Establishing multiple non-access stratum connections on top of a single radio resource control connection

Abstract

A method is disclosed that includes sending a request to establish a second non-access stratum connection for a second universal subscriber identity module, where the request is sent via a radio resource control connection associated with a pre-existing first non-access stratum connection for a first universal subscriber identity module. A first radio resource control reconfiguration message is received that indicates one or more data radio bearers to be configured. The one or more data radio bearers are configured for the second universal subscriber identity module. A first radio resource control reconfiguration complete message is sent that indicates the first radio resource control reconfiguration is complete.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The following exemplary embodiments relate to wireless communication. Background Technology

[0002] Since resources are limited, it is necessary to optimize the use of network resources. Utilizing cells within a cellular communication network can enable better service to one or more terminal devices. Optimizing the use of one or more cells can thus improve resource utilization and enhance the user experience for terminal device users. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The independent claims state the scope of protection sought with respect to various exemplary embodiments. Exemplary embodiments and features (if any) described in this specification that are not within the scope of the independent claims shall be interpreted as examples that help to understand the various exemplary embodiments.

[0004] According to another aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising components for: sending a request to a base station to establish a second non-access stratum connection for a second general subscriber identity module, wherein the request is sent via a radio resource control connection associated with a pre-existing first non-access stratum connection for a first general subscriber identity module; receiving from the base station a first radio resource control reconfiguration message indicating one or more data radio bearers to be configured, wherein the first radio resource control reconfiguration message is received via the radio resource control connection; configuring one or more data radio bearers for the second general subscriber identity module; and sending to the base station a first radio resource control reconfiguration completion message indicating that the first radio resource control reconfiguration is complete.

[0005] According to one aspect, an apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with respect to the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: send to a base station a request to establish a second non-access stratum connection for a second general subscriber identity module, wherein the request is sent via a radio resource control connection associated with a pre-existing first non-access stratum connection of a first general subscriber identity module; receive from the base station a first radio resource control reconfiguration message indicating one or more data radio bearers to be configured, wherein the first radio resource control reconfiguration message is received via a radio resource control connection; configure one or more data radios for the second general subscriber identity module; and send to the base station a first radio resource control reconfiguration completion message indicating that the first radio resource control reconfiguration is complete.

[0006] According to another aspect, a method is provided, comprising sending a request to a base station to establish a second non-access stratum connection for a second general subscriber identity module, wherein the request is sent via a radio resource control connection associated with a pre-existing first non-access stratum connection for a first general subscriber identity module; receiving from the base station a first radio resource control reconfiguration message indicating one or more data radio bearers to be configured, wherein the first radio resource control reconfiguration message is received via a radio resource control connection; configuring one or more data radio bearers for the second general subscriber identity module; and sending to the base station a first radio resource control reconfiguration completion message indicating that the first radio resource control reconfiguration is complete.

[0007] According to another aspect, a computer program is provided, the computer program including instructions for causing a device to perform at least the following: sending a request to a base station to establish a second non-access stratum connection for a second general subscriber identity module, wherein the request is sent via a radio resource control connection associated with a pre-existing first non-access stratum connection of a first general subscriber identity module; receiving from the base station a first radio resource control reconfiguration message indicating one or more data radio bearers to be configured, wherein the first radio resource control reconfiguration message is received via a radio resource control connection; configuring one or more data radio bearers for the second general subscriber identity module; and sending to the base station a first radio resource control reconfiguration completion message indicating that the first radio resource control reconfiguration is complete.

[0008] According to another aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions for causing a device to perform at least the following: sending a request to a base station to establish a second non-access stratum connection for a second general subscriber identity module, wherein the request is sent via a radio resource control connection associated with a pre-existing first non-access stratum connection for a first general subscriber identity module; receiving from the base station a first radio resource control reconfiguration message indicating one or more data radio bearers to be configured, wherein the first radio resource control reconfiguration message is received via a radio resource control connection; configuring one or more data radio bearers for the second general subscriber identity module; and sending to the base station a first radio resource control reconfiguration completion message indicating that the first radio resource control reconfiguration is complete.

[0009] According to another aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions for causing a device to perform at least the following: sending a request to a base station to establish a second non-access stratum connection for a second general subscriber identity module, wherein the request is sent via a radio resource control connection associated with a pre-existing first non-access stratum connection for a first general subscriber identity module; receiving from the base station a first radio resource control reconfiguration message indicating one or more data radio bearers to be configured, wherein the first radio resource control reconfiguration message is received via a radio resource control connection; configuring one or more data radio bearers for the second general subscriber identity module; and sending to the base station a first radio resource control reconfiguration completion message indicating that the first radio resource control reconfiguration is complete.

[0010] According to another aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising components for: receiving from a terminal device a request to establish a second non-access stratum connection from a second general subscriber identity module included in the terminal device, wherein the request is received via a radio resource control (RFC) connection associated with a pre-existing first non-access stratum connection from a first general subscriber identity module included in the terminal device; sending the request to establish the second non-access stratum connection to an access and mobility management (AML) function; receiving from the AML function an indication to accept an initial context establishment request to establish the second non-access stratum connection; creating one or more data radio bearers associated with the second general subscriber identity module; sending to the terminal device a first RRF control reconfiguration message indicating that one or more data radio bearers to be configured, wherein the first RRF control reconfiguration message is sent via a RRF control connection; receiving from the terminal device a first RRF control reconfiguration completion message indicating that the first RRF control reconfiguration is complete; and sending to the AML function an initial context establishment response indicating that the second non-access stratum connection has been established.

[0011] According to one aspect, an apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with respect to the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: receive from a terminal device a request to establish a second non-access stratum connection from a second general subscriber identity module included in the terminal device, wherein the request is received via a radio resource control (RFC) connection associated with a pre-existing first non-access stratum connection from a first general subscriber identity module included in the terminal device; send the request to an access and mobility management (AML) function to establish the second non-access stratum connection; receive from the AML function an indication to accept an initial context establishment request to establish the second non-access stratum connection; create one or more data radio bearers associated with the second general subscriber identity module; send to the terminal device a first RFC reconfiguration message indicating that one or more data radio bearers to be configured, wherein the first RFC reconfiguration message is sent via a RFC connection; receive from the terminal device a first RFC reconfiguration completion message indicating that the first RFC reconfiguration is complete; and send to the AML function an initial context establishment response indicating that the second non-access stratum connection has been established.

[0012] According to another aspect, a method is provided, comprising receiving from a terminal device a request to establish a second non-access stratum connection from a second general subscriber identity module included in the terminal device, wherein the request is received via a radio resource control (RFC) connection associated with a pre-existing first non-access stratum connection from a first general subscriber identity module included in the terminal device; sending the request to establish the second non-access stratum connection to an access and mobility management (AML) function; receiving from the AML function an indication of accepting an initial context establishment request to establish the second non-access stratum connection; creating one or more data radio bearers associated with the second general subscriber identity module; sending to the terminal device a first RRF control reconfiguration message indicating that one or more data radio bearers to be configured, wherein the first RRF control reconfiguration message is sent via a RRF control connection; receiving from the terminal device a first RRF control reconfiguration completion message indicating that the first RRF control reconfiguration is complete; and sending to the AML function an initial context establishment response indicating that the second non-access stratum connection has been established.

