Method, apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium for communication establishment

Abstract

In an example, a method for establishing communication, performed by a wireless device, is provided. The method includes: receiving a redirection instruction to a second network in response to a request to establish communication with the wireless device using a first network; and selecting either a first procedure or a second procedure to establish the communication using the second network in response to whether a node in the second network supports communication with a node in the first network. Furthermore, corresponding apparatus is also provided.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese national phase application (application number 201880075107.9) of the PCT international application "Communication Establishment" filed on September 28, 2018, with application number PCT / EP2018 / 076534. Technical Field

[0002] Examples of this disclosure relate to, for example, the establishment of communication in response to a request to establish communication with a wireless device using a first network and a redirection instruction to redirect to a second network. Background Technology

[0003] A network may want to migrate connected wireless devices to another network. In one example, a 5G network (e.g., 5GS or NG-RAN) may want to switch wireless devices to another network (e.g., E-UTRAN or EPS). In some examples, the migration from a 5G network to an evolved packet system (EPS) can be referred to as an inter-Radio Access Technology (IRAT) handover, and EPS fallback can utilize IRAT handover. Figure 1 An example of communication 100 between various entities during EPS rollback is shown. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One aspect of this disclosure provides a method for establishing communication performed by a wireless device. The method includes: receiving a redirection instruction to redirect to a second network in response to a request to establish communication with the wireless device using a first network. The method further includes: selecting either a first process or a second process to establish communication using the second network in response to whether a node in the second network supports communication with a node in the first network.

[0005] Another aspect of this disclosure provides a method for establishing communication performed by a node in a second network. The method includes: in response to whether a node in the second network supports communication with a node in a first network, performing a first process or a second process to establish communication involving a wireless device using the second network.

[0006] Another aspect of this disclosure provides an apparatus for establishing communication. The apparatus includes a processor and a memory. The memory contains instructions executable by the processor to enable the apparatus to perform the following operations: receiving a redirection instruction to a second network in response to a request to establish communication with a wireless device using a first network; and selecting either a first process or a second process to establish communication using the second network in response to whether a node in the second network supports communication with a node in the first network.

[0007] Another aspect of this disclosure provides an apparatus for establishing communication in a second network. The apparatus includes a processor and a memory. The memory contains instructions executable by the processor to enable the apparatus to perform the following operations: in response to whether a node in the second network supports communication with a node in the first network, performing a first process or a second process to establish communication involving wireless devices using the second network.

[0008] Another aspect of this disclosure provides an apparatus for establishing communication. The apparatus is configured to: receive a redirection instruction to a second network in response to a request to establish communication with a wireless device using a first network. The apparatus is further configured to: select either a first process or a second process to establish communication using the second network in response to whether a node in the second network supports communication with a node in the first network.

[0009] Another aspect of this disclosure provides an apparatus for establishing communication in a second network. The apparatus is configured to: in response to whether a node in the second network supports communication with a node in the first network, perform a first process or a second process to establish communication involving wireless devices using the second network. Attached Figure Description

[0010] To better understand the examples of this disclosure and to more clearly illustrate how the examples can be effectively implemented, reference will now be made solely by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0011] Figure 1 An example of communication between the various entities during EPS rollback is shown;

[0012] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for establishing communication, executed by a wireless device;

[0013] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for establishing communication, executed by a node in the second network;

[0014] Figure 4 An example of communication between entities during an EPS rollback period with redirection and switching attachments is shown;

[0015] Figure 5 An example of communication between entities during EPS rollback with redirection and Tracking Area Update (TAU) is shown;

[0016] Figure 6 An example of communication between entities during an EPS rollback initiated via Radio Resource Control (RRC) is shown;

[0017] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of an example of a device used for establishing communication;

[0018] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of another example of a device used for establishing communication;

[0019] Figure 9 An example of a wireless network is shown; and

[0020] Figure 10 This is a schematic block diagram illustrating an example of a virtualized environment. Detailed Implementation

[0021] Specific details are set forth below, such as particular embodiments or examples for purposes of explanation rather than limitation. Those skilled in the art will understand that other examples may be employed in addition to these specific details. In some instances, detailed descriptions of well-known methods, nodes, interfaces, circuits, and devices have been omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description with detail. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the described functionality can be implemented in one or more nodes using hardware circuitry (e.g., analog and / or discrete logic gates interconnected to perform specific functions, ASICs, PLAs, etc.), and / or using software programs and data in conjunction with one or more digital microprocessors or general-purpose computers. Nodes communicating using an air interface also have suitable radio communication circuitry. Furthermore, where appropriate, the technology can also be considered to be implemented entirely in any form of computer-readable storage (e.g., solid-state storage, disk, or optical disk) containing a suitable set of computer instructions that will cause the processor to perform the technology described herein.

[0022] In some examples, EPS backoff may require IRAT handover support between the radio device (e.g., user equipment (UE)) and the network (e.g., NG-RAN and / or 5GC) connected to and / or communicating with that radio device. For example, when using 5GC, an N26 interface may be required between the Mobility Management Entity (MME) and the Access Management Function (AMF) in the 5GC, and SMF+PGW-C and UPF+PGW-U (which may also be referred to as the Universal Gateway (GW) in some examples) may also be required, which may be referred to as tight interaction in some examples.

