Access to home operator services using separate wireless networks

Abstract

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for accessing home operator services through a home subscription using radio access from a subscription on a separate operator. A method, which can be performed by a user equipment (UE), includes obtaining a data connection with a first wireless network based on a first subscription, obtaining a tunnel connection with a gateway of a second wireless network through the data connection based on a second subscription associated with the second wireless network, and communicating with the second wireless network through the tunnel connection using the data connection.

Description

[0001] Cross Reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Application No. 17 / 332,288, filed May 27, 2021, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 036,615, filed June 9, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to wireless communications, and more particularly, to techniques for accessing home operator services through a home subscription using radio access from a subscription on a separate operator. BACKGROUND

[0004] Wireless communications systems are widely deployed to provide various telecommunication services such as telephony, video, data, messaging, broadcasts, etc. These wireless communications systems can employ multiple-access technologies capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power, etc.). 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 others.

[0005] These multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunication standards to provide a common protocol that enables different wireless devices to communicate on a municipal, national, regional, and even global level. New radio (e.g., 5G NR) is an example of an emerging telecommunication standard. NR is a set of enhancements to the LTE mobile standard promulgated by 3GPP. NR is designed to better support mobile broadband Internet access by improving spectral efficiency, lowering costs, improving services, making use of new spectrum, and better integrating with other open standards using OFDMA with a cyclic prefix (CP) on the downlink (DL) and on the uplink (UL). To these ends, NR supports beamforming, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology, and carrier aggregation.

[0006] However, as the demand for mobile broadband access continues to increase, there exists a need for further improvements in NR and LTE technology. Preferably, these improvements should be applicable to other multi-access technologies and the telecommunication standards that employ these technologies. SUMMARY

[0007] The systems, methods, and devices of the disclosure each have several aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for its desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope of this disclosure as expressed by the claims which follow, some features will now be discussed briefly. The instant disclosure will be described with reference to exemplary drawings, however the instant disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein. Rather, specific embodiments are provided, so that one skilled in the art can better understand the instant disclosure and verify its correctness. It will also be readily understood that the examples shown carry into effect the features described and sub-combinations thereof. The following detailed description, given by way of example, but not intended to limit the application solely to the embodiments described, includes various features which can be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

[0008] Certain aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a method for wireless communication. The method generally includes obtaining a data connection with a first wireless network based on a first subscription, obtaining a tunnel connection with a gateway of a second wireless network over the data connection based on a second subscription associated with the second wireless network, and communicating with the second wireless network over the tunnel connection using the data connection.

[0009] Certain aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a device for wireless communication. The device generally includes means for obtaining a data connection with a first wireless network based on a first subscription, means for obtaining a tunnel connection with a gateway of a second wireless network over the data connection based on a second subscription associated with the second wireless network, and means for communicating with the second wireless network over the tunnel connection using the data connection.

[0010] Certain aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a device for wireless communication. The device generally includes means for obtaining a data connection with a first wireless network based on a first subscription, means for obtaining a tunnel connection with a gateway of a second wireless network over the data connection based on a second subscription associated with the second wireless network, and means for communicating with the second wireless network over the tunnel connection using the data connection.

[0011] Certain aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a device for wireless communication. The device generally includes means for obtaining a data connection with a first wireless network based on a first subscription, means for obtaining a tunnel connection with a gateway of a second wireless network over the data connection based on a second subscription associated with the second wireless network, and means for communicating with the second wireless network over the tunnel connection using the data connection.

[0012] Certain aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a computer readable medium for wireless communication. The computer readable medium generally includes instructions executable to obtain a data connection with a first wireless network based on a first subscription, obtain a tunnel connection with a gateway of a second wireless network over the data connection based on a second subscription associated with the second wireless network, and communicate with the second wireless network over the tunnel connection using the data connection.

[0013] Aspects of the disclosure provide apparatus, devices, processors and computer-readable media for performing the methods described herein.

[0014] To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the one or more aspects comprise the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative features of the one or more aspects. These features are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of various aspects can be employed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] So that the above-recited features of the above-described aspects of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description, briefly summarized above, can be had by reference to various aspects, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only certain typical aspects of this disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the description can admit to other equally effective aspects.

[0016] Figure 1 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating an example wireless communication network, in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 2 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating a design of an example base station (BS) and user equipment (UE), in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 3 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating a UE with a cellular modem and a wireless local area network (WLAN) modem, in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 4 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating a communication network in which a UE communicates with a core network via a WLAN air interface, in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating example operations for wireless communication by a UE, in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 6is a block diagram conceptually illustrating a communication network in which a UE communicates with a home Evolved Packet Core (EPC) via an external EPC, in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 7 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating a communication network in which a UE communicates with a home 5G Core network via an external EPC, in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 8 is a signaling flow diagram illustrating example signaling for accessing a home network over a subscription on a separate network, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 9 is a flow diagram illustrating example operations for accessing a home network over a subscription on a separate network while considering WLAN availability, in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 10 communication devices that can include various components configured to perform operations for the techniques disclosed herein are illustrated.

[0026] To facilitate understanding, like reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements disclosed in one aspect can be beneficially utilized on other aspects without specific recitation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Aspects of the disclosure provide apparatus, methods, processing systems, and computer readable media for accessing home operator services over a subscription on a separate network. The various apparatuses and techniques described herein can allow a user with a multi-SIM device to continue to send and receive regular IMS mobile originating and mobile terminating voice calls using the user's own home phone number on an external network without incurring roaming charges. In other words, when using an additional SIM to access an external network, a user can use their own phone number to obtain cost-efficient services from a home network via the various apparatuses and techniques described herein.

[0028] The following description provides examples of using separate subscriptions to access operator services in a communication system and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or examples set forth in the claims. Changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements discussed without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Various examples can omit, substitute, or add various procedures or components as appropriate. For instance, the methods described can be performed in an order different than described, and other steps can be added, omitted, or combined. Also, features described with respect to some examples can be combined in some other examples. For example, an apparatus can be implemented or a method can be practiced using any number of the aspects set forth herein. In addition, the scope of the disclosure is intended to cover such an apparatus or method which is practiced using other structure, functionality, or structure and functionality in addition to, or other than, the various aspects presented herein. It should be understood that any aspect of the disclosure disclosed herein can be embodied by one or more elements of a claim. The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects.

[0029] In general, any number of wireless networks can be deployed in a given geographic area. Each wireless network can support a particular radio access technology (RAT) and can operate on one or more frequencies. A RAT can also be referred to as a radio technology, an air interface, etc. A frequency can also be referred to as a carrier, a subcarrier, a frequency channel, a tone, a subband, etc. Each frequency channel can support one RAT, in order to avoid interference between wireless networks operating according to different RATs.

[0030] The techniques described herein can be used for various wireless networks and radio technologies. While aspects can be described herein using terminology commonly associated with 3G, 4G, and / or new radio (e.g., 5GNR) wireless technologies, aspects of the present disclosure can be applied in other generation-based communication systems.