[0013] According to another aspect, a computer program is provided, the computer program including instructions for causing a device to perform at least the following: receiving from a terminal device a request to establish a second non-access stratum connection from a second general subscriber identity module included in the terminal device, wherein the request is received via a radio resource control (RFC) connection associated with a pre-existing first non-access stratum connection from a first general subscriber identity module included in the terminal device; sending the request to establish the second non-access stratum connection to an access and mobility management (AML) function; receiving from the AML function an indication to accept an initial context establishment request to establish the second non-access stratum connection; creating one or more data radio bearers associated with the second general subscriber identity module; sending to the terminal device a first RRF control reconfiguration message indicating that one or more data radio bearers to be configured, wherein the first RRF control reconfiguration message is sent via a RRF control connection; receiving from the terminal device a first RRF control reconfiguration completion message indicating that the first RRF control reconfiguration is complete; and sending to the AML function an initial context establishment response indicating that the second non-access stratum connection is established.

[0014] According to another aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions for causing a device to perform at least the following: receiving from a terminal device a request to establish a second non-access stratum connection from a second general subscriber identity module included in the terminal device, wherein the request is received via a radio resource control (RFC) connection associated with a pre-existing first non-access stratum connection from a first general subscriber identity module included in the terminal device; sending the request to establish the second non-access stratum connection to an access and mobility management (AML) function; receiving from the AML function an indication to accept an initial context establishment request to establish the second non-access stratum connection; creating one or more data radio bearers associated with the second general subscriber identity module; sending to the terminal device a first RRF control reconfiguration message indicating that one or more data radio bearers to be configured, wherein the first RRF control reconfiguration message is sent via a RRF control connection; receiving from the terminal device a first RRF control reconfiguration completion message indicating that the first RRF control reconfiguration is complete; and sending to the AML function an initial context establishment response indicating that the second non-access stratum connection has been established.

[0015] According to another aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions for causing a device to perform at least the following: receiving from a terminal device a request to establish a second non-access stratum connection from a second general subscriber identity module included in the terminal device, wherein the request is received via a radio resource control (RFC) connection associated with a pre-existing first non-access stratum connection from a first general subscriber identity module included in the terminal device; sending the request to an access and mobility management (AML) function to establish the second non-access stratum connection; receiving from the AML function an initial context establishment request indicating acceptance of establishing the second non-access stratum connection; creating one or more data radio bearers associated with the second general subscriber identity module; sending to the terminal device a first RRF control reconfiguration message indicating one or more data radio bearers to be configured, wherein the first RRF control reconfiguration message is sent via a RRF control connection; receiving from the terminal device a first RRF control reconfiguration completion message indicating completion of the first RRF control reconfiguration; and sending to the AML function an initial context establishment response indicating that the second non-access stratum connection has been established.

[0016] According to another aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising components for: receiving from a first base station a request to establish a second non-access stratum connection from a second general subscriber identity module included in a terminal device; sending to the first base station an initial context establishment request indicating acceptance of establishing the second non-access stratum connection; and receiving from the first base station an initial context establishment response indicating that the second non-access stratum connection has been established.

[0017] According to one aspect, an apparatus is provided, the apparatus including at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with respect to the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: receive from a first base station a request to establish a second non-access stratum connection from a second universal subscriber identity module included in a terminal device; send to the first base station an initial context establishment request indicating acceptance of the establishment of the second non-access stratum connection; and receive from the first base station an initial context establishment response indicating that the second non-access stratum connection has been established.

[0018] According to another aspect, a method is provided, the method comprising receiving from a first base station a request to establish a second non-access stratum connection from a second general subscriber identity module included in a terminal device; sending to the first base station an initial context establishment request indicating acceptance of establishing the second non-access stratum connection; and receiving from the first base station an initial context establishment response indicating that the second non-access stratum connection has been established.

[0019] According to another aspect, a computer program is provided, the computer program including instructions for causing a device to perform at least the following: receiving from a first base station a request to establish a second non-access stratum connection from a second general subscriber identity module included in a terminal device; sending to the first base station an initial context establishment request indicating acceptance of establishing the second non-access stratum connection; and receiving from the first base station an initial context establishment response indicating that the second non-access stratum connection has been established.

[0020] According to another aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions for causing a device to perform at least the following: receiving from a first base station a request to establish a second non-access stratum connection from a second general subscriber identity module included in a terminal device; sending to the first base station an initial context establishment request indicating acceptance of establishing the second non-access stratum connection; and receiving from the first base station an initial context establishment response indicating that the second non-access stratum connection has been established.

[0021] According to another aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions for causing a device to perform at least the following: receiving from a first base station a request to establish a second non-access stratum connection from a second general subscriber identity module included in a terminal device; sending to the first base station an initial context establishment request indicating acceptance of establishing the second non-access stratum connection; and receiving from the first base station an initial context establishment response indicating that the second non-access stratum connection has been established.

[0022] According to another aspect, a system is provided that includes at least a terminal device, a base station, and access and mobility management functions. The terminal device includes at least components for: sending a request to the base station to establish a second non-access stratum connection for a second general subscriber identity module, wherein the request is sent via a radio resource control (RFC) connection associated with a pre-existing first NAC connection to a first general subscriber identity module; receiving from the base station a first RRF reconfiguration message indicating one or more data radio bearers to be configured, wherein the first RRF reconfiguration message is received via the RRF connection; configuring one or more data radio bearers for the second general subscriber identity module; and sending to the base station a first RRF reconfiguration completion message indicating that the first RRF reconfiguration is complete. The base station includes at least the components for: receiving a request from a terminal device to establish a second non-access stratum connection; sending the request to an access and mobility management function to establish a second non-access stratum connection; receiving from the access and mobility management function an indication of accepting an initial context establishment request to establish a second non-access stratum connection; creating one or more data radio bearers for a second general subscriber identity module; sending a first radio resource control reconfiguration message to the terminal device indicating that one or more data radio bearers to be configured; receiving from the terminal device a first radio resource control reconfiguration completion message indicating that the first radio resource control reconfiguration is complete; and sending an initial context establishment response to the access and mobility management function indicating that a second non-access stratum connection has been established. The access and mobility management function includes at least the components for: receiving a request from the base station to establish a second non-access stratum connection; sending an initial context establishment request to the base station indicating acceptance of an initial context establishment request to establish a second non-access stratum connection; and receiving from a first base station an initial context establishment response indicating that a second non-access stratum connection has been established.

[0023] According to another aspect, a system is provided that includes at least a terminal device, a base station, and access and mobility management functions. The terminal device is configured to at least: send a request to the base station to establish a second non-access stratum connection for a second general subscriber identity module, wherein the request is sent via a radio resource control (RFC) connection associated with a pre-existing first NFC connection of a first general subscriber identity module; receive from the base station a first RRF reconfiguration message indicating one or more data radio bearers to be configured, wherein the first RRF reconfiguration message is received via the RRF connection; configure one or more data radio bearers for the second general subscriber identity module; and send to the base station a first RRF reconfiguration completion message indicating that the first RRF reconfiguration is complete. The base station is configured to at least: receive a request from a terminal device to establish a second non-access stratum connection; send the request to an access and mobility management function (AMU) to establish a second non-access stratum connection; receive from the AMU an initial context establishment request indicating acceptance of establishing a second non-access stratum connection; create one or more data radio bearers for a second general subscriber identity module (GSM); send a first radio resource control (RFC) reconfiguration message to the terminal device indicating that one or more data radio bearers to be configured; receive from the terminal device a first RFC reconfiguration completion message indicating that the first RFC reconfiguration is complete; and send an initial context establishment response to the AMU indicating that a second non-access stratum connection has been established. The AMU is configured to at least: receive a request from the base station to establish a second non-access stratum connection; send an initial context establishment request to the base station indicating acceptance of establishing a second non-access stratum connection; and receive an initial context establishment response from the first base station indicating that a second non-access stratum connection has been established. Attached Figure Description