[0023] In some examples disclosed herein, redirection via the radio access network (RAN) (e.g., NG-RAN) can be used to provide support for EPS backoff of radio devices (e.g., UEs) from one network to another, both when the N26 interface is available between the AMF in the NG-RAN and, for example, the MME in the target E-UTRAN / EPS, and when the N26 is unavailable. Therefore, in some examples, the NG-RAN can instruct the AMF to redirect to the radio device without requiring a handover. However, in some examples, other procedures in the target E-UTRAN / EPS may depend on the availability of the N26. In some examples, the N26 interface may alternatively be referred to as the S10 interface. These terms are used interchangeably herein.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method 200 for establishing communication performed by a wireless device (e.g., a user equipment (UE)). Method 200 includes, in step 202, receiving a redirection instruction to a second network in response to a request to establish communication with the wireless device using a first network. For example, the wireless device may receive the request to establish communication, or it may send the request. In some examples, the request to establish communication may be a request to establish a voice call with the wireless device, such as an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) voice call. In some examples, the first network may include NG-RAN, a 5G network, or 5GC. In some examples, the first network may not support the requested communication. For example, the first network may not support IMS voice or voice QoS, or it may preferably carry the IMS voice call over a second network (e.g., LTE, E-UTRAN, or EPS).

[0025] Method 200 further includes, in step 204, selecting either a first process or a second process to establish communication using the second network, in response to whether a node (e.g., MME) in the second network (e.g., LTE, E-UTRAN, or EPS) supports communication with a node in the first network. For example, the selection of the first or second process may be based on whether a node (e.g., AMF) in the first network has a communication interface (e.g., N26 or S10) with a node (e.g., MME) in the second network.

[0026] Therefore, for example, after a redirection instruction from the first network, the wireless device can select the procedure for establishing communication (e.g., voice call) based on the network's capabilities. This capability could be, for example, whether a node in the second network (e.g., the "target network") can obtain information such as UE context information from the first network (e.g., the "source network"). In some examples, this capability could include whether the MME in the second network (e.g., LTE, EPS, or E-UTRAN) has an N26 or S10 interface for communicating with the AMF in the first network (e.g., 5GS or NG-RAN). In some examples, this information can be obtained by the wireless device when registering with the first or second network, or it can be received from the first network or determined by the wireless device by other means.

[0027] In some examples, the first procedure is selected if a node in the second network supports communication with a node in the first network to obtain, for example, UE context information or other information such as details about the connection status of the wireless device. The first procedure may leverage the observation that, for example, a node in the second network can obtain information (e.g., UE context information) from the first network, thus allowing subsequent procedures for setting up communication via the second network to have reduced signaling compared to the second procedure (in which this information cannot be obtained from the first network). In the first procedure, in some examples, the wireless device may send a Tracking Area Update (TAU) to the second network, prompting the second network to obtain information such as UE context information from the first network (e.g., the MME in the second network contacts the AMF in the first network via an N26 or S10 interface). Communication via the second network (e.g., voice calls) can then be set up.

[0028] For example, if a node in the second network does not support communication with a node in the first network (e.g., to obtain information such as UE context information), in some examples, the second procedure may involve the wireless device sending an attach request with a handover indication to the second network. This may require additional setup steps compared to the first procedure. In some examples, a TAU request may be sent to the second network, and the second network may reject the TAU request (e.g., by responding with a TAU rejection message). In some examples, this may be used to determine whether nodes in the first and second networks support communication with each other.

[0029] In some examples, method 200 includes: the wireless device determining whether a node in the second network supports communication with a node in the first network. This may include: determining whether a node in the second network can communicate with a node in the first network using an N26 interface or an S10 interface, or otherwise determining whether a node in the second network can obtain context information about the wireless device from the first network. Therefore, if a node in the second network can obtain some information (e.g., context information) from a node in the first network, the wireless device may, for example, determine whether the subsequent procedures for establishing a connection to the second network can be performed with reduced signaling.

[0030] For example, the first process may include: sending a Tracking Area Update (TAU) request to the second network if a node in the second network supports communication with a node in the first network; and receiving a TAU acceptance message in response to the TAU request sent to the second network. In some examples, the TAU acceptance message may be an instruction to follow the first process, or it may be an instruction that a node in the second network supports communication with a node in the first network. After sending the TAU to the second network, method 200 may include: completing the setup for communication on the second network, or completing the setup for communication using the second network. In some examples, completing the setup for communication may include: using a bearer with QCI in the second network.

[0031] In some examples, the second process includes sending an attach request to the second network if a node in the second network does not support communication with a node in the first network. In some examples, the attach request may include a handover indication, or a request type indicating a handover. The wireless device can then follow the attach process to attach to the second network and complete the setup for communication on the second network.

[0032] In some examples, the second process includes creating a Packet Data Network (PDN) connection on the second network if nodes in the second network do not support communication with nodes in the first network. The PDN connection can also be used to establish a dedicated bearer for communication on the second network. The dedicated bearer may have a QoS Class Identifier (QCI) of 1 (voice chat). In some examples, after creating the PDN connection on the second network, the setup for communication on the second network can be completed.

[0033] In some examples, the request to establish communication includes at least one Radio Resource Control (RRC) message. In some examples, this at least one RRC message may indicate that the wireless device has transitioned from an idle state to a connected state. Additionally or alternatively, the redirection instruction may include an RRC connection release message with redirection information.

[0034] In some examples, method 200 may include, for example, receiving an identifier of a second network from the first network in or together with a redirection instruction to redirect to a second network. Method 200 may also include registering with the second network identified by the identifier.

[0035] In some examples, once a procedure has been selected, method 200 includes executing the selected procedure to establish communication.