[0031] NR access can support various wireless communication services such as Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) that can target wide bandwidth (e.g., 80 MHz or beyond), millimeter wave (mmW) that can target high carrier frequency (e.g., 24 GHz to 53 GHz or beyond), massive machine type communications MTC (mMTC) that can target non-backward compatible MTC techniques with a large number of low-cost, low-complexity MTC devices, and / or mission critical that can target ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC). These services can include latency and reliability requirements. These services can also have different transmission time intervals (TTI) to meet respective quality of service (QoS) requirements. In addition, these services can co-exist in the same subframe. NR supports beamforming and beam direction can be dynamically configured. MIMO transmissions with precoding can also be supported. MIMO configurations in the DL can support up to 8 transmit antennas (multi-layer DL transmissions with up to 8 streams) and up to 2 streams per UE. Multi-layer transmissions with up to 2 streams per UE can be supported. Aggregation of multiple cells can be supported with up to 8 serving cells.

[0032] Figure 1 An example wireless communication network 100 in which aspects of the present disclosure can be performed is illustrated. For example, the wireless communication network 100 can be an NR system (e.g., a 5G NR network), an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) system, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), a CDMA2000 system, etc. As shown in Figure 1 As shown in

[0033] As shown in Figure 1 As illustrated in Figure 1In the example shown in FIG. 1, the BSs 110a, 110b, and 110c can be macro BSs for the macro cells 102a, 102b, and 102c, respectively. The BS 1 lOx can be a pico BS for the pico cell 102x. The BSs 1 lOy and 1 lOz can be femto BSs for the femto cells 102y and 102z, respectively. A BS can support one or multiple cells.

[0034] The BSs 110 communicate with UEs 120a-y (each also individually referred to herein as UE 120 or collectively as UEs 120) in the wireless communication network 100. The UEs 120 (e.g., 120x, 120y, etc.) can be dispersed throughout the wireless communication network 100, and each UE 120 can be stationary or mobile. The wireless communication network 100 can also include relay stations (e.g., relay station 1 lOr), also referred to as relays, etc., that receive a transmission of data and / or other information from an upstream station (e.g., a BS 110a or a UE 120r) and sends a transmission of the data and / or other information to a downstream station (e.g., a UE 120 or a BS 110), or that relays transmissions between UEs 120 to facilitate communication between devices.

[0035] A network controller 130 can be in communication with a set of BSs 110 and provide coordination and control for the BSs 110 (e.g., via the backhaul). In aspects, the network controller 130 can be in communication with a core network 132 (e.g., a 5G core network (5GC) or an evolved packet core (EPC)), which provides various network functions such as access and mobility management, session management, user plane function, policy control function, authentication server function, unified data management, application function, network exposure function, network repository function, network slice selection function, etc. In certain aspects, the core network 132 can include a gateway (not shown) that provides access to the Internet and / or access to other wireless networks as described herein over a WLAN interface. Figures 5-9 Further described are other wireless networks that can provide access to core network services (e.g., IMS services) as described herein.

[0036] Figure 2 Example components of the BS 110a and UE 120a (e.g., of the wireless communication network 100) that can be used to implement aspects of the present disclosure are illustrated. Figure 1

[0037] ​At the BS 110a, a transmit processor 220 can receive data from a data source 212 and control information from a controller / processor 240. The control information can be for the physical broadcast channel (PBCH), physical control format indicator channel (PCFICH), physical hybrid ARQ indicator channel (PHICH), physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), group common PDCCH (GC PDCCH), etc. The data can be for the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), etc. A medium access control (MAC)-control element (MAC-CE) is a MAC layer communication structure that can be used for control command exchange between wireless nodes. The MAC-CE can be carried in a shared channel, such as a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), or a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH).

[0038] The processor 220 can process (e.g., encode and symbol map) the data and control information to obtain data symbols and control symbols, respectively. The transmit processor 220 can also generate reference symbols, such as for the primary synchronization signal (PSS), secondary synchronization signal (SSS), PBCH demodulation reference signal (DMRS), and channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS). A transmit (TX) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) processor 230 can perform spatial processing (e.g., precoding) on the data symbols, the control symbols, and / or the reference symbols, if applicable, and can provide output symbol streams to the modulators (MODs) 232a-232t. Each modulator 232 can process a respective output symbol stream (e.g., for OFDM, etc.) to obtain an output sample stream. Each modulator can further process (e.g., convert to analog, amplify, filter, and upconvert) the output sample stream to obtain a downlink signal. Downlink signals from modulators 232a-232t can be transmitted via the antennas 234a-234t, respectively.

[0039] At the UE 120a, the antennas 252a-252r can receive the downlink signals from the BS 110a and can provide received signals to the demodulators (DEMODs) 254a-254r, respectively, in transceivers. Each demodulator 254 can condition (e.g., filter, amplify, downconvert, and digitize) a respective received signal to obtain input samples. Each demodulator can further process the input samples (e.g., for OFDM, etc.) to obtain received symbols. A MIMO detector 256 can obtain received symbols from all the demodulators 254a-254r, perform MIMO detection on the received symbols if applicable, and provide detected symbols. A receive processor 258 can process (e.g., demodulate, deinterleave, and decode) the detected symbols, providing decoded data for the UE 120a to a data sink 260, and provide decoded control information to a controller / processor 280.

[0040] On the uplink, at the UE 120a, a transmit processor 264 can receive and process data (e.g., for the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH)) from a data source 262 and control information (e.g., for the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH)) from the controller / processor 280. The transmit processor 264 can also generate reference symbols for a reference signal (e.g., for the sounding reference signal (SRS)). The symbols from the transmit processor 264 can be precoded by a TX MIMO processor 266 if applicable, further processed by modulators 254a-254r in transceivers, and transmitted to the BS 110a in accordance with the transmission scheme (e.g., for SC-FDM, etc.). At the BS 110a, the uplink signals from the UE 120a can be received by the antennas 234, processed by the modulators 232, detected by a MIMO detector 236 if applicable, and further processed by a receive processor 238 to obtain decoded data and control information sent by the UE 120a. The receive processor 238 can provide the decoded data to a data sink 239 and the decoded control information to a controller / processor 240.

[0041] The memory 242 and 282 can store data and program codes for the BS 110a and the UE 120a, respectively. A scheduler 244 can schedule UEs for data transmission on the downlink and / or uplink.

[0042] The antennas 252, processors 266, 258, 264, and / or controller / processor 280 of the UE 120a, and / or the antennas 234, processors 220, 230, 238, and / or controller / processor 240 of the BS 110a can be used to perform the various techniques and methods described herein. For example, as described Figure 2As shown in the middle, according to aspects described herein, the controller / processor 280 of the UE 120a has a subscription manager 281 that provides access to a first wireless network over a data connection on a second wireless network (e.g., BS 110a) based on a second subscription associated with the second wireless network. Although shown at the controller / processor, other components of the UE 120a and BS 110a can also be used to perform the operations described herein.

[0043] NR can utilize orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) with cyclic prefix (CP) on the uplink and downlink. NR can support half-duplex operation using time division duplex (TDD). OFDM and single-carrier frequency division multiplexing (SC-FDM) partition the system bandwidth into multiple orthogonal subcarriers, which are also commonly referred to as tones, frequency bins, and the like. Each subcarrier can be modulated with data. Modulation symbols can be sent in the frequency domain with OFDM and in the time domain with SC-FDM. The spacing of adjacent subcarriers can be fixed, and the total number of subcarriers can be dependent on the system bandwidth. The minimum resource allocation, called a resource block (RB), can be 12 consecutive subcarriers. The system bandwidth can also be partitioned into subbands. For example, a subband can cover multiple RBs. NR can support a base subcarrier spacing (SCS) of 15 kHz, and other SCS can be defined with respect to the base SCS (e.g., 30 kHz, 60 kHz, 120 kHz, 240 kHz, etc.).

