Wireless communication scheme for supporting connectivity using internet protocol

Abstract

A wireless communication method is provided. The method includes transmitting, by a user equipment, a first message to an access network to request an Internet Protocol (IP) address to be used for wireless communication; and receiving, by the user equipment from the access network, IP address information including the IP address allocated to the user equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to systems, devices and techniques for wireless communications. Background Art

[0002] Efforts are currently underway to define the next generation of wireless communication networks that provide greater deployment flexibility, support for a wide range of devices and services, and different technologies for efficient system evolution. Summary of the invention

[0003] Various methods and apparatuses are provided for supporting a non-access stratum (NAS) protocol in a wireless communication system.

[0004] In one example aspect, a method of wireless communication is disclosed. The method includes: sending a first message by a user equipment to an access network to request an Internet Protocol (IP) address to be used for wireless communication; and receiving IP address information including an IP address assigned to the user equipment from the access network by the user equipment.

[0005] In another example aspect, another wireless communication method is disclosed. The method includes: receiving, by an access network, a first message requesting an Internet Protocol (IP) address to be used for wireless communication; allocating, by the access network, an IP address to a user device; and sending, by the access network, to the user device, IP address information including the IP address allocated to the user device.

[0006] In another example aspect, a wireless communication apparatus is disclosed that includes a processor configured to implement the methods described herein.

[0007] In another example aspect, the various techniques described herein may be embodied as processor-executable code and stored on a computer-readable program medium.

[0008] The details of one or more implementations are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 An example architecture is shown in which various embodiments may be applied.

[0010] Figure 2 An example of a control plane protocol stack between UE and AMF is shown.

[0011] Figure 3 An example of a control plane protocol stack between a UE and an AN (access network) based on some embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0012] Figure 4An example process of IP address allocation during an RRC connection establishment process based on some embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0013] Figure 5 An example process of IP address allocation during a handover process based on some embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0014] Figure 6 An example process of IP address release during an RRC connection release process based on some embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0015] Figure 7 is a block diagram of an example of a wireless communication device.

[0016] Figure 8 An example wireless communication network is shown.

[0017] Fig. 9 and Fig.10 is an example flow chart of a wireless communication method based on some embodiments of the disclosed technology. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The section headings used in this application are intended only to improve readability and do not limit the scope of the embodiments and techniques disclosed in each section to only that section. In addition, for ease of understanding, some embodiments are described with reference to the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) New Radio (NR) standard ("5G"), and the described techniques may be implemented in different wireless systems that implement protocols other than the 5G protocol.

[0019] Figure 1 An example architecture is shown in which various embodiments of the disclosed technology can be applied. Figure 1 The example architecture shown corresponds to a 5G System (5GS) architecture, which includes the following network functions (NFs):

[0020] 1) UE, user equipment.

[0021] 2) RAN, radio access network.

[0022] 3) AMF, Access and Mobility Management Function. This NF includes functions such as UE mobility management, reachability management, connection management and registration management. AMF terminates the RAN control plane (CP) interface N2 and NAS interface N1, NAS encryption and integrity protection. It also distributes SM NAS to the appropriate SMF via the N11 interface.

[0023] 4) UDM, unified data management. This NF manages the subscription profiles of the UE. The subscription data is stored in the unified data repository (UDR). The subscription information includes network slice related subscription data for mobility management and session management. AMF and SMF obtain subscription data from UDM.

[0024] 5) NSSF, Network Slice Selection Function. This NF supports the following functions: select a set of network slice instances to serve the UE; determine the allowed NSSAI and, if necessary, the mapping to the HPLMN S-NSSAI; determine the configured NSSAI and, if necessary, the mapping to the HPLMN S-NSSAI; determine the set of AMFs to serve the UE, or based on the configuration, determine a list of one or more candidate AMFs, possibly by querying the Network Repository Function (NRF).

[0025] 6) SMF, Session Management Function. This NF includes the following functions: session establishment, modification and release, UE IP address allocation and management, user plane (UP) function selection and control, etc.

