Network registered terminal behavior control

Abstract

Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided for terminal behavior control for network registration in a communication network. In this regard, a user equipment (UE) receives a routing policy (URSP) transmitted by a core network. The URPS of the UE includes at least one indication that the UE will initiate registration to request at least one connection parameter of the communication network. Further, a registration is initiated with the communication network based on the at least one indication to request at least one connection parameter of the communication network.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This patent application claims priority to Indian Patent Application No. 202241021873 filed on April 12, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference as if reproduced in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to communication systems, and more particularly to network registration of a communication network. Background Art

[0004] Fourth generation (4G) wireless mobile communication technology, also known as Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, is designed to provide high capacity mobile multimedia at high data rates, especially for human-machine interaction. The next or fifth generation (5G) technology is intended not only for human-machine interaction but also for machine-type communications in so-called Internet of Things (IoT) networks.

[0005] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has developed 5G technology standards, including standards for the next-generation radio access network and 5G network architecture, which can provide extreme broadband and ultra-robust low-latency connections. 5G technology improves the various telecommunication services provided to end users and helps support massive broadband to provide gigabytes of bandwidth per second for uplink and downlink transmissions as needed. Next-generation networks based on 5G network architecture utilize virtualized radio access network (RAN) functions and core network functions.

[0006] In a 5G network (e.g., a next-generation network based on a 5G network architecture), network slicing is a concept of independently running multiple logical networks on a common physical infrastructure. A network slice is considered to be an independent virtualized end-to-end network. When a user equipment (UE) attempts to register with the network, the UE requests one or more network slices. However, under current network protocols, in some cases, the UE may select a suboptimal network slice to register with the network. Summary of the invention

[0007] Methods, apparatus, and computer program products according to example embodiments are provided to provide terminal behavior control for network registration in a communication network.

[0008] In an example embodiment, a method is provided. The method includes sending, by a core network, a UE routing policy (URSP) of a user equipment (UE) to the UE. The UE's URSP includes at least one indication that the UE will initiate registration to request at least one connection parameter of a communication network.

[0009] In some embodiments, the method includes indicating at least one indication as a RSD in at least one routing descriptor (RSD) of a URSP rule of a URSP configured as a UE. In some embodiments, the method includes indicating at least one indication as a RSD of all routing descriptors (RSD) in a URSP rule of a URSP configured as a UE. In some embodiments, at least one connection parameter includes a network slice.

[0010] In some embodiments, the method includes sending a policy command message by the core network to the UE. In some embodiments, the policy command message includes at least a URSP of the UE, and the URSP includes at least one indication. In some embodiments, the URSP of the UE included in the policy command message includes one or more URSP rules of the UE, and one URSP rule of the one or more URSP rules includes at least one indication.

[0011] In some embodiments, the method includes, in response to receiving a message from the UE, configuring the URSP with at least one indication.

[0012] In some embodiments, the method comprises receiving a manage UE policy complete message from the UE.In some embodiments, the manage UE policy complete message comprises an indication of success or failure associated with registration of the UE with the communications network.

[0013] In some embodiments, the method comprises encoding at least one indication into a URSP of the UE. In some embodiments, the method comprises encoding at least one indication into at least one RSD of a URSP rule of a URSP of the UE.

[0014] In some embodiments, the method includes receiving a UE status indication message from the UE. In some embodiments, the UE status indication message includes at least a feature support indication, the feature support indication indicating that the UE is capable of initiating registration based on at least one indication.

[0015] In some embodiments, the method includes configuring the URSP to include at least one indication in response to receiving the UE status indication message.

[0016] In another example embodiment, an apparatus includes a processing circuit system and at least one memory including computer program code instructions, the computer program code instructions being configured to, when executed by the processing circuit system, cause the apparatus to send a URSP of the UE to a UE. The URSP of the UE includes at least one indication that the UE will initiate registration to request at least one connection parameter of a communication network.

[0017] In some embodiments, the computer program code instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processing circuit system, cause the apparatus to: indicate an RSD in the RSD of the URSP rule of the URSP configured as the UE. In some embodiments, the computer program code instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processing circuit system, cause the apparatus to: indicate an RSD of all routing descriptors (RSDs) in the URSP rule of the URSP configured as the UE. In some embodiments, the connection parameters include network slices.

[0018] In some embodiments, the computer program code instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the apparatus to: send a manage UE policy command message to the UE. In some embodiments, the manage UE policy command message includes at least the URSP of the UE.

[0019] In some embodiments, the computer program code instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processing circuit system, cause the apparatus to: send a policy command message to the UE. In some embodiments, the policy command message includes at least a URSP of the UE, the URSP including at least one indication. In some embodiments, the URSP of the UE included in the policy command message includes one or more URSP rules, the one or more URSP rules including at least one indication.

[0020] In some embodiments, the computer program code instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the apparatus to: configure the URSP having the at least one indication in response to receiving the message from the UE.