[0044] Figure 3 A block diagram of an example UE 120 is illustrated. As shown, the UE 120 includes a processing system 302, a cellular modem 304, and a wireless local area network (WLAN) modem 306. The processing system 302 can include a processor coupled to memory, such as the controller / processor 280 coupled to the memory 282. The processing system 302 can provide data to, or obtain data from, the modems 304, 306, for wireless transmission or receipt from wireless reception. The cellular modem 304 can be configured to communicate with a radio access network (RAN), such as the BSs 110, according to various radio access technologies (RATs), such as E-UTRA, UMTS, CDMA2000, and the like. In aspects, the cellular modem 304 can be coupled to subscriber identity modules (SIMs) 308, 310, which enable the cellular modem 304 to access multiple subscriptions on one or more RANs.

[0045] For example, the WLAN modem 306 can be configured to communicate with wireless stations and / or access points in a WLAN based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, which sets the WLAN air interface standard set developed by the IEEE 802.11 committee for short-range communications.

[0046] Figure 4 A wireless communication network 400 is illustrated in which a UE 120 communicates with a core network 132 via a WLAN air interface. With access to the UE 120 via a WLAN, the core network 132 is able to provide various services (e.g., voice calls or messaging) to the UE 120 over the WLAN. The UE 120 uses a WLAN RAT (such as the IEEE 802.11 standard) to wirelessly communicate with an access point 402. For example, the UE 120 can use the WLAN modem 306 to communicate with the access point 402. In certain cases, the UE 120 can use a data connection through the access point 402 to obtain a tunnel connection to a gateway 406 of the core network 132. That is, the UE 120 can discover and communicate with the gateway 406 over the Internet 404 through a data connection established with the access point 402. The UE 120 can authenticate with the gateway 406 using credentials of a SIM (or subscription) on a wireless network (e.g., a public land mobile network (PLMN)) to which the core network 132 belongs. In aspects, the gateway 406 can provide a connection to a packet gateway 408, which provides a connection to various Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) services, such as voice calls or messaging. In certain aspects, the gateway 406 can be an evolved packet data network gateway (ePDG) in an EPC or a non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) in a 5GC.

[0047] Example access to home operator services using a subscription on a separate operator

[0048] In certain wireless communication networks, such as CDMA2000, UMTS, E-UTRA, and / or 5G NR, a UE can support multiple subscriptions with one or more wireless networks (e.g., via multiple subscriber identity modules (SIMs) or universal SIMs (USIMs)). A UE with multiple subscription capabilities (e.g., multiple SIMs) can be able to access various services or functions associated with each subscription, such as different subscriber accounts, different networks (e.g., RANs), and / or different radio access technologies (RATs) (e.g., E-UTRA or 5G NR). In certain cases, a UE can have a SIM for business use and another SIM for private use, where each SIM provides a separate number and / or data service (e.g., 5G NR and / or E-UTRA data service). In other cases, an additional SIM can be employed when a UE is taken to a different country with a different RAN or RAT. Some multiple subscription configurations enable each subscription to be active at the same time, allowing for communication at any given time (e.g., dual SIM single standby (DSSS), dual SIM dual standby (DSDS), dual SIM dual active (DSDA), triple SIM triple standby (TSTS), etc.).

[0049] In certain cases, a user can face high roaming charges for wireless communication services when visiting a foreign country / network. To reduce these roaming charges, some users can have a multi-SIM device and when in a foreign country, the user can have a SIM of a local operator (i.e., the SIM for the visited country is referred to as a “first SIM”) and a home SIM (referred to as a “second SIM”) in the multi-SIM device and only use the first SIM during the user’s stay in the foreign country. In other words, the user can turn off the second SIM and only use the first SIM. In this scenario, there are various issues with the multi-SIM device. Since the first SIM has a different (local) phone number, the user cannot receive mobile terminated voice calls on the user’s home number because the second SIM is temporarily “turned off.” Since the user’s contacts can only know the user’s regular phone number on the second SIM, if the user makes a regular mobile originated voice call with the first SIM, the called contacts can not answer the phone because the caller ID can show as an unrecognized number (the local number from the first SIM).

[0050] The user faces various choices. First, the user can continue to use the first SIM without enabling the second SIM. Second, the user can turn off mobile data on the second SIM with voice roaming enabled. In this case, the user does not have to incur data roaming charges, but will incur voice roaming charges. As another option, instead of using regular Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) voice calls, the user can use over-the-top (OTT) services (e.g., Internet-based messaging or calling services), which can use the first SIM to access.

[0051] Aspects of the disclosure provide techniques and apparatuses for accessing home operator services through a subscription on a separate network (e.g., a RAN in another country). For example, a UE can use a subscription on an external network to access a gateway of a home network (e.g., an evolved packet data network gateway (ePDG) or a non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF)) through a data connection on the external network. In aspects, the UE can use a first subscription to communicate with the home network via a tunneled connection (e.g., an Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) tunneled connection) through the data connection on the external network. The various apparatuses and techniques described herein can allow a user with a multi-SIM device to continue to send and receive regular IMS mobile originated and mobile terminated voice calls using the user’s own home phone number on an external network without incurring roaming charges. In other words, when using an additional SIM to access an external network, the user is able to use the user’s own phone number to obtain cost-efficient services from the home network via the various apparatuses and techniques described herein.

[0052] In aspects, when a cellular modem connects through a cellular network of an external visited operator using a first local SIM, the cellular modem can be impersonated to appear like a WLAN modem to access a home network, e.g., as described herein with respect to Figure 4 The cellular modem connects to an ePDG of a home operator over the Internet using credentials from a second (home) SIM. The home operator effectively thinks that the user wants Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi) instead of Voice over LTE (VoLTE) and routes calls over the Internet to and from the ePDG instead of on the home or visited cellular network accordingly.

[0053] A software implementation of the cellular modem can be configured to use the first subscription to access the home network. As described further herein, the quality of the WLAN signal relative to the cellular signal can determine whether the UE accesses the home network through the WLAN or the RAN of the first subscription. The cellular modem can send Internet key exchange signaling to an ePDG of the home network to establish a secure tunneled connection (e.g., an IPsec tunneled connection) through which various services can be communicated.

[0054] Even if the UE connects to the Internet using credentials and other information from the first (external local) SIM, the UE can acquire credentials of the second (normal home) SIM and use these credentials to establish a tunnel connection to a home ePDG over a data connection to the Internet on the external network. Various algorithms can manage the mobility scenarios of the UE, e.g., from a coverage area of a home network to a coverage area of an external network or to a WLAN (or vice versa).

[0055] Aspects of the disclosure can apply to various RATs, such as E-UTRA or 5G NR. For example, if a home core network has deployed a 5GC, the core network can use N3IWF instead of an ePDG as a gateway to the 5GC. The external network to which the second SIM provides access can be a 5G system or an E-UTRA system, and the home network can be a 5G system or an E-UTRA system. For example, the SIM 308 can provide access to a 5G system or an E-UTRA system of a home core network, and the SIM 310 can provide access to a 5G system or an E-UTRA system of an external core network.