[0026] 7) UPF, User Plane Function. This NF serves as an anchor point for intra / inter-Radio Access Technology (RAT) mobility and an external PDU session point for interconnection to the Data Network (DN). The UPF also routes and forwards packets based on instructions from the SMF. It also caches downlink (DL) data when the UE is in idle mode.

[0027] 8) PCF, Policy Control Function. This NF supports a unified policy framework to manage network behavior. PCF provides access management policies to AMF, or session management policies to SMF, or UE policies to UE. PCF can access UDR to obtain subscription information related to policy decisions.

[0028] Figure 2 An example of a control plane protocol stack between the UE and the AMF is shown.

[0029] The following description can be applied to Figure 2 NAS-MM and 5G-AN protocol layers are shown.

[0030] NAS-MM: The NAS protocol for MM (mobility management) functions supports registration management functions, connection management functions, and user plane connection activation and deactivation. It is also responsible for the encryption and integrity protection of NAS signaling. The 5G NAS protocol is defined in 3GPP TS24.501.

[0031] 5G-AN protocol layer: This set of protocols / layers depends on the 5G-AN (access network). In the case of NG-RAN (Next Generation Radio Access Network), the radio protocol between the UE and the NG-RAN node (eNodeB or gNodeB) includes the access stratum (AS) layer and lower layers and is specified in 3GPP TS 36.300 and 3GPP TS 38.300.

[0032] The NAS protocol is used to establish a NAS signaling connection between the UE and the core network. The internal system structure of the terminal includes an operating system (OS) and a modem. Currently, the modem supports the NAS layer, which means that the modem needs to be upgraded whenever new functions are added to the NAS layer. However, modem upgrades are complex and require long-term evolution.

[0033] Recognizing the above problems, various embodiments of the disclosed technology provide methods for supporting NAS based on IP (Internet Protocol). Through the embodiments of the disclosed technology, the NAS layer can be supported in the operating system, and it is easier to upgrade the operating system to support new functions in NAS.

[0034] Example Implementation 1: Control Plane Protocol Stack Between UE and AN

[0035] Figure 3 An example of a control plane protocol stack between a UE and an AN is shown. Figure 3 As shown, the embodiment of the disclosed technology provides a control plane protocol stack between the UE and the AN, wherein the UE and the AN include an Internet layer and a transport layer. Figure 3 In the AN protocol layer, the Internet layer and the transport layer are inserted between the AN protocol layer and the NAS layer. The operating system (OS) supports the Internet layer and the transport layer. The protocol of the Internet layer is IP. The protocol of the transport layer can be TCP (Transmission Control Protocol), UDP (User Datagram Protocol), QUIC (Quick UDP Internet Connection) or other protocols. The AN protocol layer includes the AS layer and lower layers.

[0036] Example Implementation 2: IP Address Allocation During RRC Connection Establishment Procedure

[0037] Figure 4 An example process of IP address allocation during the RRC connection establishment process is shown. Figure 4 In the example of FIG. 1 , the UE is divided into UE-NAS, UE-OS and UE-AS so as to explicitly show the interaction between the UE NAS layer, the UE OS layer and the UE AS layer.

[0038] exist Figure 4 In the example of , there are two options for allocating an IP address to the UE. Therefore, one of option 1 or option 2 is performed to allocate an IP address to the UE.

[0039] Option 1 for IP address assignment:

[0040] Operation 1: UE-NAS to UE-OS: The UE NAS layer sends an initial NAS message to the UE OS layer.

[0041] Operation 2: UE-OS to UE-AS: The UE OS layer forwards the initial NAS message with the IP address request indication to the UE AS layer.

[0042] Operation 3, UE-AS to RAN: The UE AS layer initiates the RRC connection establishment process by sending an RRC establishment request message to the RAN. The RRC establishment request message includes an IP address request indication or an indication indicating the UE capability of supporting NAS based on IP.

[0043] Operation 4: RAN: RAN allocates an IP address to the UE.

[0044] Operation 5, RAN to UE-AS: RAN sends an RRC setup response message to the UE AS layer. The RRC setup response message includes the IP address information allocated to the UE. The IP address information may include an IP address, a port number, a subnet mask, a default gateway, a DNS (Domain Name System) server, etc.