[0036] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a communication establishment method 300 performed by a node in a second network. The node can be, for example, an MME, base station, eNB, or other node in the second network, which can be, for example, an EPS, E-UTRAN, or LTE network. Method 300 includes: in response to whether a node in the second network supports communication with a node in the first network, performing a first or second process to establish communication involving wireless devices using the second network. The first network can be a 5G network, 5GC, or NG-RAN. The node in the first network can be an AMF. In some examples, whether a node in the second network supports communication with a node in the first network may depend on the presence of an N26 or S10 interface between the nodes in the first and second networks.

[0037] In some examples, the first process includes: receiving a Tracking Area Update (TAU) request from a wireless device if a node in the second network supports communication with a node in the first network; and sending a TAU Accept message to the wireless device in response to the TAU. Then, method 300 may include, for example, obtaining context information for the wireless device from the first network in response to receiving the TAU, and / or setting up communication on the second network using a bearer with a QCI obtained from the first network (e.g., in the context information). In some examples, the second process may include, for example, receiving a TAU request and responding with a TAU Reject message if the node knows it cannot obtain context information for the wireless device or if there is no N26 or S10 interface between the node and a node in the first network.

[0038] In some examples, the second process includes receiving an attach request to the second network if a node in the second network does not support communication with a node in the first network. The attach request may include a handover indication or a request type indicating a handover. Additionally or alternatively, the second process may include creating a PDN connection on the second network if a node in the second network does not support communication with a node in the first network. This may also include establishing a default bearer for communication on the second network using the PDN connection, for example, a bearer with a QCI of 1. In some examples, method 300 may include completing the setup for communication on the second network after creating the PDN connection.

[0039] Some examples of this disclosure can provide one or more technical advantages. For example, some examples can enable EPS backoff when there is no IRAT handover support in either NG-RAN or 5GC. Additionally or alternatively, some examples can perform efficient backoff taking into account the availability of communication between certain nodes in the source and target networks (e.g., the N26 interface between the AMF in NG-RAN and the MME in EPS / E-UTRAN).

[0040] Other examples will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, other embodiments are included within the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein, and the disclosed subject matter should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these examples are provided by way of example only to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0041] Some examples can provide EPS backoff with redirection and handover attachment. This might be the case, for example, when there is no N26 or S10 interface between the AMF in the 5GS and the MME in the EPS, so the MME may not be able to obtain context from the AMF. This could also be the case in an alternative scenario where the N26 or S10 interface exists but is not used by the 5GS / NG-RAN network or the EPS / E-UTRAN / LTE network, or signaled as available (e.g., to the radio device or UE). The UE can then perform a handoff with an attachment indication (e.g., to a second network (e.g., the EPS / E-UTRAN / LTE network)), and this can trigger the actions described below. In this example, it can be assumed that the radio device and the target network support attachment with a handover indication, the radio device and the first network (e.g., the source network) support redirection with an EPS backoff indication, and these networks support a common gateway; therefore, the result may be that the N26 interface is not present.

[0042] 1) If a voice QoS stream is requested, the base station (e.g., gNB) in the source network releases the UE with an indication of the target network (release with redirection) and an EPS backoff indication.

[0043] 2) After receiving a release and EPS backoff instruction with redirection, the wireless device proceeds to the target network (e.g., E-UTRAN).

[0044] 3) The wireless device performs the attachment procedure in the EPC (associated with E-UTRAN) with a "switching" request type in the PDN connection request message. This results in the establishment of the first PDN connection.

[0045] 4) After establishing a PDN connection to IMSAPN on E-UTRAN, a dedicated bearer for audio can be established.

[0046] Figure 4 An example of communication 400 between the various entities during EPS rollback with redirection and switching attachments is shown.

[0047] Some examples can provide redirection and Tracking Area Update (TAU) for EPS backoff. This might be the case, for example, when there is communication between nodes in a network (e.g., the N26 or S10 interface between the AMF in 5GS / NG-RAN and the MME in EPS / E-UTRAN), so the MME can obtain the radio device or UE context from, for example, the AMF. The UE can perform a TAU (e.g., in a second or target network), and this can trigger other actions as described below. In this example, it can be assumed that the radio devices and networks support redirection with EPS backoff indication, that these networks support the N26 interface between nodes (e.g., MME and AMF), and that these networks may also support public gateways.

[0048] 1) If a voice QoS stream is established and the radio device is notified, the base station (e.g., gNB) releases the radio device with an indication of the target network (release with redirection) and an EPS backoff indication.

[0049] 2) After receiving a release and EPS instruction with redirection, the wireless device proceeds to the target network (e.g., E-UTRAN).

[0050] 3) The wireless device performs TAU in the target network.

[0051] 4) The MME in the target network (e.g., based on a globally unique temporary identifier GUTI) obtains the radio device (e.g., UE) context from the AMF.

[0052] Figure 5 An example of communication 500 between entities during EPS rollback with redirection and Tracking Area Update (TAU) is shown.

[0053] Some examples can provide EPS rollback initiated via Radio Resource Control (RRC). In this additional case, if a radio device (e.g., a UE) transitions from an idle state to an active state and indicates this to the RAN via RRC, an EPS rollback procedure can be initiated, including an indication of whether the reason is due to an originating voice call or an originating emergency call. Figure 6 An example of communication 600 between entities during an EPS rollback initiated via Radio Resource Control (RRC) is illustrated. In some examples, for an originating call (a call originating at the radio device), the radio device (e.g., the UE) may indicate via RRC whether the transition from an idle state to a connected state is due to a voice call or an emergency call. If an originating emergency call exists and the radio device is in an idle state, the radio device may not have yet established a PDU session for that emergency call; therefore, if directly redirected to the EPS, an emergency PDN connection will be established in the EPS.