[0056] Figure 5 FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating example operations 500 for wireless communication, in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. The operations 500 can be performed, for example, by a UE (e.g., the UE 120a in the wireless communication network 100). The operations 500 can be implemented as software components that are run on one or more processors (e.g., controller / processor 280 of the UE 310). Figure 2 Further, the signal transmission and reception by the UE in the operations 500 can be implemented via the one or more antennas (e.g., antennas 252 of the UE 310). In certain aspects, the signal transmission and / or reception by the UE can be implemented via a bus interface of the one or more processors (e.g., controller / processor 280) obtaining and / or outputting (providing) the signals. Figure 2

[0057] The operations 500 can begin, at 502, where the UE can obtain a data connection with a first wireless network (e.g., a first PLMN) based on a first subscription (e.g., the SIM 308). At 504, the UE can obtain a tunnel connection with a gateway of a second wireless network (e.g., a second PLMN) over the data connection based on a second subscription (e.g., the SIM 310) associated with the second wireless network. At 506, the UE can communicate with the second wireless network using the data connection over the tunnel connection.

[0058] At 502, the UE can obtain the data connection with the first wireless network through radio resource control (RRC) signaling and / or non-access stratum (NAS) signaling, e.g., as described herein with respect to​Figure 8 Further described. For example, the UE can transmit a request to establish an RRC connection (e.g., an RRC connection request message) to a first wireless network, and receive an RRC setup message (e.g., an RRC connection setup message) from the first wireless network that establishes the RRC connection. With the RRC connection, the UE can attach to a core network of the first wireless network. For example, the UE can transmit a request to establish a packet data network (PDN) connection (e.g., a PDN connectivity request message) on a core network of the first wireless network, and the UE can receive a message (e.g., an activate default evolved packet system (EPS) bearer context request message) from the core network of the first wireless network that activates the PDN connection.

[0059] At 504, the UE can obtain the tunnel connection by discovering a gateway on the Internet using the data connection and establishing a tunnel connection with a core network of a second wireless network, e.g., using IKE signaling (e.g., IKEv2 as specified in IETF RFC 5996). Operation 500 can include the UE using the data connection to obtain a domain name (e.g., a fully qualified domain name (FQDN)) or an address (e.g., a static IP address) of the gateway. For example, the UE can send a domain name system (DNS) query for the domain name of the gateway, and receive the domain name of the gateway in response to the query. The UE can transmit (or provide) a request (e.g., an IKE SA INIT message) to establish the tunnel connection to the gateway via the domain name or address of the gateway.

[0060] In aspects, the UE can obtain the tunnel connection at 504 by authenticating with the second wireless network using one or more credentials of the second subscription. In certain aspects, the one or more credentials include at least one of a subscriber identity (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) or an authentication key (e.g., a key derived from an extensible authentication protocol (EAP) using a SIM). As an example, the UE can send an authentication request (e.g., an IKE AUTH request) to the gateway, where the authentication request includes a user identity or a subscriber identity (e.g., an IMSI) associated with the subscription. In aspects, the tunnel connection can be an internet protocol security (IPsec) tunnel connection.

[0061] At 506, the UE can communicate with the second wireless network via various services (e.g., IMS or non-IMS services). For example, communicating with the second wireless network at 506 can include communicating one or more IMS messages with the second wireless network, where the IMS messages can include at least one of one or more voice packets or one or more multimedia packets.

[0062] In aspects, the gateway can belong to various core networks, such as an EPC or a 5GC, e.g., as described herein with respect to Figure 6 and7 Further described. That is, the first wireless network can be an E-UTRA system or a 5G NR system, and the second wireless network can be an E-UTRA system or a 5G New Radio system. For example, the gateway can include at least one of an ePDG or an N3IWF, and the gateway can be in communication with a packet gateway (PGW) or a network entity (e.g., a server or gateway) having a user profile function (UPF).

[0063] In aspects, the first wireless network and the second wireless network can be associated with separate wireless network operators. For example, the first wireless network and the second wireless network can be associated with separate PLMNs belonging to different network operators. In certain cases, the first wireless network can be associated with at least one first PLMN, and the second wireless network can be associated with at least one second PLMN different from the at least one first PLMN. In certain aspects, the first PLMN can be operated by a different wireless network service provider or operator than the second PLMN. In certain cases, the first PLMN can be a visited country PLMN, and the second PLMN can be a home country PLMN. That is, the first wireless network and the second wireless network can be associated with separate PLMNs in different countries. For example, the first wireless network can be associated with at least one visited country public land mobile network (VPLMN), and the second wireless network can be associated with at least one second home country public land mobile network (HPLMN) different from the at least one VPLMN.

[0064] In certain aspects, for example, as described herein with respect to Figure 4As described, operations 500 can involve determining whether the WLAN is available for a gateway connection with the second wireless network. For example, if the WLAN is available, the UE can obtain a tunnel connection with the gateway through the WLAN, and if the WLAN is not available, the UE can obtain a tunnel connection with the gateway through a data connection with the first wireless network. With respect to operations 500, the UE can determine that the WLAN is not available for a gateway connection with the second wireless network, and the UE can obtain the tunnel connection based on the determination that the WLAN is not available. In certain aspects, the WLAN can be considered not available if the channel quality of the first wireless network is stronger than the channel quality of the WLAN. In other words, the UE can select the first wireless network over the WLAN depending on the channel quality or channel conditions of the first wireless network compared to the channel quality or channel conditions of the WLAN. More specifically, the channel quality or channel conditions can be determined from a channel quality indicator, a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), a signal-to-noise-plus-distortion ratio (SNDR), a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), a reference signal received power (RSRP), a reference signal received quality (RSRQ), etc. In other aspects, the WLAN can be considered not available if a signal strength associated with one or more transmissions from the WLAN is equal to or less than a threshold value. More specifically, this threshold value can be determined by the UE based on previous communications with the WLAN or provided to the UE by the WLAN. In still other aspects, the WLAN can be overloaded, and thus it informs the UE of this overload. In other words, the WLAN is not available. In other aspects, the WLAN can be considered not available if at least one of a delay or a quality of experience (QoE) in throughput is below a user's expectations. In other aspects, the WLAN can be considered not available if the UE is restricted from accessing the secure private WLAN.

[0065] In certain aspects, the visited country and the home network can be E-UTRA systems. For example, Figure 6A communication network 600 is illustrated in which a UE 120 communicates with a home EPC 602 via an external EPC 604 in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. As shown, the UE 120 can be a multi-SIM device with a visited country SIM 606 and a home country SIM 608. The UE 120 can be in a coverage area of a visited PLMN (VPLMN) 610 such that the UE 120 uses the visited country SIM 606 to wirelessly communicate with a RAN 612 of the VPLMN 610. The RAN 612 can be in communication with an EPC 604 that includes a mobility management entity (MME) 614, a serving gateway (SGW) 616, and a packet data network gateway (PGW) 618. The MME 614 can control radio access connections with the UE 120, the SGW 616 can route and forward user data packets across the external EPC 604 and to the RAN 612, and the PGW 618 can provide access to various data networks, such as the Internet 620.

[0066] The UE 120 can establish a tunnel connection 630 with the home EPC 602 via a data connection over the external EPC 604. For example, the UE 120 can send a request to establish a tunnel connection to an ePDG 622 of the home EPC 602 using credentials of the home SIM 608. The ePDG 622 can forward an authentication request for the tunnel connection from the UE 120 to various network entities of the home EPC 602 (e.g., an authentication, authorization, accounting (AAA) server and / or a home subscriber server (HSS) (not shown)). For example, once the tunnel connection is established, the ePDG 622 can forward user packets to / from a PGW 624 of the home EPC 602 (which can provide access to IMS services 626). In other words, the tunnel connection 630 between the UE 120 and the home EPC 602 can be terminated at the ePDG 622, and the ePDG 622 can route user packets from or to the UE 120 across various network entities of the home EPC 602. Stated another way, the UE 120 can communicate with a home country PLMN 628 (including the home EPC 602) over the tunnel connection 630 over the visited country PLMN 610.