[0045] Operation 6: UE-AS to UE-OS: The UE AS layer forwards the allocated IP address information to the UE OS layer. After operation 6, operation 9 is performed.

[0046] Option 2 for IP address assignment:

[0047] Operation 1: UE-NAS to UE-OS: The UE NAS layer sends an initial NAS message to the UE OS layer.

[0048] Operation 2, UE-OS to UE-AS: The UE OS layer forwards the initial NAS message to the UE AS layer.

[0049] Operation 3: UE-AS to RAN: The UE AS layer initiates the RRC connection establishment process by sending an RRC establishment request message to the RAN.

[0050] Operation 4: RAN to UE-AS: RAN sends an RRC establishment response message to the UE AS layer.

[0051] Operation 5, UE-AS to UE-OS: The UE AS layer sends an RRC successful establishment indication to the UE OS layer so that the UE OS layer can request IP address allocation.

[0052] Operation 6a, UE-OS to UE-AS: The UE OS layer sends an IP address request to the UE AS layer. The IP address request may be, for example, a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) request message.

[0053] Operation 6b, UE-AS to RAN: The IP address request received from the UE OS layer may be included in, for example, an RRC UL (uplink) information transmission message. In some embodiments, the IP address request may be included in, for example, an UL information transmission message having an indication that the request is for an RRC connection and does not contain a NAS payload.

[0054] Operation 7: RAN: RAN allocates an IP address to the UE.

[0055] Operation 8a, RAN to UE-AS: RAN sends the allocated IP address information to the UE AS layer. The allocated IP address information may be, for example, a DHCP response message. The allocated IP address information may be included, for example, in an RRC DL (downlink) information transmission message. In some embodiments, the allocated IP address information may be included, for example, in a DL information transmission message having an indication that the response is for an RRC connection and does not contain a NAS payload. The IP address information may include at least one of an IP address, a port number, a subnet mask, a default gateway, a DNS (Domain Name System) server, and the like.

[0056] Operation 8b, UE-AS to UE-OS: The UE AS layer forwards the allocated IP address information to the UE OS layer. After operation 8b, operation 9 is performed.

[0057] After the IP address is successfully assigned, a transport layer connection can be established. Although there are many transport layer protocols that can be adopted, in the following description, TCP is described as an example. However, other implementations are also possible.

[0058] TCP connection establishment:

[0059] Operation 9a, UE-OS to UE-AS: The UE OS layer initiates a TCP connection establishment process by sending a TCP connection establishment request to the UE AS layer.

[0060] Operation 9b, UE-AS to RAN: The TCP connection establishment request may be included in, for example, an RRC UL Information Transfer message, or in, for example, an UL Information Transfer message with an indication indicating that the request is for an RRC connection and does not contain a NAS payload.

[0061] Operation 10a, RAN to UE-AS: RAN sends a TCP connection establishment response message to the UE AS layer, the TCP connection establishment response message indicating that a new TCP connection can be established. The TCP connection establishment response message may be included in, for example, an RRC DL information transmission message, or may be included in, for example, a DL information transmission message having an indication indicating that the response is for an RRC connection and does not contain a NAS payload.

[0062] Operation 10b, UE-AS to UE-OS: The UE AS layer forwards the received TCP connection establishment response message to the UE OS layer.

[0063] Operation 11a, UE-OS to UE-AS: The UE OS layer sends a TCP connection establishment confirmation message to confirm successful reception of the TCP connection establishment response message from the RAN.

[0064] Operation 11b, UE-AS to RAN: The TCP Connection Establishment Ack message may be included in, for example, an RRC UL Information Transfer message, or may be included in, for example, an UL Information Transfer message with an indication indicating that the request is for an RRC connection and does not contain a NAS payload.

[0065] After the IP address is assigned and the TCP connection is established successfully, do the following:

[0066] Operation 12. UE-AS to RAN: The UE AS layer sends an RRC Setup Complete message to the RAN to confirm the successful completion of the RRC connection establishment. The initial NAS message may be carried in the RRC Setup Complete message and sent to the AMF.