[0054] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of an example of a communication establishment apparatus 700 (e.g., a wireless device or a UE). Apparatus 700 includes a processor 702 and a memory 704. The memory 704 contains instructions executable by the processor 702 to enable the apparatus 700 to: receive a redirection instruction to a second network in response to a request to establish communication with a wireless device using a first network; and select either a first process or a second process to establish communication using the second network in response to whether a node in the second network supports communication with a node in the first network.

[0055] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of an example of a device 800 for establishing communication (e.g., a node in a network). Device 800 includes a processor 802 and a memory 804. The memory 804 contains instructions executable by the processor 802 to enable the device 800 to perform the following operations: in response to whether a node in a second network supports communication with a node in a first network, performing a first process or a second process to establish communication involving wireless devices using the second network.

[0056] While the subject matter described herein may be implemented in any suitable type of system using any suitable components, the embodiments disclosed herein are directed to wireless networks (e.g., Figure 9 For simplicity, Figure 9The wireless network shown in FIG. 1 depicts only network QQ 106, network nodes QQ 160 and QQ 160b, and WDs QQ 110, QQ 110b, and QQ 110c. In practice, a wireless network may also include any additional components suitable for supporting communications between wireless devices or between a wireless device and another communication device (e.g., a landline phone, a service provider, or any other network node or terminal device). Of the components shown, network node QQ 160 and wireless device (WD) QQ 110 are depicted in additional detail. A wireless network may provide communication and other types of services to one or more wireless devices, facilitating the wireless devices to access and / or use services provided by or via the wireless network.

[0057] A wireless network may include any type of communications, telecommunications, data, cellular and / or radio network or other similar system, and / or interface with any type of communications, telecommunications, data, cellular and / or radio network or other similar system. In some embodiments, a wireless network may be configured to operate according to a specific standard or other type of predefined rules or procedures. Thus, specific embodiments of a wireless network may implement communication standards such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE) and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G or 5G standards; Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standards, such as the IEEE 802.11 standard; and / or any other suitable wireless communication standards, such as Global Microwave Access Interoperability (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave and / or ZigBee standards.

[0058] The network QQ106 may include one or more backhaul networks, core networks, IP networks, public switched telephone networks (PSTN), packet data networks, optical networks, wide area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), wireless local area networks (WLANs), wired networks, wireless networks, metropolitan area networks, and other networks to enable communication between devices. In different embodiments, the wireless network may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, base stations, controllers, wireless devices, relay stations, and / or any other components or systems that can facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals (whether via wired or wireless connections).

[0059] As used herein, a network node refers to a device that is capable of, configured, positioned, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with wireless devices and / or with other network nodes or devices in a wireless network to enable and / or provide wireless access to the wireless devices and / or perform other functions (e.g., management) in the wireless network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points) and base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, NodeBs, evolved NodeBs (eNBs), and NRNodeBs (gNBs)). Base stations can be classified based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, in other words, based on their transmit power levels), and thus they may also be referred to as femtocells, picocells, microcells, or macrocells. A base station can be a relay node or a relay host node that controls a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) portions of a distributed radio base station, such as a centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU) (sometimes referred to as a remote radio headend (RRH)). Such a remote radio unit may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna-integrated radio. A portion of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as a node in a distributed antenna system (DAS). Further examples of network nodes include multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment (such as MSRBS), network controllers (such as radio network controllers (RNC) or base station controllers (BSC)), base transceiver stations (BTS), transport points, transport nodes, multi-cell / multicast coordination entities (MCE), core network nodes (e.g., MSC, MME), O&M nodes, OSS nodes, SON nodes, location nodes (e.g., E-SMLC), and / or MDTs. As another example, a network node can be a virtual network node, as described in more detail below. However, more generally, a network node can represent any suitable device (or group of devices) that is capable of, configured, arranged, and / or operable to enable and / or provide access to a wireless network for wireless devices, or to provide some service to wireless devices already connected to the wireless network.

[0060] exist Figure 9 In FIG, the network node QQ160 includes a processing circuit QQ170, a device readable medium QQ180, an interface QQ190, an auxiliary device QQ184, a power supply QQ186, a power supply circuit QQ187, and an antenna QQ162. Figure 9The network node QQ160 shown in the example wireless network of FIG can represent a device that includes a combination of the hardware components shown, but other embodiments can include network nodes with different combinations of components. It should be understood that the network node includes any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. In addition, although the components of the network node QQ160 are depicted as a single box within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in reality, the network node may include multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component (for example, the device readable medium QQ180 may include multiple separate hard drives and multiple RAM modules).

[0061] Similarly, network node QQ160 may consist of multiple physically separate components (e.g., NodeB components and RNC components, or BTS components and BSC components, etc.), each of which may have its own respective components. In some scenarios where network node QQ160 includes multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of these separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In such scenarios, each unique NodeB and RNC pair may be considered a single, separate network node in some cases. In some embodiments, network node QQ160 may be configured to support multiple Radio Access Technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate device-readable media QQ180 for different RATs), and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna QQ162 may be shared by the RATs). Network node QQ160 may also include multiple sets of various illustrated components for integrating different wireless technologies (e.g., GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, or Bluetooth wireless technologies) into network node QQ160. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets and other components within network node QQ 160 .

[0062] The processing circuitry QQ 170 is configured to perform any determinations, calculations, or similar operations (e.g., certain obtaining operations) described herein as being provided by the network node. These operations performed by the processing circuitry QQ 170 may include processing information obtained by the processing circuitry QQ 170 by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or the converted information with information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or the converted information and making a determination based on the results of the processing.