[0067] In certain aspects, the visited country network can be an E-UTRA system and the home country network can be a 5G NR system. For example, Figure 7A communication network 700 is illustrated in which a UE 120 communicates with a home 5GC 702 via an external EPC 604 in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. As shown, the UE 120 can establish a tunnel connection 730 with the home 5GC 702 via a data connection over the external EPC 604. The UE 120 can use credentials of a home SIM 608 to send a request to establish a tunnel connection to an N3IWF 722 of a home EPC 602. The N3IWF 722 can forward an authentication request for the tunnel connection from the UE 120 to various network entities of the home 5GC 702 (e.g., an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), an Authentication Server Function (AUSF), and / or a Unified Data Manager (UDM) (not shown)). For example, once the tunnel connection is established, the N3IWF 722 can forward user packets to / from a User Plane Function (UPF) 724 of the home 5GC 702 (which can provide access to IMS services 726). In other words, the tunnel connection 730 between the UE 120 and the home 5GC 702 can terminate at the N3IWF 722, and the N3IWF 722 can route user packets from or to the UE 120 across various network entities of the home 5GC 702. Expressed in another way, the UE 120 can communicate with a home country PLMN 728 (including the home 5GC 702) over the tunnel connection 730 on a visited country PLMN 710.

[0068] Although to promote understanding Figure 6 and 7 The examples depicted in FIGS. 6-8 are described herein with respect to EPC-EPC tunnel connections and EPC-5GC tunnel connections, but aspects of the present disclosure can also be applied to various RATs, such as, for example, a visited country network is 5GC and a home country network is 5GC (5GC-5GC) or a visited country network is 5GC and a home country network is EPC.

[0069] Figure 8 is a signaling flow diagram illustrating example operations 800 for accessing a home network over a subscription on separate networks in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. As shown, at 810, a UE 120 can establish radio access with a RAN 802 of a first wireless network (e.g., VPLMN 604) using a subscription (e.g., SIM2) with the first wireless network. For example, the UE can transmit a request to establish an RRC connection (e.g., an RRC Connection Request message) to the RAN 802 and receive an RRC setup message (e.g., an RRC Connection Setup message) from the RAN 802 establishing the RRC connection.

[0070] At 812, the UE 120 can establish a data connection to a first core network 804 (e.g., an EPC or a 5GC) of the first wireless network. For example, the UE 120 can transmit, to the RAN 802, a request to establish a PDN connection on the first core network 804 of the first wireless network (e.g., a PDN connectivity request message), and the UE can receive, from the first core network 804 of the first wireless network via the RAN 802, a message to activate the PDN connection (e.g., an activate default evolved packet system (EPS) bearer context request message).

[0071] At 814, the UE 120 can discover, using the data connection of the first wireless network, a gateway 806 (e.g., an ePDG or an N3IWF) of a second wireless network (e.g., the HPLMN 602). For example, the UE can send a DNS query for a domain name of the gateway 806, and receive one or more domain names of the gateway 806 in response to the query.

[0072] At 816, the UE 120 can establish, using the data connection of the first wireless network, a tunnel connection through the gateway 806 to a second core network 808 (e.g., an EPC 602 or a 5GC 702) of the second wireless network. In certain cases, the tunnel connection can be established using credentials of a subscription (e.g., SIM1) on the second wireless network through IKE signaling. For example, the UE 120 can send, through the data connection on the first wireless network, a request to establish the tunnel connection to the gateway 806 (e.g., an IKE SA INIT message). The UE 120 can also send an authentication request (e.g., an IKE AUTH request) to the gateway 806, where the authentication request includes a user identity or subscriber identity (e.g., an IMSI) associated with a subscription (e.g., SIM1) on the second wireless network. The gateway 806 can forward IKE signaling to / from the second core network 808 to establish the tunnel connection.

[0073] At 818, the UE 120 can communicate with the second core network 808 through the tunnel connection on the data connection with the first core network 804. The gateway 806 can forward user packets to / from the UE 120 to / from the second network 808. In certain cases, the tunnel connection can provide access to IMS services on the second network 808, such as voice services or messaging services.

[0074] In certain aspects, accessing home operator services via the second wireless network can depend on whether a WLAN is available. Figure 9is a flowchart illustrating example operations 900 for accessing a home network through a subscription on a separate network while considering WLAN availability in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. As shown, at 902, a UE can power on in a coverage area of a visited country PLMN (VPLMN), where the UE is a multi-SIM device with a subscription (SIM2) of the VPLMN and a subscription (SIM1) of a home country PLMN (HPLMN). At 904, the UE can determine whether a wireless wide area network (WW AN) of the VPLMN is available for establishing a data connection. In certain cases, the UE can monitor and measure a reference signal to determine whether the WW AN (RAN) is available for the data connection. If the WW AN of the VPLMN is available, the UE can attach and connect to a PDN of the VPLMN using SIM2. At 908, the UE can determine whether a WLAN is available for establishing a data connection. If the WLAN is available, at 910, the UE can connect to the WLAN and route Internet traffic to the WLAN.

[0075] At 912, the UE can wait for IMS PDN requests from various applications (e.g., a voice call application or a messaging application). At 914, the UE can obtain a request from an application to access an IMS PDN service on the HPLMN using SIM1. At 916, the UE can determine whether the WLAN is available for establishing a tunnel connection to the HPLMN. At 918, if the WLAN is available, the UE can connect to the HPLMN via the WLAN through a gateway, e.g., as described herein with respect to Figure 4 .

[0076] If the WLAN is not available, at 920, the UE can determine whether the WW AN is available for establishing a tunnel connection to the HPLMN. At 922, if the WW AN is available, the UE can identify a PLMN in which the UE is camped. At 924, the UE can determine whether the UE is connected to the VPLMN using SIM2. If the UE is connected to the VPLMN using SIM2, at 926, the UE can establish a tunnel connection to the HPLMN using SIM2 with credentials of SIM1, e.g., as described herein with respect to Figures 5-8 . If the UE is roaming on the VPLMN, at 928, the UE can establish a tunnel connection to the HPLMN using a roaming data connection on the VPLMN. If the WW AN is not available, at 930, the UE can reject a request from an application to access IMS services on the HPLMN.

[0077] Although the examples described herein are for the purpose of facilitating understanding and pertain to accessing a home operator’s service from a foreign country, aspects of this disclosure may also be applied to accessing a second wireless network via a first wireless network, wherein the first and second wireless networks are located in the same country but are operated by different wireless service providers.

[0078] Although the various examples described herein are for the purpose of facilitating understanding and relating to access to IMS services (e.g., voice calls or text messages), aspects of this disclosure can also be applied to any home operator service (IMS or non-IMS). For example, the various apparatuses and techniques described herein for accessing home networks can facilitate access to a variety of home operator services, such as Short Message Service (SMS), Rich Communication Service (RCS), video telephony, etc.

[0079] Figure 10 The description includes a communication device 1000 (e.g., UE 120), which may include operations configured to perform the techniques disclosed herein (such as...). Figure 4 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 The communication device 1000 includes various components (e.g., corresponding to device plus functional components) that are described in the instructions. The communication device 1000 includes a processing system 1002 coupled to a transceiver 1008 (e.g., a transmitter and / or receiver). The transceiver 1008 is configured to transmit and receive signals (such as the various signals described herein) for the communication device 1000 via an antenna 1010. The processing system 1002 may be configured to perform processing functions for the communication device 1000, including processing signals received and / or to be transmitted by the communication device 1000.