[0067] Operation 13a, UE-AS to UE-OS: The UE AS layer sends an RRC establishment completion indication to the UE OS layer.

[0068] Operation 13b, UE-OS to UE-NAS: The UE OS layer forwards the RRC establishment completion indication to the UE NAS layer.

[0069] Operation 14a, UE-NAS to UE-OS: The UE NAS layer sends a NAS message to the UE OS layer.

[0070] Operation 14b, UE-OS to UE-AS: The UE OS layer forwards the NAS message to the UE AS layer through the allocated IP address.

[0071] Operation 14c, UE-AS to RAN: The UE AS layer forwards the NAS message to the RAN via the allocated IP address.

[0072] Operation 14d, RAN to AMF: RAN forwards the received NAS message to AMF.

[0073] Example Implementation 3: IP Address Allocation During RRC Connection Recovery Procedure

[0074] This embodiment discusses the allocation of IP addresses during the RRC connection recovery process. In this embodiment of the RRC connection recovery process, IP address allocation and transport layer connection establishment are similar to those discussed in Example Implementation 2. Specifically, for the IP address allocation during the RRC connection recovery process, operations 1 to 14d described in Example Implementation 2 are performed, while the following differences 1) to 4) are applied. The same description is omitted, and only differences 1) to 4) are discussed in the following description.

[0075] 1) The initial NAS message will be replaced by the NAS message.

[0076] 2) The RRC SETUP REQUEST message is replaced by the RRC RESUME REQUEST message.

[0077] 3) The RRC setup message may be replaced by the RRC resume message.

[0078] 4) The RRC setup complete message may be replaced by the RRC recovery complete message.

[0079] Example Implementation 4: IP Address Allocation During Handover Process

[0080] Figure 5 An example process of IP address allocation during a handover process based on some embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0081] Operation 1, source RAN to target RAN: The source RAN decides to handover the UE to the target RAN based on the measurement report and RRM (Radio Resource Management) information. The source RAN sends a handover request message to the target RAN, which delivers a transparent RRC container with the necessary information to prepare the handover on the target side. The information includes an IP address request indication or an indication indicating the UE capability to support NAS over IP.

[0082] Operation 2: Target RAN: The target RAN allocates an IP address to the UE.

[0083] Operation 3, Target RAN to Source RAN: The target RAN prepares for handover and sends a handover request confirmation to the source RAN, which includes a transparent container to be sent to the UE as an RRC message to perform the handover. The information includes the IP address information assigned to the UE. The IP address information may include an IP address, a port number, a subnet mask, a default gateway, a DNS (Domain Name System) server, etc.

[0084] Operation 4, source RAN to UE: The source RAN sends an RRC reconfiguration message to the UE, and the RRC reconfiguration message contains information required for accessing the target access network, including the target access network information and the allocated IP address information.

[0085] Similar to Example 2, TCP is used as the transport layer protocol in this example.

[0086] Operation 5: Establish a TCP connection between the UE and the target RAN. In this embodiment, TCP is described as an example of a transport layer protocol, but other embodiments are also possible. Operation 5 here can be performed similarly to operations 9a to 11b of example embodiment 2.

[0087] Operation 6: The UE synchronizes with the target access network and completes the RRC handover process by sending an RRC reconfiguration complete message to the target RAN.

[0088] Operation 7: The UE sends a NAS message to the target RAN through the allocated IP address.

[0089] Example Implementation 5: IP Address Release During RRC Connection Release Procedure

[0090] Figure 6 An example process of IP address release during the RRC connection release process based on some embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown. In this embodiment, TCP is described as an example of a transport layer protocol, but other embodiments are also possible.

[0091] Operation 1: The TCP connection established between the UE and the RAN is released. Steps 9a to 11b in Example 2 are three-way handshakes for TCP connection establishment. In this example, quadruple waves are used for TCP connection release.