[0063] The processing circuit QQ 170 may include one or more combinations of the following: a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a central processing unit, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or encoded logic, operable to provide network node QQ 160 functionality, either alone or in combination with other network node QQ 160 components (e.g., device-readable medium QQ 180). For example, the processing circuit QQ 170 may execute instructions stored in the device-readable medium QQ 180 or in memory within the processing circuit QQ 170. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features, functions, or benefits discussed herein. In some embodiments, the processing circuit QQ 170 may include a system-on-chip (SOC).

[0064] In some embodiments, processing circuitry QQ170 may include one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry QQ172 and baseband processing circuitry QQ174. In some embodiments, radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry QQ172 and baseband processing circuitry QQ174 may reside on separate chips (or chipsets), boards, or units (e.g., a radio unit and a digital unit). In alternative embodiments, some or all of RF transceiver circuitry QQ172 and baseband processing circuitry QQ174 may reside on the same chip, chipset, board, or unit.

[0065] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as being provided by a network node, base station, eNB, or other such network device may be performed by processing circuit QQ170 executing instructions stored on device-readable medium QQ180 or memory within processing circuit QQ170. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by processing circuit QQ170, for example, in a hardwired manner, without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable medium. In any of these embodiments, processing circuit QQ170 may be configured to perform the described functionality regardless of whether or not it executes instructions stored on a device-readable storage medium. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to processing circuit QQ170 or other components of network node QQ160, but are enjoyed by network node QQ160 as a whole and / or by end users and the wireless network as a whole.

[0066] The device-readable medium QQ180 may include any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including but not limited to permanent storage devices, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., a hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., a flash drive, a compact disk (CD), or a digital video disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that can be used by the processing circuit QQ170. The device-readable medium QQ180 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including computer programs, software, applications including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, etc., and / or other instructions that can be executed by the processing circuit QQ170 and used by the network node QQ160. The device-readable medium QQ180 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuit QQ170 and / or any data received via the interface QQ190. In some embodiments, processing circuitry QQ 170 and device-readable medium QQ 180 may be considered integrated.

[0067] Interface QQ190 is used for wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between network node QQ160, network QQ106, and / or WDQQ110. As shown, interface QQ190 includes a port / terminal QQ194 for sending and receiving data to and from network QQ106, for example, via a wired connection. Interface QQ190 also includes radio front-end circuitry QQ192, which may be coupled to antenna QQ162, or in some embodiments, is part of antenna QQ162. Radio front-end circuitry QQ192 includes a filter QQ198 and an amplifier QQ196. Radio front-end circuitry QQ192 may be connected to antenna QQ162 and processing circuitry QQ170. Radio front-end circuitry can be configured to modulate the signals used for communication between antenna QQ162 and processing circuitry QQ170. Radio front-end circuitry QQ192 can receive digital data that will be transmitted wirelessly to other network nodes or WDs. The radio front-end circuit QQ192 can use a combination of filters QQ198 and / or amplifiers QQ196 to convert the digital data into a radio signal with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters. The radio signal can then be transmitted via antenna QQ162. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna QQ162 can collect the radio signal, which is then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuit QQ192. The digital data can be passed to processing circuit QQ170. In other embodiments, the interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0068] In certain alternative embodiments, network node QQ160 may not include a separate radio front-end circuit QQ192. Instead, processing circuit QQ170 may include the radio front-end circuit and be connected to antenna QQ162 without the need for a separate radio front-end circuit QQ192. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuit QQ172 may be considered part of interface QQ190. In other embodiments, interface QQ190 may include one or more ports or terminals QQ194, radio front-end circuit QQ192, and RF transceiver circuit QQ172 (as part of a radio unit (not shown)), and interface QQ190 may communicate with baseband processing circuit QQ174 (as part of a digital unit (not shown)).

[0069] Antenna QQ162 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna QQ162 may be coupled to radio front-end circuitry QQ192 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna QQ162 may include one or more omnidirectional, sector, or planar antennas operable for transmitting / receiving radio signals between, for example, 2 GHz and 66 GHz. Omnidirectional antennas can be used to transmit / receive radio signals in any direction, sector antennas can be used to transmit / receive radio signals relative to a device within a specific area, and planar antennas can be line-of-sight antennas used to transmit / receive radio signals in a relatively straight line. In some cases, the use of more than one antenna may be referred to as MIMO. In some embodiments, antenna QQ162 may be detachable from network node QQ160 and may be connected to network node QQ160 via an interface or port.

[0070] Antenna QQ162, interface QQ190, and / or processing circuitry QQ170 may be configured to perform any receive operations and / or certain obtain operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from a wireless device, another network node, and / or any other network device. Similarly, antenna QQ162, interface QQ190, and / or processing circuitry QQ170 may be configured to perform any transmit operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals may be transmitted to a wireless device, another network node, and / or any other network device.

[0071] Alternative embodiments of network node QQ 160 may include more than Figure 9, which may be responsible for providing certain aspects of the functionality of the network node (including any of the functionality described herein and / or any functionality required to support the subject matter described herein). For example, network node QQ 160 may include a user interface device to allow information to be input into network node QQ 160 and to allow information to be output from network node QQ 160. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other management functions on network node QQ 160.