[0080] Processing system 1002 includes processor 1004 coupled to computer-readable medium / memory 1012 via bus 1006. In some aspects, computer-readable medium / memory 1012 is configured to store instructions (e.g., computer-executable code) that, when executed by processor 1004, cause processor 1004 to perform. Figure 4 , Figure 8 and Figure 9The operations described or illustrated herein, or other operations for performing the various techniques for accessing home operator services using separate subscriptions as discussed herein, can be implemented at least in part by a computer-readable medium having stored data. The computer-readable medium can comprise a memory, a magnetic or optical disk, a solid state memory device, etc. The computer-readable medium stores data that is utilizable by a computer system component, such as the computer system 1000, to implement one or more elements or components thereof. For example, the computer-readable medium 1012 stores data that is utilizable by the processor 1004 to implement the code 1014 for obtaining, the code 1016 for providing, the code 1018 for communicating (e.g., code for transmitting and / or code for receiving), the code 1020 for authenticating, and / or the code 1022 for determining. In some aspects, the computer-readable medium 1012 includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium. In some aspects, the computer-readable medium 1012 includes a computer-readable storage medium.

[0081] Example Aspects

[0082] In addition to the aspects described above, many aspects of a particular combination are within the scope of the disclosure, some of which are detailed below:

[0083] Aspect 1 : A method of wireless communication, comprising: obtaining a data connection with a first wireless network based on a first subscription; obtaining a tunnel connection with a gateway of a second wireless network over the data connection based on a second subscription associated with the second wireless network; and communicating with the second wireless network over the tunnel connection using the data connection.

[0084] Aspect 2: The method of Aspect 1, further comprising: obtaining a domain name or address of the gateway using the data connection; and wherein obtaining the tunnel connection with the gateway comprises providing a request to establish the tunnel connection to the gateway via the domain name or the address of the gateway.

[0085] Aspect 3: The method of any of Aspects 1-2, wherein obtaining the tunnel connection comprises authenticating with the second wireless network using one or more credentials of the second subscription.

[0086] Aspect 4: The method of Aspect 3, wherein authenticating with the second wireless network comprises authenticating over Internet Key Exchange (IKE) signaling using the one or more credentials.

[0087] Aspect 5: The method of any of Aspects 1-4, wherein the tunnel connection is an Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) tunnel connection.

[0088] Aspect 6: The method of any of aspects 1-5, wherein communicating with the second wireless network comprises communicating one or more Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) messages with the second wireless network.

[0089] Aspect 7: The method of aspect 6, wherein the one or more IMS messages comprise at least one of one or more voice packets or one or more multimedia packets.

[0090] Aspect 8: The method of any of aspects 1-7, wherein obtaining the tunnel connection comprises obtaining the tunnel connection based on one or more credentials of the second subscription, wherein the one or more credentials comprise at least one of a subscriber identity or an authentication key.

[0091] Aspect 9: The method of any of aspects 1-8, wherein the gateway comprises at least one of an evolved packet data network gateway (ePDG) or a non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF).

[0092] Aspect 10: The method of any of aspects 1-9, wherein the first wireless network is associated with at least one first public land mobile network (PLMN) and the second wireless network is associated with at least one second PLMN different from the at least one first PLMN.

[0093] Aspect 11: The method of any of aspects 1-10, further comprising determining that a wireless local area network (WLAN) is unavailable for a gateway connection with the second wireless network, wherein obtaining the tunnel connection comprises obtaining the tunnel connection based on the determination that the WLAN is unavailable.

[0094] Aspect 12: The method of any of aspects 1-11, wherein the first wireless network is associated with at least one visited country public land mobile network (VPLMN) and the second wireless network is associated with at least one second home country public land mobile network (HPLMN) different from the at least one VPLMN.

[0095] Aspect 13: The method of any of aspects 1-12, wherein the first wireless network is an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) network or a fifth generation (5G) new radio (NR) network and the second wireless network is an E-UTRA network or a 5G new radio network.

[0096] Aspect 14: An apparatus for wireless communication comprising at least one antenna and means for performing operations of one or more of Aspects 1-13.

[0097] Aspect 15: An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising an interface and a processing system, the processing system comprising at least one processor configured to perform operations for one or more of Aspects 1-13.

[0098] Aspect 16: A user equipment (UE), comprising: a receiver configured to receive a data connection with a first wireless network based on a first subscription and receive a tunnel connection with a gateway of a second wireless network over the data connection based on a second subscription associated with the second wireless network; and a processing system configured to communicate with the second wireless network over the tunnel connection using the data connection.

[0099] Aspect 17: A computer-readable medium for wireless communication, comprising instructions executable by an apparatus to perform the operations of one or more of Aspects 1-13.

[0100] The techniques described herein can be used for various wireless communication technologies, such as 5G (e.g., 5G NR), 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA), time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA), and other networks. The terms “network” and “system” are often used interchangeably. A CDMA network can implement a radio technology such as Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), cdma2000, and so on. UTRA includes Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) and other variants of CDMA. cdma2000 covers IS-2000, IS-95, and IS-856 standards. A TDMA network can implement a radio technology such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). An OFDMA network can implement a radio technology such as NR (e.g., 5G RA), Evolved UTRA (E-UTRA), Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, Flash-OFDMA, and so on. UTRA and E-UTRA are part of Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS). LTE and LTE-A are releases of UMTS that use E-UTRA. UTRA, E-UTRA, UMTS, LTE, LTE-A, and GSM are described in documents from an organization named “3rd Generation Partnership Project” (3GPP). cdma2000 and UMB are described in documents from an organization named “3rd Generation Partnership Project 2” (3GPP2). NR is an emerging wireless communications technology.

[0101] In 3GPP, the term "cell" can refer to a coverage area of a Node B (NB) and / or a NB subsystem serving this coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used. In NR systems, the terms "cell" and BS, next generation NodeB (gNB or gNodeB), access point (AP), Distributed Unit (DU), carrier, or Transmission Reception Point (TRP) can be used interchangeably. A BS can provide communication coverage for a macro cell, a pico cell, a femto cell, and / or other types of cell. A macro cell can cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., several kilometers in radius) and can allow unrestricted access by UEs with service subscriptions. A pico cell can cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a city neighborhood or a college campus) and can allow unrestricted access by UEs with service subscriptions. A femto cell can cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a home) and can allow restricted access by UEs with service subscriptions, e.g., UEs in an closed subscriber group (CSG) or UEs with an association to the femto cell. A BS for a macro cell can be referred to as a macro BS. A BS for a pico cell can be referred to as a pico BS. A BS for a femto cell can be referred to as a femto BS or a home BS.

[0102] A UE can also be known as a mobile station, a terminal, an access terminal, a subscriber unit, a station, a Customer Premises Equipment (CPE), a cellular phone, 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 computer, a camera, a gaming device, a netbook, a smartbook, an ultrabook, an electric appliance, a medical device or medical equipment, a biometric sensor / device, a wearable device such as a smart watch, smart clothing, smart glasses, a smart wristband, smart jewelry (e.g., a smart ring, a smart bracelet, etc.), an entertainment device (e.g., a music device, a video device, a satellite radio, etc.), a vehicular component or sensor, a smart meter / sensor, industrial manufacturing equipment, a global positioning system device, or any other suitable device that is configured to communicate via a wireless or wired medium. Some UEs can be considered machine-type communication (MTC) devices or evolved MTC (eMTC) devices. MTC and eMTC UEs include, for example, robots, drones, remote devices, sensors, meters, monitors, location tags, etc., that can communicate with a BS, another device (e.g., remote device), or some other entity. A wireless node can provide, for example, connectivity for or to a network (e.g., a wide area network such as the Internet or a cellular network) via a wired or wireless communication link. Some UEs can be considered Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices, which can be Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) devices.