[0092] Operation 2, RAN to UE-AS: RAN initiates the RRC connection release procedure to release the RRC connection between the UE and RAN. RAN sends an RRC release message to the UE AS layer. The RRC release message includes an IP address release indication. RAN releases the IP address allocated to the UE.

[0093] Operation 3, UE-AS to UE-OS: The UE AS layer forwards the IP address release instruction to the UE OS layer. The UE releases the IP address allocated to the UE.

[0094] Figure 71 is a block diagram of an example implementation of a wireless communication device 1200. The methods described herein may be implemented by the device 1200. In some embodiments, the device 1200 may be a base station or network device of a wireless network. In some embodiments, the device 1200 may be a user device (e.g., a wireless device or user equipment UE). The device 1200 includes one or more processors, for example, a processor electronic device 1210, a transceiver circuit 1215, and one or more antennas 1220 for sending and receiving wireless signals. The device 1200 may include a memory 1205, which may be used to store data and instructions used by the processor electronic device 1210. The device 1200 may also include an additional network interface to additional equipment of one or more core networks or network operators. The additional network interface (not explicitly shown in the figure) may be wired (e.g., optical fiber or Ethernet) or wireless.

[0095] Figure 8 An example of a wireless communication system 1300 is depicted in which the various techniques described herein may be implemented. System 1300 includes a base station 1302 that may have a communication connection with a core network (1312) and with a wireless communication medium 1304 to communicate with one or more user devices 1306. User device 1306 may be a smartphone, a tablet, a machine-to-machine communication device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, or the like.

[0096] Some preferred embodiments may include the following solutions.

[0097] 1. A wireless communication method (e.g., Fig. 9 The method 900 shown includes: sending 910 a first message by a user device to an access network to request an Internet Protocol (IP) address to be used for wireless communication; and receiving 920 IP address information including an IP address assigned to the user device from the access network by the user device.

[0098] 2. According to the method described in Solution 1, the method also includes: after receiving the IP address information, the user equipment sends a second message to the access network to request the establishment of a transport layer connection; and the user equipment receives a connection establishment response message from the access network indicating the establishment of a transport layer connection.

[0099] 3. The method according to solution 1, wherein the first message is a radio resource control (RRC) establishment request message or an RRC recovery request message, which includes a first indication of requesting an IP address or a second indication of a device capability of supporting an IP-based non-access stratum (NAS).

[0100] 4. The method of solution 1, wherein the first message is an RRC uplink (UL) information transfer message including a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) request message.

[0101] 5. The method of solution 1, wherein the first message is an uplink (UL) information transfer message, the message comprising a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) request and an indication that the request is for an RRC connection and does not contain a non-access stratum (NAS) payload.

[0102] 6. The method according to solution 1, wherein the IP address information is included in an RRC setup response message, an RRC recovery response message or an RRC reconfiguration message.

[0103] 7. The method of solution 1, wherein the IP address information is included in a DHCP response message included in an RRC downlink (DL) information transmission message, or the IP address information is included in a DHCP response message included in a DL information transmission message, the DL information transmission message also including an indication that the response is for an RRC connection and does not include a NAS payload.

[0104] 8. A method according to any one of solutions 1 to 7, wherein the IP address information also includes a port number, a subnet mask, a default gateway, and DNS server information.

[0105] 9. The method of solution 2, wherein the second message is included in an RRC UL Information Transfer message, or is included in an UL Information Transfer message with an indication that the request is for an RRC connection and does not contain a NAS payload.

[0106] 10. The method of solution 2, wherein the connection establishment response message is included in an RRC downlink (DL) information transfer message, or is included in a DL information transfer message including an indication that the response is for an RRC connection and does not contain a NAS payload.

[0107] 11. The method according to solution 2 further comprises: in response to receiving a connection establishment response message, sending a connection establishment confirmation message to the access network, wherein the connection establishment confirmation message is included in an RRC UL information transmission message, or is included in an UL information transmission message having an indication that the corresponding request is for an RRC connection and does not contain a NAS payload.

[0108] 12. The method according to solution 1 further comprises: sending a NAS message to the access network via an IP address.