[0072] As used herein, a wireless device (WD) refers to a device that is capable of, configured to, arranged to, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with a network node and / or other wireless devices. Unless otherwise specified, the term WD may be used interchangeably with user equipment (UE) in this article. Wireless transmission may include using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for transmitting information through the air to send and / or receive wireless signals. In some embodiments, a WD may be configured to send and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, a WD may be designed to send information to a network in a predetermined schedule when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from a network. Examples of WDs include, but are not limited to, smartphones, mobile phones, cellular phones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, game consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback devices, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablet computers, portable computers, portable embedded devices (LEEs), portable installation devices (LMEs), smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), vehicle-mounted wireless terminal devices, and the like. A WD can, for example, support device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, and vehicle-to-anything (V2X) communication by implementing 3GPP standards for secondary link communication, and in this case, it can be referred to as a D2D communication device. As another specific example, in the Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, a WD can represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurement and sends the results of such monitoring and / or measurement to another WD and / or network node. In this case, the WD can be a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, which can be referred to as an MTC device in the 3GPP context. As a specific example, a WD can be a UE that implements the 3GPP Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) standard. Specific examples of such machines or devices are sensors, metering devices (e.g., electricity meters), industrial machines, or household or personal devices (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, etc.), personal wearable devices (e.g., watches, fitness trackers, etc.). In other scenarios, a WD can represent a vehicle or other device capable of monitoring and / or reporting its operational status or other functions associated with its operation. As described above, WD may represent an endpoint of a wireless connection, in which case the device may be referred to as a wireless terminal. In addition, as described above, WD may be mobile, in which case it may also be referred to as a mobile device or a mobile terminal.

[0073] As shown in the figure, the wireless device QQ110 includes an antenna QQ111, an interface QQ114, processing circuitry QQ120, a device-readable medium QQ130, a user interface device QQ132, an auxiliary device QQ134, a power supply QQ136, and a power supply circuitry QQ137. WDQQ110 may include one or more of the components shown for various wireless technologies supported by WD QQ110 (e.g., GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, WiMAX, or Bluetooth wireless technologies, to name just a few). These wireless technologies may be integrated into a chip or chipset that is the same as or different from other components within WDQQ110.

[0074] Antenna QQ111 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals and is connected to interface QQ114. In some alternative embodiments, antenna QQ111 may be separate from WDQQ110 and may be connected to WD QQ110 via an interface or port. Antenna QQ111, interface QQ114, and / or processing circuitry QQ120 may be configured to perform any receive or transmit operation described herein as being performed by a WD. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from a network node and / or another WD. In some embodiments, radio front-end circuitry and / or antenna QQ111 may be considered as an interface.

[0075] As shown in the figure, interface QQ114 includes radio front-end circuitry QQ112 and antenna QQ111. Radio front-end circuitry QQ112 includes one or more filters QQ118 and amplifiers QQ116. Radio front-end circuitry QQ114 is connected to antenna QQ111 and processing circuitry QQ120 and is configured to modulate the signal transmitted between antenna QQ111 and processing circuitry QQ120. Radio front-end circuitry QQ112 may be coupled to antenna QQ111 or be a portion thereof. In some embodiments, WDQQ110 may not include a separate radio front-end circuitry QQ112; instead, processing circuitry QQ120 may include radio front-end circuitry and may be connected to antenna QQ111. Similarly, in some embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuitry QQ122 may be considered part of interface QQ114. Radio front-end circuitry QQ112 can receive digital data, which will be transmitted wirelessly to other network nodes or WD. The radio front-end circuit QQ112 can use a combination of filter QQ118 and / or amplifier QQ116 to convert digital data into radio signals with suitable channel and bandwidth parameters. The radio signals can then be transmitted via antenna QQ112. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna QQ111 can collect radio signals, which are then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuit QQ112. The digital data can be passed to processing circuit QQ120. In other embodiments, the interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0076] The processor circuitry QQ120 may include a combination of one or more of the following: a microprocessor, controller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field-programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or coding logic, operable to provide WDQQ110 functionality, either alone or in combination with other WDQQ110 components (e.g., device-readable medium QQ130). Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features or benefits discussed herein. For example, the processor circuitry QQ120 may execute instructions stored in the device-readable medium QQ130 or in memory within the processor circuitry QQ120 to provide the functionality disclosed herein.

[0077] As shown in the figure, the processing circuit QQ120 includes one or more of the following: RF transceiver circuit QQ122, baseband processing circuit QQ124, and application processing circuit QQ126. In other embodiments, the processing circuit may include different components and / or different combinations of components. In some embodiments, the processing circuit QQ120 of WDQQ110 may include a System-on-a-Chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuit QQ122, baseband processing circuit QQ124, and application processing circuit QQ126 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In alternative embodiments, a portion or all of the baseband processing circuit QQ124 and application processing circuit QQ126 may be combined into a single chip or chipset, and the RF transceiver circuit QQ122 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In further alternative embodiments, a portion or all of the RF transceiver circuit QQ122 and baseband processing circuit QQ124 may be on the same chip or chipset, and the application processing circuit QQ126 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In other alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry QQ122, baseband processing circuitry QQ124, and application processing circuitry QQ126 may be combined in the same chip or chipset. In some embodiments, RF transceiver circuitry QQ122 may be part of interface QQ114. RF transceiver circuitry QQ122 may condition RF signals for processing circuitry QQ120.

[0078] In some embodiments, some or all of the functions described herein as being performed by WD may be provided by processing circuitry QQ120, which executes instructions stored on device-readable medium QQ130, which in some embodiments may be computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functions may be provided by processing circuitry QQ120, for example, in a hard-wired manner, without executing instructions stored on separate or discrete device-readable storage media. In any of these particular embodiments, processing circuitry QQ120 may be configured to perform the described functions regardless of whether instructions stored on device-readable storage media are executed. The benefits provided by such functions are not limited to processing circuitry QQ120 or other components of WDQQ110, but are enjoyed as a whole by WDQQ110 and / or generally by the end user and wireless network.