[0103] In some examples, access to the air interface can be scheduled. A scheduling entity (e.g., a BS) allocates resources for communication among some or all of the devices and equipment within its serving area or cell. The scheduling entity can be responsible for scheduling, assigning, reconfiguring, and releasing resources for one or more subordinate entities. That is, for scheduled communication, subordinate entities utilize resources allocated by the scheduling entity. A base station is not the only entity that can function as a scheduling entity. In some examples, a UE can function as a scheduling entity and can schedule resources for one or more subordinate entities (e.g., one or more other UEs), and the other UEs can utilize the resources scheduled by the UE. In some examples, a UE can act as a scheduling entity in a peer-to-peer (P2P) network and / or in a mesh network. In a mesh networking example, UEs can communicate directly with one another, such as using a proscribed set of resources.

[0104] The methods disclosed herein comprise one or more steps or actions for achieving the methods. The method steps and / or actions can be interchanged with one another without departing from the scope of the claims. In other words, unless a specific order is specified, the order or sequence of any steps or actions can be modified without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0105] As used herein, the phrase “at least one of” followed by a listing of two or more items means any one of those items can be present or any combination of those items can be present. For example, the phrase “at least one of a, b, and c” means that only a or only b or only c or any combination of a, b, and c can be present.

[0106] As used herein, the term “determining” encompasses a wide variety of actions. For example, “determining” can include calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up (e.g., looking up in a table, a database or another data structure), ascertaining and the like. Also, “determining” can include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in a memory) and the like. Also, “determining” can include resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing and the like.

[0107] The foregoing description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will readily be understood by those skilled in the art, and the universal principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Therefore, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but are to be granted the full scope consistent with the language of the claims, wherein references to the singular form of an element are not intended to mean “one and only one” (unless specifically stated otherwise) but “one or more.” Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “some” or “some” refers to one or more. Elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure, all structural and functional equivalents known now or hereafter to a person skilled in the art, are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be covered by the claims. Furthermore, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be donated to the public, whether or not such disclosure is expressly stated in the claims. No element of a claim should be interpreted in accordance with the provisions of 35 U.S.SC §112(f) unless the element is expressly stated using the phrase “means for…” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is stated using the phrase “steps for…”.

[0108] The various operations of the methods described above can be performed by any suitable means capable of performing the corresponding functions. These means may include various hardware and / or software components and / or modules, including but not limited to circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or processors. Generally, where the operations illustrated in the figures are present, these operations may have corresponding paired means with similar numbering plus functional components. For example, Figure 2 The processors 258, 264, and 266 and / or the controller / processor 280 of the UE 120a shown can be configured to perform Figure 5 Operation 500.

[0109] The receiving device may include Figure 2 The transceiver, receiver, or at least one antenna and at least one receiving processor described herein. The means for transmitting, transmitting, or outputting may include... Figure 2 The transceiver, transmitter, or at least one antenna and at least one transmission processor described herein. The means for communication, means for providing, means for authenticating, means for performing, and means for determining may include a processing system, which may include one or more processors, such as... Figure 2 The processors 258, 264 and 266 of UE 120a and / or controller / processor 280 shown and / or processors 220, 230, 238 of BS110a and / or controller / processor 240 shown.

[0110] In some cases, a device can not actually transmit frames, but can have an interface for outputting frames for transmission (a means for outputting). For example, a processor can output frames to a radio frequency (RF) front end via a bus interface for transmission. Similarly, a device can not actually receive frames, but can have an interface for obtaining frames received from another device (a means for obtaining). For example, a processor can obtain (or receive) frames from an RF front end via a bus interface for reception.

[0111] The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the disclosure can be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device (PLD), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be any commercially available processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0112] If implemented in hardware, an example hardware configuration can include a processing system in a wireless node. The processing system can be implemented with a bus architecture. The bus can include any number of interconnecting buses and bridges depending on the specific application of the processing system and the overall design constraints. The bus can link together various circuits including processors, machine-readable media, and buses themselves. A bus interface can be used to connect a network adapter to the processing system via the bus. The network adapter can be used to implement signal processing functionality for the PHY layer. In the case of a user terminal (see Figure 1 ) a user interface (e.g., keypad, display, mouse, joystick, etc.) can also be connected to the bus. The bus can also link various other circuits such as timing sources, peripherals, voltage regulators, power management circuits, and the like, which are well known in the art, and therefore will not be described any further. The processor can be implemented with one or more general-purpose and / or special-purpose processors. Examples include microprocessors, microcontrollers, DSP processors, and other circuitry that can execute software. Depending on the specific application of the processing system and the overall design constraints, those skilled in the art will recognize the ways to best implement the functionality of the processing system described herein with the processor.

[0113] If implemented in software, the functions can be stored or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Software shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, data, or any combination thereof, whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise. Computer-readable media include both computer storage media and communication media including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. The processor can be responsible for managing the bus and general processing, including the execution of software modules stored on the machine-readable storage media. A computer-readable storage medium can be coupled with the processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium can be integral with the processor. By way of example, the machine-readable media can include a transmission line, a carrier wave modulated by data, and / or a computer readable storage medium with instructions stored thereon separate from the wireless node, all of which can be accessed via the bus. Alternatively, or in addition, the machine-readable media, or any portion thereof, can be integrated with the processor, such as the case can be with cache and / or general register files. Examples of machine-readable storage media can include, by way of example, RAM (Random Access Memory), flash memory, ROM (Read Only Memory), PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), registers, magnetic disks, optical disks, hard drives, or any other suitable storage medium, or any combination thereof. The machine-readable media can be embodied in a computer-program product.

[0114] A software module can comprise a single instruction, or many instructions, and can be distributed over several different code segments, among different programs, and across multiple storage media. The computer-readable media can comprise a number of software modules. The software modules include instructions that, when executed by an apparatus such as a processor, cause the processing system to perform various functions. The software modules can include a transmission module and a receiving module. Each software module can reside in a single storage device or be distributed across multiple storage devices. By way of example, a software module can be loaded into RAM from a hard drive when a triggering event occurs. During execution of the software module, the processor can load some of the instructions into cache to increase access speed. One or more cache lines can then be loaded into a general register file for execution by the processor. When referring to the functionality of a software module below, it will be understood that such functionality is implemented by the processor when executing instructions from that software module.

[0115] Also, any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of medium. Disk and disc, as used herein, include compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, and Blu-ray Disc® (Blu-ray Disc Association), where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Thus, in some aspects computer-readable media can comprise non-transitory computer-readable media (e.g., tangible media). In addition, for other aspects computer-readable media can comprise transitory computer- readable media (e.g., signals). Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0116] Thus, certain aspects can comprise a computer program product for performing the operations presented herein. For example, such a computer program product can comprise a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions being executable by one or more processors to perform the operations described herein, for example, the operations described and illustrated in FIGs. 10-12, 14, and / or 16. Figure 4 Figure 8 Figure 9

[0117] Further, it should be appreciated that modules and / or other appropriate means for performing the methods and techniques described herein can be downloaded and / or otherwise obtained by a user terminal and / or base station as applicable. For example, such a device can be coupled to a server to facilitate the transfer of means for performing the methods described herein. Alternatively, various methods described herein can be provided via a storage means (e.g., RAM, ROM, a physical storage medium such as a compact disc (CD) or floppy disk, etc.), such that a user terminal and / or base station can obtain the various methods upon coupling or providing the storage means to the device.