[0024] In the following description, various exemplary embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0025] Figure 1 An exemplary embodiment of a cellular communication network is shown;

[0026] Figure 2 A signaling diagram for establishing a non-access stratum signaling connection is shown;

[0027] Figure 3 The signaling diagram used for the release process is shown;

[0028] Figure 4 A signaling diagram according to an exemplary embodiment is shown;

[0029] Figures 5-7 A flowchart according to some exemplary embodiments is shown;

[0030] Figure 8 A signaling diagram according to an exemplary embodiment is shown;

[0031] Figures 9-11 A flowchart according to some exemplary embodiments is shown;

[0032] Figure 12 A simplified architecture of the system according to an exemplary embodiment is shown;

[0033] Figure 13 A flowchart according to an exemplary embodiment is shown;

[0034] Figure 14 and Figure 15 An apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The following embodiments are exemplary. Although this specification may refer to "an," "one," or "some" embodiments in various places throughout the text, this does not necessarily mean that every reference refers to the same embodiment or that a particular feature applies only to a single embodiment. Individual features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments.

[0036] In the following description, radio access architectures based on Advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-A, LTE-A) or New Radio (NR, 5G) will be used as examples of access architectures to which exemplary embodiments can be applied, without limiting the exemplary embodiments to such architectures. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments can also be applied to other types of communication networks with suitable components by appropriately adapting parameters and processes. Some examples of other options suitable for the system may be Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) radio access network (UTRAN or E-UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE, substantially the same as E-UTRA), wireless local area network (WLAN or Wi-Fi), Global Microwave Access Interoperability (WiMAX), Bluetooth®, Personal Communication Services (PCS), ZigBee®, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), systems using Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology, sensor networks, Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANET), and Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), or any combination thereof.

[0037] Figure 1 An example of a simplified system architecture is shown, illustrating some components and functional entities, which are logical units whose implementations may differ from those shown. Figure 1 The connections shown are logical connections; the actual physical connections may differ. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the system may also include… Figure 1Other functions and structures besides those shown.

[0038] However, the exemplary embodiments are not limited to the system given as an example, and those skilled in the art can apply this solution to other communication systems with the necessary properties.

[0039] Figure 1 The example illustrates a portion of an exemplary radio access network.

[0040] Figure 1 User equipment 100 and 102 are shown, configured to be wirelessly connected to an access node (such as an (e / g) NodeB) 104 providing the cell on one or more communication channels within the cell. The physical link from the user equipment to the (e / g) NodeB can be referred to as an uplink or reverse link, while the physical link from the (e / g) NodeB to the user equipment can be referred to as a downlink or forward link. It should be understood that the (e / g) NodeB, or its functionality, can be implemented using any entity suitable for such purposes, such as a node, host, server, or access point.

[0041] A communication system may include more than one (e / g)NodeB, in which case the (e / g)NodeBs may also be configured to communicate with each other via wired or wireless links designed for this purpose. These links may be used for signaling purposes. An (e / g)NodeB may be a computing device configured to control the radio resources of the communication system to which it is coupled. A NodeB may also be referred to as a base station, access point, or any other type of interface device including a relay station capable of operating in a wireless environment. An (e / g)NodeB may include or be coupled to a transceiver. From the transceiver of the (e / g)NodeB, a connection may be provided to an antenna element, establishing a bidirectional radio link to the user equipment. The antenna element may include multiple antennas or antenna elements. The (e / g)NodeB may be further connected to the core network 110 (CN or Next Generation Core NGC). Depending on the system, the counterpart on the CN side may be a Serving Gateway (S-GW, for routing and forwarding user data packets), a Packet Data Network Gateway (P-GW, for providing connectivity between user equipment (UE) and external packet data networks), or a Mobility Management Entity (MME), etc.

[0042] A user device (also known as a UE, user equipment, user terminal, terminal equipment, etc.) is a type of device to which resources on the air interface can be allocated and assigned, and therefore any features of a user device described herein can be implemented by a corresponding device, such as a relay node. An example of such a relay node could be a Layer 3 relay (self-backhaul relay) toward a base station.

[0043] User equipment can refer to a portable computing device, including wireless mobile communication devices operating with or without a subscriber identification module (SIM), including but not limited to the following types of devices: mobile station (mobile phone), smartphone, personal digital assistant (PDA), handset, device using a wireless modem (alarm or measuring device, etc.), portable computer and / or touchscreen computer, tablet computer, game console, laptop computer, and multimedia device. It should be understood that user equipment can also be a virtually exclusive uplink-only device, an example of which could be a camera or camcorder that loads images or video clips onto a network. User equipment can also be a device capable of operating in an Internet of Things (IoT) network, in which objects are provided with the ability to transmit data over the network without human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. User equipment can also utilize the cloud. In some applications, user equipment may include a small portable device with radio components (such as a watch, earphones, or glasses), and computation can be performed in the cloud. User equipment (or, in some exemplary embodiments, a Layer 3 relay node) can be configured to perform one or more of the user equipment functions. User equipment can also be referred to as subscriber unit, mobile station, remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, terminal equipment, or user equipment (UE), with only a few names or devices mentioned.

[0044] The various techniques described in this paper can also be applied to cyber-physical systems (CPS) (systems that collaboratively control computing elements of physical entities). CPS can realize and utilize a large number of interconnected ICT devices (sensors, actuators, processors, microcontrollers, etc.) embedded in different locations within physical objects. Mobile cyber-physical systems, in which the physical systems discussed can possess inherent mobility, are a subcategory of cyber-physical systems. Examples of mobile physical systems include mobile robots and electronic devices transported by humans or animals.

[0045] Furthermore, although the device is depicted as a single entity, different units, processors, and / or memory units can be implemented. Figure 1 (Not all of them are shown in the image).

[0046] 5G can utilize multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas, significantly more base stations or nodes than LTE (the so-called small cell concept), including macro sites that collaborate with smaller base stations and employ multiple radio technologies, depending on service requirements, use cases, and / or available spectrum. 5G mobile communications can support a wide range of use cases and related applications, including video streaming, augmented reality, different data sharing methods, and various forms of machine-type applications (such as massive machine-type communications (mMTC)), including vehicle safety, different sensors, and real-time control. 5G is expected to have multiple radio interfaces: sub-6 GHz, cmWave, and mmWave, and can be integrated with existing conventional radio access technologies such as LTE. Integration with LTE can be implemented, at least in the early stages, as a system where macro coverage can be provided by LTE and 5G radio interface access can be aggregated to LTE from small cells. In other words, planned 5G can simultaneously support inter-RAT interoperability (such as LTE-5G) and inter-RI interoperability (inter-radio interface interoperability, such as sub-6 GHz - cmWave, and above 6 GHz - mmWave). One concept that is thought to be used in 5G networks could be network slicing, in which multiple independent and dedicated virtual subnets (network instances) can be created in essentially the same infrastructure to run services with different requirements for latency, reliability, throughput and mobility.