[0109] 13. The method according to solution 1 further comprises: receiving a reconfiguration message, wherein the reconfiguration message comprises target access network information allowing the user equipment to access the target access network and another IP address information allocated by the target access network.

[0110] 14. The method according to solution 13 further comprises: establishing a transport layer connection with the target access network; and sending a NAS message to the target access network via another IP address allocated by the target access network.

[0111] 15. The method according to solution 1 further comprises: receiving an RRC release message from the access network, the RRC release message comprising an indication of releasing the IP address; and releasing the IP address in response to receiving the RRC release message.

[0112] 16. A wireless communication method (e.g., Fig.10 The method 1000 shown includes: receiving 1010 a first message by an access network to request an Internet Protocol (IP) address to be used for wireless communication; allocating 1020 an IP address to a user device by the access network; and sending 1030 IP address information including the IP address allocated to the user device by the access network to the user device.

[0113] 17. According to the method described in solution 16, the method also includes: after sending the IP address information, the access network receives a second message requesting to establish a transport layer connection from the user equipment; and the access network sends a connection establishment response message indicating the establishment of the transport layer connection to the user equipment.

[0114] 18. The method according to solution 16, wherein the first message is an RRC setup request message or an RRC resume request message, which includes a first indication requesting an IP address or a second indication indicating a device capability of supporting NAS over IP.

[0115] 19. The method of solution 16, wherein the first message is an RRC uplink (UL) information transfer message including a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) request message.

[0116] 20. The method of solution 16, wherein the first message is an uplink (UL) information transfer message that includes a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) request and an indication that the request is for an RRC connection and does not contain a NAS payload.

[0117] 21. The method of solution 16, wherein the IP address information is included in an RRC setup response message, an RRC recovery response message, or an RRC reconfiguration message.

[0118] 22. The method of solution 16, wherein the IP address information is included in a DHCP response message included in an RRC downlink (DL) information transmission message, or the IP address information is included in a DHCP response message included in a DL information transmission message, the DL information transmission message also including an indication that the response is for an RRC connection and does not include a NAS payload.

[0119] 23. A method according to any one of solutions 16 to 22, wherein the IP address information also includes port number, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS server information.

[0120] 24. The method of solution 17, wherein the second message is included in an RRC UL Information Transfer message, or is included in an UL Information Transfer message with an indication that the request is for an RRC connection and does not contain a NAS payload.

[0121] 25. The method of solution 17, wherein the connection establishment response message is included in an RRC downlink (DL) information transfer message, or is included in a DL information transfer message including an indication that the response is for an RRC connection and does not contain a NAS payload.

[0122] 26. The method according to solution 17 further comprises: in response to sending a connection establishment response message, receiving a connection establishment confirmation message from the user equipment, the connection establishment confirmation message being included in an RRC UL information transmission message, or being included in an UL information transmission message having an indication that the corresponding message is used for an RRC connection and does not include a NAS payload.

[0123] 27. The method of solution 16, further comprising: receiving a NAS message from a user device via an IP address.

[0124] 28. The method according to solution 16 further comprises: the access network sending a reconfiguration message to the user equipment, the reconfiguration message comprising target access network information allowing the user equipment to access the target access network and another IP address information allocated by the target access network.

[0125] 29. A method according to solution 16, wherein the first message corresponds to a switching request message from a source access network, and the method further comprises: the access network sending a switching request confirmation message to the source access network, the switching request confirmation message including target access network information and IP address information allocated to the user equipment; establishing a transport layer connection between the user equipment and the access network; and the access network receiving a NAS message from the user equipment via the IP address allocated by the access network.

[0126] 30. According to the method described in Solution 16, the method also includes: the access network sends an RRC release message to the user equipment, and the RRC release message includes an indication of releasing the IP address.

[0127] 31. A wireless communication device, comprising a processor, wherein the processor is configured to implement the method of any one of the above solutions.

[0128] 32. A computer storage medium having codes stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement the method described in any one of the above solutions.