[0118] It is to be understood that the claims are not limited to the precise configuration and components illustrated above. Various modifications, changes, and variations can be made in the method and apparatus described above without departing from the scope of the claims.​​​​

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication, comprising: obtaining a data connection with a first wireless network based on a first subscription, the first wireless network being a cellular network; determining whether the data connection has a visited country public land mobile network (VPLMN); obtaining a tunnel connection with a gateway of a second wireless network over the data connection based on a second subscription associated with the second wireless network, wherein the tunnel connection with the gateway of the second wireless network is obtained based on the determining, wherein obtaining the tunnel connection comprises using Internet Key Exchange (IKE) signaling over the data connection with the cellular network to authenticate with the second wireless network, wherein the first wireless network is associated with the VPLMN and the second wireless network is associated with at least one home country public land mobile network (HPLMN) different from the VPLMN, wherein obtaining the tunnel connection further comprises sending a query for a domain name or address of a gateway of the at least one HPLMN from a user equipment using the data connection with the VPLMN and receiving one or more domain names of the gateway of the at least one HPLMN in response to the query; and communicating with the second wireless network over the tunnel connection using the data connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the tunnel connection comprises authenticating with the second wireless network using one or more credentials of the second subscription.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein authenticating with the second wireless network comprises authenticating over the IKE signaling using the one or more credentials.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the tunnel connection is an Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) tunnel connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating with the second wireless network comprises communicating one or more Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) messages with the second wireless network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more IMS messages comprise at least one of one or more voice packets or one or more multimedia packets.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the tunnel connection comprises obtaining the tunnel connection based on one or more credentials of the second subscription, wherein the one or more credentials comprise at least one of a subscriber identity or an authentication key.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the gateway comprises at least one of an evolved packet data network gateway (ePDG) or a non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless network is associated with at least one first public land mobile network (PLMN) and the second wireless network is associated with at least one second PLMN different from the at least one first PLMN.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining that a wireless local area network (WLAN) is not available for connecting with the gateway of the second wireless network; ​ wherein obtaining the tunnel connection comprises obtaining the tunnel connection based on the determination that the WLAN is unavailable.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless network is an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) network or a Fifth Generation (5G) New Radio network, and the second wireless network is an E-UTRA network or a 5G New Radio network.

12. A wireless communication apparatus, comprising: an interface configured to: obtain a data connection with a first wireless network based on a first subscription, the first wireless network being a cellular network; a processing system configured to determine whether the data connection has a visited country public land mobile network (VPLMN), wherein the interface is further configured to: obtain a tunnel connection with a gateway of a second wireless network over the data connection based on a second subscription associated with the second wireless network, wherein the tunnel connection with the gateway of the second wireless network is obtained based on the determination, wherein to obtain the tunnel connection, the interface is configured to authenticate with the second wireless network using Internet Key Exchange (IKE) signaling over the data connection with the cellular network, wherein the first wireless network is associated with the VPLMN and the second wireless network is associated with at least one home country public land mobile network (HPLMN) different from the VPLMN, wherein to obtain the tunnel connection, the interface is further configured to send a query for a domain name or address of a gateway of the HPLMN from a user equipment using the data connection with the VPLMN and receive one or more domain names of the gateway of the HPLMN in response to the query; and wherein the processing system is further configured to communicate with the second wireless network over the tunnel connection using the data connection.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the interface obtains the tunnel connection by authenticating with the second wireless network using one or more credentials of the second subscription.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the interface authenticates with the second wireless network by authenticating over the IKE signaling using the one or more credentials.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the tunnel connection is an Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) tunnel connection.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processing system communicates with the second wireless network by communicating one or more Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) messages with the second wireless network.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more IMS messages comprise at least one of one or more voice packets or one or more multimedia packets.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the interface obtains the tunnel connection by obtaining the tunnel connection based on one or more credentials of the second subscription, wherein the one or more credentials comprise at least one of a subscriber identity or an authentication key.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the gateway comprises at least one of an evolved packet data network gateway (ePDG) or a non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF).

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first wireless network is associated with at least one first public land mobile network (PLMN) and the second wireless network is associated with at least one second PLMN different from the at least one first PLMN.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein: the processing system is further configured to determine that a wireless local area network (WLAN) is not available for connection with the gateway of the second wireless network; the interface obtains the tunnel connection by obtaining the tunnel connection based on the determination that the WLAN is not available.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first wireless network is an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) network or a fifth generation (5G) new radio network and the second wireless network is an E-UTRA network or a 5G new radio network.

23. A user equipment (UE), comprising: a receiver configured to: receive a data connection with a first wireless network based on a first subscription, the first wireless network being a cellular network; a processing system configured to determine whether the data connection has a visited country public land mobile network (VPLMN), wherein the receiver is further configured to: receive a tunnel connection with a gateway of a second wireless network over the data connection based on a second subscription associated with the second wireless network, wherein the tunnel connection with the gateway of the second wireless network is received based on the determination, wherein to receive the tunnel connection, the receiver is configured to authenticate with the second wireless network using Internet key exchange (IKE) signaling over the data connection with the cellular network, wherein the first wireless network is associated with the VPLMN and the second wireless network is associated with at least one home country public land mobile network (HPLMN) different from the VPLMN, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the tunnel connection by transmitting a query for a domain name or address of a gateway of the at least one HPLMN from the user equipment using the data connection with the VPLMN and receiving one or more domain names of the gateway of the at least one HPLMN in response to the query; and wherein the processing system is further configured to communicate with the second wireless network over the tunnel connection using the data connection.

24. A method for wireless communication, comprising: receiving a data connection with a first wireless network based on a first subscription, the first wireless network being a cellular network; determining whether the data connection has a visited country public land mobile network (VPLMN); receiving a tunnel connection with a gateway of a second wireless network over the data connection based on a second subscription associated with the second wireless network, wherein the tunnel connection with the gateway of the second wireless network is received based on the determination, wherein to receive the tunnel connection, the method comprises authenticating with the second wireless network using Internet key exchange (IKE) signaling over the data connection with the cellular network, wherein the first wireless network is associated with the VPLMN and the second wireless network is associated with at least one home country public land mobile network (HPLMN) different from the VPLMN, wherein the method comprises receiving the tunnel connection by transmitting a query for a domain name or address of a gateway of the at least one HPLMN from the user equipment using the data connection with the VPLMN and receiving one or more domain names of the gateway of the at least one HPLMN in response to the query; and wherein the method further comprises communicating with the second wireless network over the tunnel connection using the data connection.

24. The UE of claim 23, wherein the receiver receives the tunnel connection by authenticating with the second wireless network using one or more credentials of the second subscription.

25. The UE of claim 23, wherein: the processing system is further configured to determine that a wireless local area network (WLAN) is not available for connecting with the gateway of the second wireless network; the receiver receives the tunnel connection by obtaining the tunnel connection based on the determination that the WLAN is not available. ​ ​

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