[0047] The current architecture in LTE networks can be entirely distributed across radios and entirely centralized in the core network. Low-latency applications and services in 5G may require bringing content closer to the radios, leading to localized bursts and multiple access edge computing (MEC). 5G can enable analytics and knowledge generation at the data source. This approach may require leveraging resources that may not be continuously connected to the network, such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, and sensors. MEC can provide a distributed computing environment for hosting applications and services. It can also have the ability to store and process content near cellular subscribers to accelerate response times. Edge computing can encompass a wide range of technologies, such as wireless sensor networks, mobile data acquisition, mobile signature analytics, collaborative distributed peer-to-peer self-organizing networks and processing (which can also be categorized as local cloud / fog computing and grid / mesh computing), dew computing, mobile edge computing, cloudlets, distributed data storage and retrieval, autonomous self-healing networks, remote cloud services, augmented and virtual reality, data caching, the Internet of Things (IoT) (massive connectivity and / or latency critical), and critical communications (autonomous vehicles, traffic safety, real-time analytics, time-critical control, healthcare applications).

[0048] The communication system can also communicate with other networks, such as the public switched telephone network or the Internet, or utilize the services provided by them. The communication network can also support the use of cloud services; for example, at least a portion of the core network operation can function as a cloud service (this is in...). Figure 1 The communication system may also include a central control entity that provides facilities for different operators' networks to collaborate, for example, in spectrum sharing. (This is described in "cloud" 114).

[0049] Edge cloud can be introduced into the radio access network (RAN) by leveraging network function virtualization (NVF) and software-defined networking (SDN). Using edge cloud means that access node operations are performed at least partially in servers, hosts, or nodes that are operationally coupled to remote radio heads or base stations, including the radio portion. Node operations can also be distributed across multiple servers, nodes, or hosts. The application of the cloudRAN architecture allows real-time RAN functions to be executed on the RAN side (in the distributed unit DU 104) and non-real-time functions to be executed centrally (in the central unit CU 108).

[0050] It should also be understood that the workload allocation between core network operations and base station operations may differ from, or even not exist at all, in LTE. Other technological advancements that can be used include big data and all-IP, which could potentially transform how networks are built and managed. 5G (or New Radio, NR) networks can be designed to support multiple hierarchical structures, where MEC servers can be placed between the core and base stations or nodeBs (gNBs). It should be understood that MEC can also be applied to 4G networks.

[0051] 5G can also leverage satellite communications to enhance or supplement the coverage of 5G services, for example, by providing backhaul. Possible use cases could include providing service continuity for machine-to-machine (M2M) or Internet of Things (IoT) devices or for passengers on board vehicles, or ensuring the availability of critical communications and future rail / maritime / aviation communications. Satellite communications can utilize geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellite systems, as well as low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems, particularly mega-constellations (systems deploying hundreds of (nano) satellites). At least one satellite 106 in a mega-constellation can cover several satellite-enabled network entities that create a ground cell. The ground cell can be created via a ground relay node 104 or a gNB located on the ground or in a satellite.

[0052] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the described system is merely an example of a portion of a radio access system, and in practice, the system may include multiple (e / g) NodeBs, user equipment may access multiple radio cells, and the system may also include other devices such as physical layer relay nodes or other network elements. At least one of the (e / g) NodeBs may be a home (e / g) NodeB. Furthermore, multiple different types of radio cells and multiple radio cells may be provided within the geographical area of ​​the radio communication system. Radio cells may be macrocells (or umbrella cells), which can be large cells with diameters typically tens of kilometers long, or smaller cells such as micro, femtocells, or picocells. Figure 1 An (e / g) NodeB can provide any type of these cells. Cellular radio systems can be implemented as multi-layered networks comprising several types of cells. In a multi-layered network, an access node can provide one or more cells of one type, and therefore providing such a network structure may require multiple (e / g) NodeBs.

[0053] To meet the needs of improving the deployment and performance of communication systems, the concept of "plug-and-play" (e / g) NodeBs can be introduced. In addition to Home (e / g) NodeBs (H(e / g) nodeBs), networks capable of using "plug-and-play" (e / g) NodeBs can also include Home NodeB gateways or HNB-GWs (HNDBs). Figure 1 (Not shown in the image). HNB gateways (HNB-GWs) that can be installed within a carrier's network can aggregate services from a large number of HNBs back to the core network.

[0054] A Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card is an integrated circuit that can be used in terminal devices to store subscriber information for identification and authentication within a network. A Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) is a physical card that can be used as a SIM card. A UICC may include, for example, a SIM application and / or a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) application. The SIM application can be used to identify and authenticate subscribers in GSM networks, while the USIM application can be used to identify and authenticate subscribers in other network types.

[0055] A USIM is a software application that stores subscriber-related information and implements security functions related to authentication and encryption on the user side. A terminal device can support more than one USIM, which can originate from a single mobile network operator or from different mobile network operators. Such a multi-USIM (i.e., MUSIM) device can use common radio and baseband components shared among the multiple USIMs. For example, while actively communicating with a first system associated with a first USIM, the terminal device can occasionally verify a second system associated with a second USIM, such as by monitoring paging channels, performing signal measurements, or reading system information, and determining whether a paging request from another system needs to be responded to.

[0056] Multi-SIM devices can be used for different purposes. For example, a single USIM can be used for home and roaming, or for office and personal purposes. They can also be used with different plans for data and voice. Through slicing, one USIM can be used for certain slices, while another USIM can be used for other general services. A single Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) can be used for multiple USIMs, or multiple USIMs can belong to different PLMNs.

[0057] The Non-Access Stratum (NAS) is a functional layer between the core network and the UE. This layer is used to manage the establishment of communication sessions and to maintain continuous communication with the UE while it is mobile. The Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) is a functional entity in the core network that receives connection and session-related information from the UE. The AMF is responsible for handling connection and mobility management tasks, such as managing handovers between gNBs. The AMF also implements various functions related to security, access management, and authorization, such as NAS encryption and integrity protection algorithms. The NAS signaling connection is the connection between the UE and the AMF.

[0058] Figure 2 The signaling diagram for NAS signaling connection establishment in 5G is shown. Upon receiving a NAS connection establishment request, the UE Radio Resource Control (RRC) sends an RRC establishment request (201) to a base station such as the gNB, and receives an RRC establishment (202) with an SRB1 configuration. SRB1 is a type of signaling radio bearer (SRB). An SRB is a radio bearer that can be used for the transmission of RRC and / or NAS messages. The UE sends an RRC establishment completion message (203) to the gNB, including a NAS message (such as a registration request NAS message). The gNB selects an AMF and sends an NGAP initial UE message (204) to the selected AMF, which includes the NAS message received from the UE.

[0059] The AMF sends a 205 NAS Identity Request to the UE, requesting the UE's identity via a NAS message, and receives a 206 NAS Identity Response from the UE. The NAS Identity Response may include identifiers such as the Subscription Hidden Identifier (SUCI), which can be derived from the home PLMN's public key. The AMF sends a 207 NAS Authentication Request to the UE, initiating an authentication process with the UE, and receives a 208 NAS Authentication Response from the UE in response to an authentication challenge. The AMF sends a 209 NAS Security Mode Command to the UE, signaling the selected NAS security algorithm to the UE. In the NAS Security Mode Command, the AMF may also request an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEISV) from the UE. The AMF receives a 210 NAS Security Mode Complete Message from the UE, signaling the completion of the NAS security process and including the requested UE's IMEISV.

[0060] The AMF sends a 211 NGAP Initial Context Establishment Request to the gNB. The purpose of the Initial Context Establishment process may be to establish the necessary overall initial UE context at the gNB. For example, the initial UE context may include Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session context, security keys, mobility restriction lists, UE radio capabilities, UE security capabilities, etc. The Initial Context Establishment Request may include registration to accept NAS messages.