[0129] The disclosed and other embodiments, modules and functional operations described in this application can be implemented in digital electronic circuits, or in computer software, firmware or hardware, including the structures disclosed in this application and their structural equivalents, or in a combination of one or more thereof. The disclosed embodiments and other embodiments can be implemented as one or more computer program products (i.e., modules of one or more computer program instructions encoded on a computer-readable medium for execution by a data processing device or controlling the operation of the data processing device). The computer-readable medium can be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a memory device, a composition of substances that affect machine-readable propagation signals, or one or more combinations thereof. The term "data processing device" covers all devices, equipment and machines for processing data (for example, including programmable processors, computers or multiple processors or multiple computers). In addition to hardware, the device can also include code that creates an execution environment for the computer program in question, for example, code that constitutes processor firmware, protocol stacks, database management systems, operating systems, or a combination of one or more thereof. A propagation signal is an artificially generated signal, for example, a machine-generated electrical, optical or electromagnetic signal, which is generated to encode information for transmission to a suitable receiver device.

[0130] A computer program (also referred to as a program, software, software application, script, or code) may be written in any form of programming language (including compiled or interpreted languages) and may be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for a computing environment. A computer program does not necessarily correspond to a file in a file system. A program may be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup language document), in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple collaborative files (e.g., files storing one or more modules, subroutines, or portions of code). A computer program may be deployed to execute on a single computer or on multiple computers located in one location or distributed across multiple locations and interconnected by a communications network.

[0131] The processes and logic flows described in this application may be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output. The processes and logic flows may also be performed by special purpose logic circuits, and the apparatus may also be implemented as special purpose logic circuits, such as FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays) or ASICs (application specific integrated circuits).

[0132] For example, processors suitable for executing computer programs include general and special purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any type of digital computer. Typically, the processor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. The basic elements of a computer are a processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Typically, a computer will also include or be operably coupled to one or more mass storage devices (such as magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks) for storing data to receive data from the mass storage device or to transfer data to it, or both. However, a computer is not required to have such a device. Computer-readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, media, and memory devices, including, for example, semiconductor memory devices, such as EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM optical disks. The processor and memory may be supplemented by or incorporated into a dedicated logic circuit.

[0133] Although the present application contains many details, these details should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of the claimed invention or the content that can be claimed, but should be interpreted as descriptions of specific features of specific embodiments. Certain features described herein in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. On the contrary, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments. In addition, although the above-mentioned features can be described as working in a specific combination, and even initially required to be so, in some cases one or more features from the required combination can be cut out from the required combination, and the required combination can be for a sub-combination or a variant of a sub-combination. Similarly, although the operations are depicted in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, this should not be understood as requiring the operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in the order of sequence, or requiring the operations of all the diagrams to be performed to achieve the desired result.

[0134] Only a few examples and implementations are disclosed herein. Variations, modifications and enhancements may be made to the described examples and implementations and other implementations based on what is disclosed.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, the method comprising: Sending, by a user equipment, a first message to an access network to request an Internet Protocol (IP) address to be used for the wireless communication; as well as IP address information including an IP address allocated to the user equipment is received by the user equipment from the access network.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, after receiving the IP address information: The user equipment sends a second message to the access network to request establishment of a transport layer connection; and A connection establishment response message indicating establishment of a transport layer connection is received by the user equipment from the access network.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first message is a radio resource control (RRC) setup request message or an RRC resume request message, which includes a first indication requesting the IP address or a second indication indicating a device capability of supporting a non-access stratum (NAS) based on IP.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first message is an RRC Uplink (UL) information transfer message including a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) request message.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first message is an uplink (UL) information transfer message that includes a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) request and an indication that the request is for an RRC connection and does not include a non-access stratum (NAS) payload.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The IP address information is included in an RRC setup response message, an RRC recovery response message, or an RRC reconfiguration message.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The IP address information is included in a DHCP response message included in an RRC downlink (DL) information transmission message, or the IP location information is included in a DHCP response message included in a DL information transmission message, wherein the DL information transmission message also includes an indication that the response is for an RRC connection and does not include a NAS payload.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The IP address information also includes port number, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS server information.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The second message is included in an RRC UL Information Transfer message, or is included in an UL Information Transfer message with an indication indicating that the request is for an RRC connection and does not contain a NAS bearer.

10. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The connection establishment response message is included in an RRC downlink (DL) information transmission message, or is included in a DL information transmission message, the DL information transmission message including an indication indicating that the response is for an RRC connection and does not contain a NAS payload.

11. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: In response to receiving the connection establishment response message, sending a connection establishment confirmation message to the access network, wherein the connection establishment confirmation message is included in the RRC UL information transmission message, or is included in the UL information transmission message with an indication that the corresponding request is for an RRC connection and does not include a NAS payload.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: A NAS message is sent to the access network through the IP address.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: A reconfiguration message is received, wherein the reconfiguration message includes target access network information allowing the user equipment to access the target access network and another IP address information allocated by the target access network.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: Establishing a transport layer connection with the target access network; as well as A NAS message is sent to the target access network through another IP address allocated by the target access network.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving an RRC release message from the access network, the RRC release message including an indication of releasing the IP address; as well as In response to receiving the RRC release message, releasing the IP address.

16. A wireless communication method, the method comprising: receiving, by an access network, a first message requesting an Internet Protocol (IP) address to be used for said wireless communication; Allocating the IP address to the user equipment by the access network; as well as The access network sends IP address information including the IP address allocated to the user equipment to the user equipment.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising, after sending the IP address information: Receiving, by the access network, a second message from the user equipment requesting establishment of a transport layer connection; and The access network sends a connection establishment response message to the user equipment indicating the establishment of a transport layer connection.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein: The first message is an RRC setup request message or an RRC resume request message, which includes a first indication requesting the IP address or a second indication indicating a device capability of supporting NAS based on IP.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein: The first message is an RRC Uplink (UL) information transfer message including a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) request message.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein: The first message is an uplink (UL) information transfer message including a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) request and an indication that the request is for an RRC connection and does not contain a NAS payload.

21. The method according to claim 16, wherein: The IP address information is included in an RRC setup response message, an RRC recovery response message, or an RRC reconfiguration message.

22. The method according to claim 16, wherein: The IP address information is included in a DHCP response message included in an RRC downlink (DL) information transmission message, or the IP location information is included in a DHCP response message included in a DL information transmission message, wherein the DL information transmission message also includes an indication that the response is for an RRC connection and does not include a NAS payload.

23. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 22, wherein: The IP address information also includes port number, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS server information.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein: The second message is included in an RRC UL Information Transfer message, or is included in an UL Information Transfer message with an indication indicating that the request is for an RRC connection and does not contain a NAS bearer.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein: The connection establishment response message is included in an RRC downlink (DL) information transmission message, or is included in a DL information transmission message, the DL information transmission message including an indication indicating that the response is for an RRC connection and does not contain a NAS payload.

26. The method of claim 17, further comprising: In response to sending the connection establishment response message, a connection establishment confirmation message is received from the user equipment, the connection establishment confirmation message being included in an RRC UL information transmission message or being included in an UL information transmission message with an indication that the corresponding message is for an RRC connection and does not include a NAS payload.

27. The method according to claim 16, further comprising: A NAS message is received from the user equipment via the IP address.

28. The method of claim 16, further comprising: The access network sends a reconfiguration message to the user equipment, wherein the reconfiguration message includes target access network information allowing the user equipment to access the target access network and another IP address information allocated by the target access network.

29. The method of claim 16, wherein: The first message corresponds to a handover request message from a source access network, and the method further comprises: The access network sends a handover request confirmation message to the source access network, where the handover request confirmation message includes target access network information and IP address information allocated to the user equipment; establishing a transport layer connection between the user equipment and the access network; and A NAS message is received by the access network from the user equipment through the IP address allocated by the access network.

30. The method of claim 16, further comprising: The access network sends an RRC release message to the user equipment, where the RRC release message includes an indication of releasing the IP address.

31. A wireless communication device, the device comprising a processor, the processor being configured to implement the method of any one of the above claims.

32. A computer storage medium having stored thereon code which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement the method of any one of the preceding claims.

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