (WLAN) connection layer or an Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) layer; avoiding, at the at least one lower layer, initiating establishment of a signaling connection based at least in part on the first congestion indication; providing a second congestion indication to the at least one lower layer to initiate establishment of the signaling connection; as well as Initiating establishment of the signaling connection in the at least one lower layer is accomplished based at least in part on the second congestion indication.

2. The UE according to claim 1, wherein: The one or more processors are configured to implement a power saving mechanism at the at least one lower layer based at least in part on the first congestion indication.

3. The UE according to claim 1, wherein: The one or more processors are configured to disable a WLAN connection based at least in part on the first congestion indication.

4. The UE according to claim 1, wherein: The process reject message includes a back-off timer value, and wherein, to provide the second congestion indication, the one or more processors are configured to: starting a back-off timer at the NAS layer using the back-off timer value; and The second congestion indication is provided to the at least one lower layer based at least in part on expiration of the backoff timer.

5. The UE according to claim 4, wherein: The one or more processors are configured to provide the back-off timer value together with the first congestion indication from the NAS layer to the at least one lower layer.

6. The UE according to claim 5, wherein: The one or more processors are configured to implement a power saving mechanism at the at least one lower layer based at least in part on the first congestion indication and the back-off timer value.

7. The UE according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one lower layer comprises the WLAN connection layer, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to: A registration procedure or a service request procedure is initiated at the NAS layer based at least in part on an indication from the WLAN connection layer to establish the signaling connection.

8. The UE according to claim 1, wherein: The process reject message includes a cause value indicating congestion.

9. The UE according to claim 6, wherein: The back-off timer value satisfies a timer threshold associated with implementation of the power saving mechanism.

10. The UE according to claim 7, wherein: To initiate the registration process or the service request process, the one or more processors are configured to: A connection release message associated with releasing the signaling connection used to initiate the service request procedure or the registration procedure is received.

11. The UE of claim 7, wherein the at least one lower layer avoids initiating establishment of the signaling connection based at least in part on the running of a backoff timer, and initiates establishment of the signaling connection based at least in part on the stopping of the backoff timer.

12. The UE of claim 11, wherein the back-off timer is indicated to the UE based at least in part on a connection release message from an evolved packet data gateway.

13. A method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE), comprising: sending a request for non-cellular access to a network; receiving, at a non-access stratum (NAS) layer, from the network a procedure reject message in response to the request for non-cellular access; providing a first congestion indication to at least one lower layer for a non-cellular access based at least in part on the process rejection message, the at least one lower layer comprising one or more of a wireless local area network (WLAN) connection layer or an Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) layer; avoiding, at the at least one lower layer, initiating establishment of a signaling connection based at least in part on the first congestion indication; providing a second congestion indication to the at least one lower layer to initiate establishment of the signaling connection; as well as Initiating establishment of the signaling connection in the at least one lower layer is accomplished based at least in part on the second congestion indication.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: A power saving mechanism is implemented at the at least one lower layer based at least in part on the first congestion indication.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: A WLAN connection is disabled based at least in part on the first congestion indication.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The process reject message includes a back-off timer value, and wherein providing the second congestion indication includes: starting a back-off timer at the NAS layer using the back-off timer value; and The second congestion indication is provided to the at least one lower layer based at least in part on expiration of the backoff timer.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising: The back-off timer value is provided together with the first congestion indication from the NAS layer to the at least one lower layer.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: A power saving mechanism at the at least one lower layer is implemented based at least in part on the first congestion indication and the back-off timer value.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The at least one lower layer comprises the WLAN connection layer, and the method further comprises: A registration procedure or a service request procedure is initiated at the NAS layer based at least in part on an indication from the WLAN connection layer to establish the signaling connection.

20. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The process reject message includes a cause value indicating congestion.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein: The back-off timer value satisfies a timer threshold associated with implementation of the power saving mechanism.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a set of instructions for wireless communication, the set of instructions comprising: One or more instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a user equipment (UE), cause the UE to: sending a request for non-cellular access to a network; receiving, at a non-access stratum (NAS) layer, from the network a procedure reject message in response to the request for non-cellular access; providing a first congestion indication to at least one lower layer for a non-cellular access based at least in part on the process rejection message, the at least one lower layer comprising one or more of a wireless local area network (WLAN) connection layer or an Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) layer; avoiding, at the at least one lower layer, initiating establishment of a signaling connection based at least in part on the first congestion indication; providing a second congestion indication to the at least one lower layer to initiate establishment of the signaling connection; as well as Initiating establishment of the signaling connection in the at least one lower layer is accomplished based at least in part on the second congestion indication.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein: The process reject message includes a backoff timer value and a cause value indicating congestion.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein: When executed by one or more processors of the UE, the one or more instructions further cause the UE to perform the following operations: A back-off timer is started at the NAS layer, the back-off timer being indicated to the UE based at least in part on a connection release message from an evolved packet data gateway.

25. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: means for sending a request for non-cellular access to a network; means for receiving, at a non-access stratum (NAS) layer, from the network a procedure reject message in response to the request for non-cellular access; means for providing a first congestion indication to at least one lower layer for a non-cellular access based at least in part on the process reject message, the at least one lower layer comprising one or more of a wireless local area network (WLAN) connection layer or an Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) layer; as well as means for avoiding, at the at least one lower layer, initiating establishment of a signaling connection based at least in part on the first congestion indication; means for providing a second congestion indication to the at least one lower layer to initiate establishment of the signaling connection; as well as Means for enabling initiating establishment of the signaling connection in the at least one lower layer based at least in part on the second congestion indication.

26. The device according to claim 25, wherein The process reject message includes a backoff timer value and a cause value indicating congestion.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising: Means for starting a back-off timer at the NAS layer, the back-off timer being indicated to the apparatus based at least in part on a connection release message from an evolved packet data gateway.

28. The device according to claim 25, wherein The at least one lower layer includes the WLAN connection layer, the apparatus further comprising: Means for initiating a registration procedure or a service request procedure at the NAS layer based at least in part on an indication from the WLAN connection layer to establish the signaling connection.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, the process reject message comprising a backoff timer value, and wherein: The unit for providing the first congestion indication includes: means for providing the back-off timer value to the at least one lower layer using the first congestion indication when the back-off timer at the NAS layer is running, so as to prevent the at least one lower layer from establishing the signaling connection.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising: Means for selecting another network or access point over a non-cellular access based at least in part on the first congestion indication.

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