[0061] The gNB sends a 212 RRC Security Mode command to the UE, which instructs the UE to activate Access Layer AS security. The AS is a functional layer between the radio network and the UE, and it can be used to transmit data over the radio connection and manage radio resources. AS security can include integrity protection and encryption of SRBs and Data Radio Bearers (DRBs). DRBs are radio bearers that can be used to carry user data. The gNB receives a 213 RRC Security Mode Completion message from the UE to confirm the successful completion of the security mode command.

[0062] The gNB sends a 214 RRC reconfiguration message to the UE to reconfigure the UE using the DRB and additional SRB. In other words, the RRC reconfiguration message can be used to modify the RRC connection. The RRC reconfiguration message may also include a registration accept NAS message received from the AMF. After receiving a 215 RRC reconfiguration complete message from the UE indicating successful completion of the RRC connection reconfiguration, the gNB sends a 216 Initial Context Establishment Response to the AMF to confirm the establishment of the UE context.

[0063] Figure 3The signaling diagram for the NG UE release procedure is shown. After determining that the UE should be released, the gNB sends a 301 NGAP UE Context Release Request to the AMF to request the release of the connection associated with the UE. The AMF sends a 302 NGAP UE Context Release Command to the gNB to release the UE context stored at the gNB. The AMF can also send this command itself without receiving a previous release request. The gNB releases the UE by sending a 303 RRC Release Message (commanding RRC connection release) to the UE. The gNB sends a 304 NGAP UE Context Release Complete Message to the AMF to confirm the release of the connection associated with the UE.

[0064] When a MUSIM device includes at least two USIMs belonging to a single PLMN, or when they are served by a single radio network supporting two different PLMNs, the UE instance of the USIM may need to maintain a separate protocol stack PS instance and operate independently for idle mode and connected mode operation. However, from the perspective of the UE and the network, this independent operation may not be resource-efficient when sharing a single serving cell.

[0065] To enable at least two USIMs to operate simultaneously over a single radio link, the following issues may arise. First, a single RRC connection may be linked to a single associated S1 / NG connection. In other words, it may not currently support two S1 / NG connections with essentially the same or different AMFs linked to a single RRC connection. Second, the security key architecture used for AS security may derive the security key for AS operation based on the NAS key, which may be linked to a single MUSIM subscription. Third, the resources of an RRC connection may be entirely dedicated to a single NAS connection.

[0066] Some exemplary embodiments provide a mechanism for sharing a single RRC connection between two NAS signaling connections to enable simultaneous service for two MUSIM operations. Internal algorithms within the Radio Access Network (RAN) can be used to select an AS-secure key set from two NAS-based master keys received from two independent NAS connections. The key selection algorithm can be based on the RRC connection state of a specific USIM and the DRB created for different NAS connections. Furthermore, some exemplary embodiments can provide a mechanism for prioritizing resources between two NAS connections based on control from the AMF.

[0067] Figure 4 A signaling diagram according to an exemplary embodiment is shown. Figure 4The diagram illustrates the establishment of a NAS signaling connection via a second USIM, while the first USIM is active, for example during registration, or during a service request if the UE has already registered. Figure 4 The exemplary embodiments shown may be for... Figure 2 The signaling connection establishment process shown is enhanced.

[0068] UE1 and UE2 represent the UE protocol stacks of the first and second USIMs included in the UE, respectively. The UE can be a MUSIM device. UE1 is connected via RRC connection 401 and registered with the network. When UE2 requires an additional NAS signaling connection from the second USIM, whether for an already registered service request or a new registration request, NAS trigger 402 can be used to trigger the establishment of an additional NAS signaling connection, i.e., the second NAS signaling connection, on a single RRC connection shared with the first NAS signaling connection on the first USIM. In other words, more than one NAS connection can be established on top of a single RRC connection.

[0069] UE2 sends a 403 RRC Modification Request to a base station such as the gNB. This RRC Modification Request indicates the additional NAS connection establishment, the requested Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI), the NAS PDU, and / or the ID of UE1's AMF. For example, the sending of the RRC Modification Request may include the reason: "Additional NAS Connection Establishment," indicating the reason for the RRC Modification Request. The gNB may select a 404 substantially the same AMF or a different AMF for the additional NAS connection and send a 405 NGAP Initial UE Message to the selected second AMF, which is denoted as AMF2. The NGAP Initial UE Message may indicate an additional NAS signaling connection establishment request, that is, indicating that a first NAS connection with UE1 already exists in the UE. For example, the sending of the Initial UE Message may include the reason: "Additional NAS signaling connection establishment." The Initial UE Message may also include the identifier of UE1's AMF, the NAS PDU received from the UE, etc. UE1's AMF is denoted as AMF1 in this document.

[0070] The AMF performs a 406 identity verification, sends a 407 NAS identity request to UE2, and receives a 408 NAS identity response from UE2. The AMF retrieves a 409 authentication vector from the Authentication Server Function (AuSF). The AMF sends a 410 NAS authentication request to UE2 and receives a 411 NAS authentication response from UE2. The AMF creates a 412 NAS security context for the additional NAS connection. The AMF sends a 413 NAS security mode command to UE2 and receives a 414 NAS security mode completion message from UE2. The security mode command 413 may include an additional NAS security configuration, including the selected NAS security algorithm and key set identifier (KSI), which is to be applied at the UE for NAS messages on the second NAS connection. However, if the NASPDU is used for a service request, one or more steps 406-414 may be skipped.

[0071] Then, the AMF prepares an Initial Context Establishment Request (415) with additional information indicating acceptance of NAS signaling connection establishment, and sends an NGAP Initial Context Establishment Request (416) for UE2 to the gNB. The NGAP Initial Context Establishment Request may include the UE Aggregated Maximum Bit Rate (AMBR), Globally Unique AMF ID (GUAMI), PDU session establishment information, UE Internet Protocol (IP) address, NAS PDU, Single Network Slice Selection Auxiliary Information (S-NSSAI), allowed NSSAI, security key, UE security capabilities, etc.

[0072] Then, the gNB creates a new NAS context for UE2 (417), generates a new key for UE2 (418), creates a new security context, creates one or more DRBs and optionally one or more SRBs for UE2 (419), links the UE2 DRBs and SRBs to the UE2 security context (420), configures the UE-AMBR and slicing for the UE2 DRBs and SRBs (421), and maps the UE2 DRBs and SRBs, security context, and NAS context on the same RRC connection as UE1. The security context may include security keys, such as encryption and integrity protection keys for RRC and the user plane. For the DRB, the security key set can be selected based on the association between the DRB and the second NAS connection. For the SRB, the key set can be based on the first NAS connection created within the RRC connection.

[0073] In addition, the gNB sends a 423 RRC reconfiguration to the UE over essentially the same RRC connection. This RRC reconfiguration includes additional DRBs and SRBs, additional security configuration, and a NAS PDU, such as registration acceptance. The security configuration may include a security algorithm used by the UE to derive the security key. For the security configuration, an additional security mode command can be used instead of an RRC reconfiguration.

[0074] Then, the UE creates a new security key for UE2 based on the additional security configuration (424), configures additional DRB and SRB for UE2 (425), links the additional DRS and / or SRB to the additional security context (426), applies the NAS configuration (427), and prepares for registration completion. The UE sends an RRC reconfiguration complete message (428) to the gNB indicating that the RRC reconfiguration is complete.

[0075] The gNB sends an Initial Context Establishment Response (429) to the AMF indicating that the additional NAS signaling connection establishment is complete. For example, the initial context establishment response can be sent with the reason: "Additional NAS signaling connection establishment complete". The AMF can also indicate an Additional Connection Establishment (430) to the AMF of UE1 (i.e., AMF1).