[0079] Processing circuitry QQ 120 may be configured to perform any determinations, calculations, or similar operations described herein as being performed by the WD (e.g., certain obtaining operations). These operations performed by processing circuitry QQ 120 may include processing information obtained by processing circuitry QQ 120 by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or the converted information with information stored by WD QQ 110, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or the converted information and making determinations based on the results of the processing.

[0080] The device-readable medium QQ130 is operable to store computer programs, software, applications including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, etc., and / or other instructions executable by the processing circuit QQ120. The device-readable medium QQ130 may include computer memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM)), mass storage media (e.g., a hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., a compact disk (CD) or digital video disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device that stores information, data, and / or instructions usable by the processing circuit QQ120. In some embodiments, the processing circuit QQ120 and the device-readable medium QQ130 may be considered integrated.

[0081] User interface device QQ132 can provide components that allow human users to interact with WDQQ110. This interaction can take many forms, such as visual, auditory, tactile, etc. User interface device QQ132 is operable to produce output to the user and allow the user to provide input to WDQQ110. The type of interaction can vary depending on the type of user interface device QQ132 installed in WDQQ110. For example, if WDQQ110 is a smartphone, interaction can be performed via a touchscreen; if WDQQ110 is a smart meter, interaction can be performed via a screen providing usage (e.g., the number of gallons used) or a speaker providing audible alarms (e.g., if smoke is detected). User interface device QQ132 can include input interfaces, devices, and circuitry, as well as output interfaces, devices, and circuitry. User interface device QQ132 is configured to allow information input to WDQQ110 and is connected to processing circuitry QQ120 to allow processing of the input information. User interface device QQ132 can include, for example, a microphone, proximity or other sensors, buttons / buttons, a touch display, one or more cameras, a USB port, or other input circuitry. User interface device QQ132 is also configured to allow information output from WDQQ110 and to allow processing circuitry QQ120 to output information from WDQQ110. User interface device QQ132 may include, for example, a speaker, display, vibration circuitry, USB port, headphone jack, or other output circuitry. By using one or more input and output interfaces, devices, and circuitry of user interface device QQ132, WDQQ110 can communicate with end users and / or wireless networks, allowing them to benefit from the functionality described herein.

[0082] The auxiliary device QQ134 is operable to provide more specific functions that may not typically be performed by the WD. This may include dedicated sensors for measurements for various purposes, interfaces for additional types of communication (e.g., wired communication, etc.). The contents and types of components of the auxiliary device QQ134 may vary depending on the embodiment and / or scenario.

[0083] In some embodiments, power source QQ136 may be in the form of a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources may also be used, such as an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet), a photovoltaic device, or a battery cell. WD QQ110 may also include power circuitry QQ137 for delivering power from power source QQ136 to various components of WD QQ110 that require power from power source QQ136 to perform any of the functions described or indicated herein. In some embodiments, power circuitry QQ137 may include power management circuitry. Power circuitry QQ137 may additionally or alternatively be operable to receive power from an external power source; in this case, WD QQ110 may be connected to the external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet) via input circuitry or an interface such as a power cable. In some embodiments, power circuitry QQ137 may also be operable to deliver power from the external power source to power source QQ136. This may be used, for example, to charge power source QQ136. Power circuitry QQ137 may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modifications to the power from power source QQ136 to make it suitable for the various components of WD QQ110 being powered.

[0084] Figure 10 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment QQ300 in which the functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In this context, virtualization means creating a virtual version of an apparatus or device, which may include virtualized hardware platforms, storage devices, and network resources. As used herein, virtualization may be applied to a node (e.g., a virtualized base station or a virtualized radio access node) or a device (e.g., a UE, a wireless device, or any other type of communication device) or a component thereof, and relates to an implementation in which at least a portion of the functions are implemented as one or more virtual components (e.g., by one or more applications, components, functions, virtual machines, or containers executed on one or more physical processing nodes in one or more networks).

[0085] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines implemented in one or more virtual environments QQ 300 hosted by one or more hardware nodes QQ 330. Furthermore, in embodiments where the virtual nodes are not radio access nodes or do not require radio connectivity (e.g., core network nodes), the network nodes may be fully virtualized at this point.

[0086] These functions may be implemented by one or more applications QQ320 (which may alternatively be referred to as software instances, virtual devices, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.), which are operable to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some embodiments disclosed herein. Applications QQ320 run in a virtualized environment QQ300, which provides hardware QQ330 including processing circuitry QQ360 and memory QQ390. Memory QQ390 contains instructions QQ395 executable by processing circuitry QQ360, thereby allowing applications QQ320 to operate to provide one or more of the features, benefits, and / or functions disclosed herein.

[0087] The virtualization environment QQ300 includes a general-purpose or specialized network hardware device QQ330, which includes a set of one or more processors or processing circuits QQ360, which can be commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any other type of processing circuit including digital or analog hardware components or specialized processors. Each hardware device can include memory QQ390-1, which can be non-persistent storage for temporarily storing instructions QQ395 or software executed by the processing circuits QQ360. Each hardware device can include one or more network interface controllers (NICs) QQ370, also known as network interface cards, which include physical network interfaces QQ380. Each hardware device can also include a non-transitory, permanent machine-readable storage medium QQ390-2 having stored therein software QQ395 and / or instructions executable by the processing circuits QQ360. The software QQ395 can include any type of software, including software for instantiating one or more virtualization layers QQ350 (also known as hypervisors), software for executing virtual machines QQ340, and software that enables them to perform the functions, features, and / or benefits described in connection with some embodiments described herein.