[0076] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating an algorithm included in a UE according to an exemplary embodiment for establishing a second NAS signaling connection for a second USIM over a single RRC connection shared with a first USIM is shown. The UE may be, for example, a dual-SIM dual-active DSDS device.

[0077] refer to Figure 5The system establishes a first NAS connection (501) to the first AMF for the first USIM via an RRC connection between the UE and a base station such as a gNB. A NAS request (502) to establish a second NAS connection on the second USIM is triggered. A request (503) to establish a second connection on the second USIM is sent to the base station. This request is sent via an RRC connection associated with a pre-existing first NAS connection of the first USIM included in the UE. The request to establish the second NAS connection can be sent, for example, in an RRC modification request message or in an RRC uplink transport message with additional parameters indicating that the message is for creating a new UE context for the second NAS connection. A NAS identity request (504) is received from the second AMF. A NAS identity response (505) is sent to the second AMF. A NAS authentication request (506) is received from the second AMF. A NAS authentication response (507) is sent to the second AMF. A NAS security mode command (508) is received from the second AMF. A NAS security mode completion message (509) is sent to the second AMF. RRC reconfiguration message 510, indicating one or more additional DRBs, additional security configurations, and NAS PDUs to be configured, is received from the gNB via the RRC connection. Optionally, the RRC reconfiguration message may also include one or more SRBs to be configured for the second USIM. If the SRBs are not present in the RRC reconfiguration message, the second NAS connection may use the SRBs of the first NAS connection. RRC reconfiguration 511 is performed using the additional security configurations and one or more additional DRBs for the second USIM. During RRC reconfiguration 511, the UE creates a new security key for UE2 using the additional security configurations, configures one or more additional DRBs (and SRBs) for UE2, links one or more additional DRSs (and SRBs) to the additional security context of the second USIM, applies the NAS configuration, and prepares for registration completion. One or more SRBs may be linked to the security context of the first USIM or the security context of the second USIM. Then, an RRC reconfiguration completion message 512 is sent to the gNB via the RRC connection, and data 513 is sent on the new DRBs with the additional security configurations.

[0078] Figure 6 A flowchart is shown of an algorithm included in a base station such as a gNB, according to an exemplary embodiment, for establishing a second NAS signaling connection for a second USIM over a single RRC connection shared with a first USIM.

[0079] refer to Figure 6The system receives a request from the UE to establish a second NAS connection on the second USIM (601). This request is received via an RRC connection associated with a pre-existing first NAS connection from the first USIM included in the UE. The request to establish the second NAS connection may be received, for example, in an RRC modification request message or in an RRC uplink transport message with additional parameters indicating that the message is for creating a new UE context for the second NAS connection. An NGAP initial UE message (602) indicating the second NAS connection establishment request is sent to the second AMF. The system receives an initial UE context establishment request (603) with a new security context, indicating acceptance of the establishment of the second NAS connection from the second AMF. A new security context (604) and one or more new DRBs and SRBs are created for the second USIM (604). An RRC reconfiguration message (605) indicating one or more new DRBs and SRBs and a new security context to be configured is sent to the UE via the RRC connection. It should be noted that creating one or more SRBs for the second USIM and indicating them in the RRC reconfiguration message is optional. A 606 RRC Reconfiguration Complete message is received from the UE via the RRC connection. This message indicates that the Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration is complete. Then, 607 data is transmitted on the new DRB using the new security context. A 608 Initial Context Establishment Response, indicating that the second NAS connection has been established, is sent to the second AMF.

[0080] Figure 7 A flowchart is shown of an algorithm included in a second AMF according to an exemplary embodiment for establishing a second NAS signaling connection for a second USIM over a single RRC connection shared with a first USIM.

[0081] refer to Figure 7 The system receives an NGAP Initial UE Message 701 from a base station such as a gNB, indicating a second NAS connection establishment request. It then sends a NAS Identity Request 702 to the UE. It receives a NAS Identity Response 703 from the UE. It sends a NAS Authentication Request 704 to the UE. It receives a NAS Authentication Response 705 from the UE. It sends a NAS Security Mode Command 706 to the UE. It receives a NAS Security Mode Complete Message 707 from the UE. It sends an NGAP Initial UE Context Establishment Request 708 with a new security context to the gNB, indicating acceptance of establishing a second NAS connection. It receives an Initial Context Establishment Response 709 from the gNB, indicating that a second NAS connection has been established. Finally, it instructs a First AMF (for a first NAS connection on a first USIM) to establish a second NAS connection 710.

[0082] Figure 8 A signaling diagram for releasing a NAS connection for a USIM is shown according to an exemplary embodiment when there are two or more NAS connections mapped over a single RRC connection.

[0083] refer to Figure 8 In a base station such as the gNB, the decision to release the second NAS connection is triggered at step 801. The gNB sends an NGAP UE context release request at step 802 to the second AMF (i.e., AMF2), indicating the request to release the second NAS connection. For example, the transmission of the UE context release request may include a reason: "Additional Connection Release Request" indicating the reason for the release request. The gNB receives an NGAP UE context release command at step 803 from the second AMF, indicating the release of the additional connection and UE context. For example, the transmission of the UE context release command may include a reason: "Additional Connection Release Command". The gNB sends an RRC reconfiguration message at step 804 to the UE, where the RRC reconfiguration message includes a list of additional DRBs, SRBs, and security contexts corresponding to the UE2 to be deleted.

[0084] The UE then removes the additional DRB and SRB indicated by the RRC reconfiguration message 805. The UE further removes the additional security context for the released UE2 806. The UE can also switch the SRB 807 to the active UE security context, i.e., switch to the security context associated with the first USIM. In other words, the SRB key can be switched to another key set, and the RRC connection is reconfigured instead of released. The UE further disconnects the UE2 NAS and RRC 808, and the UE2 NAS moves to the Mobility Management Idle state MM-IDLE. The UE sends an RRC reconfiguration complete message 809 to the gNB on the RRC connection, indicating the completion of the requested RRC reconfiguration.

[0085] The gNB removes the additional DRB and SRB at step 810. The gNB further removes the additional security context, NAS context, slice information, and other configurations of UE2 released at step 811, and switches the SRB at step 812 to the active UE security context, i.e., switches to the security context of the first USIM at step 812. The gNB sends an NGAP UE context release completion message at step 813 to the second AMF, indicating that the release of the second connection has been completed. For example, the transmission of the UE context release completion message may include the reason: "Additional connection release completed". The NGAP UE context release completion message may also include an indication to the second AMF that another NAS connection to UE1's AMF (i.e., the first NAS connection) is active. The second AMF may indicate at step 814 that the second connection has been released to UE1's AMF (i.e., AMF1).

[0086] Figure 9 A flowchart illustrating an algorithm included in a UE according to an exemplary embodiment for releasing a second NAS connection to a second USIM is shown. (Reference) Figure 9 The system receives an RRC reconfiguration message (901) from a base station, such as a gNB, instructing the removal of one or more DRBs, one or more SRBs, and security contexts associated with the second USIM. Then, it removes (902) the instructed DRB(multiple) DRB(multiple) SRBs, and security contexts associated with the second USIM. Finally, it sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message (903) to the base station, indicating that the RRC reconfiguration is complete.

[0087] Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating an algorithm included in a base station such as a gNB for releasing a second NAS connection to a second USIM, according to an exemplary embodiment, is shown. (Reference) Figure 10 The system sends an NGAP UE context release request (1001) to the second AMF, indicating a request to release the second NAS connection. It receives an NGAP UE context release command (1002) from the second AMF, indicating a command to release the second NAS connection. It sends an RRC reconfiguration message (1003) to the UE, indicating the removal of one or more DRBs, one or more SRBs, and security contexts associated with the second USIM. It receives an RRC reconfiguration completion message (1004) from the UE, indicating that the RRC reconfiguration is complete. It removes the DRBs and security contexts indicated in (1005). It sends an NGAP UE context release completion message (1006) to the second AMF, indicating that the second NAS connection has been released. It may also indicate to the second AMF (1007) that the first NAS connection associated with the first AMF is active.

[0088] Figure 11 A flowchart illustrating an algorithm included in a second AMF for releasing a second NAS connection to a second USIM, according to an exemplary embodiment, is shown. (Reference) Figure 11 The system receives an NGAP UE context release request (1101) from a base station, such as a gNB, indicating a request to release the second NAS connection. It then sends an NGAP UE context release command (1102) to the base station, indicating the release of the second NAS connection. Finally, it receives an NGAP UE context release completion message (1103) from the base station, indicating the release of the second NAS connection. The NGAP UE context release completion message may also include an indication that the first NAS connection associated with the first AMF is active. The system may then instruct the first AMF (1104) to release the second NAS connection.

[0089] The above is made with the help of Figures 4-11The described functions and / or blocks do not have an absolute temporal order, and some of them may be executed concurrently or in an order different from that described. Other functions and / or blocks may also be executed between or within them.

[0090] Figure 12 A system according to an exemplary embodiment is illustrated. MUSIM UE 1200 includes two UE protocol stacks, UE1 and UE2, associated with a first USIM and a second USIM, each having two NAS signaling connections. From UE 1200, there exists a single RRC connection via Uu interface 1210 toward gNB 1203, which manages connections to two different core network functional entities (i.e., the AMF and User Plane Function (UPF) for UE1 and UE2, respectively). UE 1200 is connected to the first AMF 1201 via a first N1 logical interface 1211 for UE1 and to the second AMF 1202 via a second N1 logical interface 1212 for UE2. gNB 1203 is connected to the first AMF 1201 via a first N2 interface 1213 and to the second AMF 1202 via a second N2 interface 1214. N1 is used for the NAS protocol between the AMF and the UE, while N2 is the NGAP protocol network interface used for control plane signaling between the AMF and the gNB. On the data plane, UE1 connects to the first UPF 1204 via gNB 1203 over the first N3 interface 1215, and UE2 connects to the second UPF 1205 via gNB 1203 over the second N3 interface 1206.

[0091] It should be noted that the second AMF and the second UPF can also be substantially the same as the first AMF and the first UPF. In this case, UE1 and UE2 can have two logical connections on substantially the same physical path.

[0092] The AMF can manage handovers between base stations such as gNBs within the RAN. Such handovers can be referred to as X2 or Xn handovers. For mobility scenarios based on X2 / Xn mobility, in some exemplary embodiments, the target node can trigger an independent path handover process to notify the AMF (or MME) of the handover between the two NAS connections. In the case of NG / S1 mobility, additional information can be provided to the core network to update the mobility of the two independent contexts.

[0093] Figure 13 A flowchart according to an exemplary embodiment is shown, wherein the AMF receives a 1301 handover instruction from a second base station, the handover instruction being used to switch the first non-access stratum connection and the second non-access stratum connection from the first base station to the second base station.

[0094] Some exemplary embodiments offer the technical advantage of enabling a terminal device with a single transmitter and receiver to simultaneously support services and / or slices from multiple USIMs when it is in a single or shared PLMN. In other words, multi-SIM DSDA operation may not require dual transmitter and receiver capabilities. Furthermore, some exemplary embodiments can also benefit DSDA devices because, from the perspective of the UE and gNB, using a separate PS instance in a single serving cell may not be efficient.

[0095] Figure 14 An apparatus 1400 according to an exemplary embodiment is illustrated. Apparatus 1400 may be an apparatus such as a terminal device, or may be included in a terminal device. In this document, a terminal device may also be referred to as a UE. Apparatus 1400 includes a processor 1410. Processor 1410 interprets computer program instructions and processes data. Processor 1410 may include one or more programmable processors. Processor 1410 may include programmable hardware with embedded firmware, and alternatively or additionally may include one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).

[0096] Processor 1410 is coupled to memory 1420. The processor is configured to read data from memory 1420 and write data to memory 1420. Memory 1420 may include one or more memory cells. Memory cells may be volatile or non-volatile. It should be noted that in some exemplary embodiments, one or more non-volatile memory cells and one or more volatile memory cells may be present, or alternatively, one or more non-volatile memory cells may be present, or alternatively, one or more volatile memory cells may be present. Volatile memory may be, for example, RAM, DRAM, or SDRAM. Non-volatile memory may be, for example, ROM, PROM, EEPROM, flash memory, optical storage device, or magnetic storage device. Generally, memory may be referred to as a non-transitory computer-readable medium. Memory 1420 stores computer-readable instructions that are executed by processor 1410. For example, non-volatile memory stores computer-readable instructions, and processor 1410 uses volatile memory for temporary storage of data and / or instructions to execute instructions.

[0097] The computer-readable instructions may have been pre-stored in memory 1420, or alternatively or additionally, they may be received by the device via an electromagnetic carrier signal and / or copied from a physical entity such as a computer program product. Execution of the computer-readable instructions causes the device 1400 to perform one or more of the functions described above.

[0098] In the context of this document, "memory" or "computer-readable medium" or "computationally readable medium" can be any one or more non-transitory media or means that can contain, store, transmit, propagate or transfer instructions for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus or device, such as a computer.

[0099] The device 1400 may also include or be connected to the input unit 1430. The input unit 1430 may include one or more interfaces for receiving input. The one or more interfaces may include, for example, one or more temperature, motion and / or orientation sensors, one or more cameras, one or more accelerometers, one or more microphones, one or more buttons and / or one or more touch detection units. In addition, the input unit 1430 may include interfaces to which external devices can be connected.

[0100] The device 1400 may also include an output unit 1440. The output unit may include or be connected to one or more displays capable of rendering visual content, such as LED displays, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) displays. The output unit 1440 may also include one or more audio outputs. These audio outputs may be, for example, speakers.

[0101] Device 1400 also includes a connection unit 1450. Connection unit 1450 enables wireless connectivity to one or more external devices. Connection unit 1450 includes at least one transmitter and at least one receiver, which may be integrated into device 1400 or connected to the transmitter and receiver. The at least one transmitter includes at least one transmitting antenna, and the at least one receiver includes at least one receiving antenna. Connection unit 1450 may include an integrated circuit or a set of integrated circuits providing wireless communication capabilities to device 1400. Alternatively, the wireless connection may be a hardwired application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Connection unit 1450 may include one or more components controlled by a corresponding control unit, such as a power amplifier, a digital front-end (DFE) analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a frequency converter, a (de)modulator, and / or an encoder / decoder circuit system.

[0102] It should be noted that device 1400 may also include Figure 14 Various components are not shown. These components can be hardware components and / or software components.

[0103] Figure 15The apparatus 1500 illustrates exemplary embodiments of devices included in a base station such as a gNB or similar base station. The apparatus may include, for example, circuit systems or chipsets suitable for a base station to implement some of the described exemplary embodiments. The apparatus 1500 may be an electronic device including one or more electronic circuit systems. The apparatus 1500 may include a communication control circuit system 1510 (such as at least one processor) and at least one memory 1520 including computer program code (software) 1522, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code (software) 1522 are configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus 1500 to perform some of the exemplary embodiments described above.