[0088] Virtual machine QQ 340 includes virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage, and can be run by a corresponding virtualization layer QQ 350 or hypervisor. Different embodiments of instances of virtual device QQ 320 can be implemented on one or more of virtual machines QQ 340, and the implementation can be done in different ways.

[0089] During operation, processing circuit QQ 360 executes software QQ 395 to instantiate a hypervisor or virtualization layer QQ 350 , which may sometimes be referred to as a virtual machine monitor (VMM). Virtualization layer QQ 350 may present a virtual operating platform that appears to virtual machine QQ 340 as networked hardware.

[0090] like Figure 10As shown, hardware QQ 330 can be a standalone network node with general or specific components. Hardware QQ 330 can include antenna QQ 3225 and can implement some functions through virtualization. Alternatively, hardware QQ 330 can be part of a larger hardware cluster (e.g., in a data center or customer premises equipment (CPE)), where many hardware nodes work together and are managed by management and coordination (MANO) QQ 3100, which oversees the lifecycle management of application QQ 320, etc.

[0091] In some contexts, hardware virtualization is referred to as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV can be used to unify numerous network device types onto industry-standard high-capacity server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage that can be located in data centers and customer premises equipment.

[0092] In the context of NFV, a virtual machine QQ 340 can be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executed on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each virtual machine QQ 340 and the portion of hardware QQ 330 that executes the virtual machine (which can be hardware dedicated to the virtual machine and / or hardware shared by the virtual machine and other virtual machines in virtual machine QQ 340) form a separate virtual network element (VNE).

[0093] Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function (VNF) is responsible for handling specific network functions running in one or more virtual machines QQ340 on top of the hardware network infrastructure QQ330 and corresponds to Figure 10 Application QQ320.

[0094] In some embodiments, one or more radio units QQ 3200, each including one or more transmitters QQ 3220 and one or more receivers QQ 3210, may be coupled to one or more antennas QQ 3225. The radio units QQ 3200 may communicate directly with the hardware nodes QQ 330 via one or more suitable network interfaces, and may be used in conjunction with virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a radio access node or base station.

[0095] In some embodiments, some signaling may be implemented using a control system QQ3230 , which may alternatively be used for communication between the hardware node QQ330 and the radio unit QQ3200 .

[0096] Generally, unless explicitly stated and / or implied from the context, all terms used herein shall be interpreted according to their common meaning in the relevant art. Unless otherwise expressly stated, all references to “an element, device, component, apparatus, step, etc.” shall be openly interpreted as referring to at least one instance of an element, device, component, apparatus, step, etc. Unless it is explicitly stated that a step must be described as occurring after or before another step and / or implicitly that a step must occur after or before another step, the steps of any method disclosed herein need not be performed in the exact order disclosed. Where appropriate, any feature of any embodiment disclosed herein may be applied to any other embodiment. Similarly, any advantage of any embodiment may be applied to any other embodiment, and vice versa. Further objects, features, and advantages of the appended embodiments will become apparent from the following description.

[0097] The term “unit” can have a conventional meaning in the field of electronic products, electrical equipment and / or electronic devices, and can include, for example, electrical and / or electronic circuits, devices, modules, processors, memories, logic solid-state and / or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions for performing various tasks, processes, calculations, outputs and / or display functions (e.g., those described herein), etc.

Claims

1. A method for establishing communication performed by a wireless device, the method comprising: When registering with a first mobile network node in a first network, information indicating whether the first mobile network node supports a communication interface to a second mobile network node in a second network is received. In response to a request to establish communication with the wireless device using the first network, a redirection instruction to redirect to the second network is received; as well as Based on information indicating whether the first mobile network node in the first network supports a communication interface to the second mobile network node in the second network, one of the tracking area update process or the attachment process in the second network is executed.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The tracking area update process includes: Send a Tracking Area Update (TAU) request to the second network; and In response to the TAU request, receive the TAU acceptance message.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The attachment process includes sending an attachment request message indicating a switchover.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: In the second network, a bearer with a Quality of Service Level Identifier (QCI) is used to complete the communication setup.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The redirection instruction includes a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection release message with redirection information.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, The redirection instruction includes a fallback instruction to the second network.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first network includes a 5G system.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The second network includes the Evolved Packet System (EPS).

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The communication includes voice communication.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: It is determined that the communication is unavailable on the first network.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The wireless device is a user equipment (UE).

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: In response to the redirection instruction, switch to the second network.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program for controlling a wireless device to establish communication, the computer program comprising program instructions that, when executed on the processing circuitry of the wireless device, cause the wireless device to: When registering with a first mobile network node in a first network, information indicating whether the first mobile network node supports a communication interface to a second mobile network node in a second network is received. In response to a request to establish communication with the wireless device using the first network, a redirection instruction to redirect to the second network is received; as well as Based on information indicating whether the first mobile network node in the first network supports a communication interface to the second mobile network node in the second network, one of the tracking area update process or the attachment process in the second network is executed.

14. An apparatus for establishing communication, the apparatus comprising: Processing circuitry; The memory contains instructions executable by the processing circuitry, thereby enabling the device to operate as follows: When registering with a first mobile network node in a first network, information indicating whether the first mobile network node supports a communication interface to a second mobile network node in a second network is received. In response to a request to establish communication with a wireless device using the first network, a redirection instruction to redirect to the second network is received; as well as Based on information indicating whether the first mobile network node in the first network supports a communication interface to the second mobile network node in the second network, one of the tracking area update process or the attachment process in the second network is executed.

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