[0104] The memory 1520 can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, flash memory, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. The memory may include a configuration database for storing configuration data. For example, the configuration database may store a current list of neighboring cells, and in some exemplary embodiments, it may store the structure of frames used in detected neighboring cells.

[0105] The device 1500 may further include a communication interface 1530, which includes hardware and / or software for establishing a communication connection according to one or more communication protocols. The communication interface 1530 may provide the device with radio communication capabilities for communication within a cellular communication system. The communication interface may, for example, provide a radio interface to a terminal device. The device 1500 may also include another interface toward a core network, such as a network coordinator device, and / or to an access node in the cellular communication system. The device 1500 may also include a scheduler 1540 configured to allocate resources.

[0106] As used in this application, the term "circuit system" may refer to one or more or all of the following:

[0107] a. Hardware circuit implementation only (such as implementation only in analog and / or digital circuit systems); and

[0108] b. Combinations of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable):

[0109] i. A combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and

[0110] ii. Any part of a hardware processor(s) having software (including (multiple) digital signal processors, software, and (multiple) memories), which work together to cause a device (such as a mobile phone) to perform various functions; and

[0111] c. (Multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or a portion thereof, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but may be absent when the software is not required to operate.

[0112] This definition of "circuit system" applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claim. As another example, as used herein, the term "circuit system" also covers only the implementation of hardware circuitry or a processor (or processors) or a portion thereof, and its accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, if applicable to a particular claim element, the term "circuit system" also covers baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or network devices.

[0113] The techniques and methods described herein can be implemented by various means. For example, these techniques can be implemented in hardware (one or more devices), firmware (one or more devices), software (one or more modules), or combinations thereof. For hardware implementation, the means(s) of the exemplary embodiments can be implemented within one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), graphics processing units (GPUs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described herein, or combinations thereof. For firmware or software, the implementation can be executed by a module (e.g., process, function, etc.) of at least one chipset that performs the functions described herein. Software code can be stored in memory cells and executed by a processor. Memory cells can be implemented inside or outside the processor. In the latter case, the memory cells can be communicatively coupled to the processor in various ways known in the art. Furthermore, the components of the systems described herein can be rearranged and / or supplemented by additional components to facilitate the implementation of the various aspects described therewith, and they are not limited to the precise configurations illustrated in the given figures as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0114] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the inventive concept can be implemented in various ways as technology advances. The embodiments are not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above, but may vary within the scope of the claims. Therefore, all words and expressions should be interpreted broadly, and they are intended to illustrate rather than limit the exemplary embodiments.

Claims

1. An apparatus for communication, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to: Send a request to the base station to establish a second non-access stratum connection for the second general subscriber identity module, wherein the request is sent via a radio resource control connection associated with a pre-existing first non-access stratum connection for the first general subscriber identity module; The base station receives a first radio resource control reconfiguration message indicating one or more data radio bearers to be configured, wherein the first radio resource control reconfiguration message is received via the radio resource control connection; Configure the one or more data radio bearers for the second general subscriber identity module; as well as Send a first radio resource control reconfiguration completion message to the base station, indicating that the first radio resource control reconfiguration is complete; wherein... The device is also configured to perform at least one operation, wherein at least one of the following is: The at least one operation includes: Configure one or more signaling radio bearers for the second general subscriber identity module, wherein the first radio resource control reconfiguration message further indicates the one or more signaling radio bearers to be configured; At least in part based on the security configuration received from the base station, create one or more security key sets for the one or more data radio bearers and the one or more signaling radio bearers; and Link the one or more data radio bearers and the one or more signaling radio bearers to a security context associated with the second general subscriber identity module; or The at least one operation includes: Receive a second radio resource control reconfiguration message from the base station, indicating a command to remove at least one or more data radio bearers associated with the second general subscriber identity module; At least remove the one or more data radio bearers associated with the second universal subscriber identity module; and Send a second radio resource control reconfiguration completion message to the base station, indicating that the second radio resource control reconfiguration is complete.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is included in a terminal device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: receive a non-access stratum security mode command from an access and mobility management function, the non-access stratum security mode command including a non-access stratum security configuration for the second non-access stratum connection.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: switch the security context of the one or more signaling radios to a security context associated with the first universal subscriber identity module.

5. An apparatus for communication, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to: A request to establish a second non-access stratum connection for a second general subscriber identity module included in the terminal device is received from the terminal device, wherein the request is received via a radio resource control connection associated with a pre-existing first non-access stratum connection from a first general subscriber identity module included in the terminal device. Send the request to the access and mobility management function to establish the second non-access stratum connection; Receive an instruction from the access and mobility management function to accept the initial context establishment request for establishing the second non-access stratum connection; Create one or more data radio bearers associated with the second universal subscriber identity module; Sending a first radio resource control reconfiguration message to the terminal device, indicating that one or more data radio bearers to be configured, wherein the first radio resource control reconfiguration message is sent via the radio resource control connection; Receive a first radio resource control reconfiguration completion message from the terminal device, indicating that the first radio resource control reconfiguration is complete; Send an initial context establishment response to the access and mobility management function, indicating that the second non-access stratum connection is established; wherein, The device is also configured to: Send a release request message to the access and mobility management function, indicating a request to release the second non-access stratum connection; Receive a release command from the access and mobility management function, indicating the release of the second non-access stratum connection; Send a second radio resource control reconfiguration message to the terminal device, instructing the removal of at least one or more data radio bearers associated with the second general subscriber identity module; Receive a second radio resource control reconfiguration completion message from the terminal device, indicating that the second radio resource control reconfiguration is complete; Remove the one or more data radio bearers, the one or more signaling radio bearers, and the security context associated with the second general subscriber identity module; Send a release completion message to the access and mobility management function, indicating that the second non-access stratum connection has been released.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the apparatus is included in a base station.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: Create a non-access stratum context for the second general subscriber identity module; Generate one or more keys for the second general subscriber identity module; Create a security context for the second general subscriber identity module; Create one or more signaling radio bearers associated with the second general subscriber identity module; Link the one or more data radio bearers and the one or more signaling radio bearers to the security context; Configure the terminal device and the aggregated maximum bit rate of one or more slices to the one or more data radio bearers and the one or more signaling radio bearers; The one or more data radio bearers, the one or more signaling radio bearers, the security context, and the non-access stratum context are mapped to the radio resource control connection associated with the pre-existing first non-access stratum connection from the first general subscriber identity module.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the release completion message further comprises: The first non-access stratum connection associated with another access and mobility management function is an indication of activity.

9. An apparatus for communication, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to: Receive a request from the first base station to establish a second non-access stratum connection from the second general subscriber identity module included in the terminal device; Send an indication to the first base station to accept the initial context establishment request for establishing the second non-access stratum connection; Receive an initial context establishment response from the first base station indicating that the second non-access stratum connection has been established; as well as Instructing a first access and mobility management function to establish a second non-access stratum connection, wherein the first access and mobility management function is associated with an active first non-access stratum connection from a first general subscriber identity module included in the terminal device; The device includes a second access and mobility management function.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: Receive a release request message from the first base station indicating a request to release the second non-access stratum connection; Send a release command to the first base station, indicating the release of the second non-access stratum connection; Receive a release completion message from the first base station indicating that the second non-access stratum connection has been released.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: instruct the first access and mobility management function that the second non-access stratum connection is released; The release completion message also includes: The first non-access stratum connection associated with the first access and mobility management function is an indication of activity.

12. The apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: receive a handover instruction from a second base station, the handover instruction being used to switch the first non-access stratum connection and the second non-access stratum connection from the first base station to the second base station.

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