[0021] In some embodiments, the computer program code instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the apparatus to: receive a manage UE policy complete message from the UE. In some embodiments, the manage UE policy complete message includes an indication of success or failure associated with registration of the UE with the communications network.

[0022] In some embodiments, the computer program code instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processing circuit system, cause the apparatus to: encode at least one indication into the URSP of the UE. In some embodiments, the computer program code instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processing circuit system, cause the apparatus to: encode at least one indication into at least one RSD of the URSP rule of the URSP of the UE.

[0023] In some embodiments, the computer program code instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processing circuit system, cause the apparatus to: receive a UE status indication message from the UE. The UE status indication message includes at least a feature support indication, the feature support indication indicating that the UE is capable of initiating registration based on at least one indication. In some embodiments, the computer program code instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processing circuit system, cause the apparatus to: configure the URSP to include at least one indication in response to receiving the UE status indication message.

[0024] In another example embodiment, a computer program product is provided. The computer program product includes at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions including program code instructions configured to, when executed, send a URSP of a UE. The URSP of the UE includes at least one indication that the UE will initiate registration to request at least one connection parameter of a communication network.

[0025] In some embodiments, the computer executable program code instructions are further configured to indicate at least one indication as an RSD in at least one RSD of a URSP rule of a URSP of the UE. In some embodiments, the computer executable program code instructions are further configured to indicate at least one indication as an RSD of all routing descriptors (RSDs) in a URSP rule of a URSP of the UE. In some embodiments, the connection parameters include a network slice. In some embodiments, the UE initiates registration to register with the network slice.

[0026] In some embodiments, the computer executable program code instructions are further configured to send a policy command message to the UE. In some embodiments, the policy command message includes at least a URSP of the UE, and the URSP includes at least one indication. In some embodiments, the URSP included in the policy command message includes one or more URSP rules, and the one or more URSP rules include at least one indication.

[0027] In some embodiments, the computer-executable program code instructions are further configured to configure the URSP having the at least one indication in response to receiving a message from the UE.

[0028] In some embodiments, the computer executable program code instructions are further configured to receive a manage UE policy complete message from the UE.In some embodiments, the manage UE policy complete message includes an indication of success or failure associated with registration of the UE with the communication network.

[0029] In some embodiments, the computer executable program code instructions are further configured to encode the at least one indication into the URSP of the UE. In some embodiments, the computer executable program code instructions are further configured to encode the at least one indication into at least one RSD of the URSP rule of the URSP of the UE.

[0030] In some embodiments, the computer executable program code instructions are further configured to receive a UE status indication message from the UE. The UE status indication message includes at least a feature support indication, and the feature support indication indicates that the UE can initiate registration based on at least one indication. In some embodiments, the computer executable program code instructions are further configured to: in response to receiving the UE status indication message, configure the URSP of the UE to include at least one indication.

[0031] In another example embodiment, an apparatus is provided that includes means for sending a URSP of the UE to a UE. The URSP of the UE includes at least one indication for the UE to initiate registration to request at least one connection parameter of a communication network.

[0032] In some embodiments, the apparatus of this example embodiment further comprises a component for configuring at least one indication as an RSD indication in at least one RSD of a URSP rule of a URSP of the UE. In some embodiments, the apparatus of this example embodiment further comprises: a component for configuring at least one indication as an RSD indication of all routing descriptors (RSDs) in a URSP rule of a URSP of the UE. In some embodiments, the connection parameters comprise a network slice.

[0033] In some embodiments, the apparatus of this example embodiment further comprises a component for sending a policy command message to the UE. In some embodiments, the policy command message comprises at least a URSP of the UE, the URSP comprising at least one indication. In some embodiments, the URSP of the UE included in the policy command message comprises one or more URSP rules, the one or more URSP rules comprising at least one indication.

[0034] In some embodiments, the apparatus of this example embodiment further comprises means for configuring the URSP with the at least one indication in response to receiving the message from the UE.

[0035] In some embodiments, the apparatus of this example embodiment further comprises means for receiving a manage UE policy complete message from the UE.In some embodiments, the manage UE policy complete message comprises an indication of success or failure associated with registration of the UE with the communication network.

[0036] In some embodiments, the apparatus of this example embodiment further comprises means for encoding at least one indication into the URSP of the UE. In some embodiments, the apparatus of this example embodiment further comprises means for encoding at least one indication into at least one RSD of the URSP rule of the URSP of the UE.

[0037] In some embodiments, the apparatus of this example embodiment further comprises means for receiving a UE status indication message from the UE. In some embodiments, the UE status indication message comprises at least a feature support indication, the feature support indication indicating that the UE is capable of initiating registration based on at least one indication. In some embodiments, the apparatus of this example embodiment further comprises means for configuring the URSP to include at least one indication in response to receiving the UE status indication message.

[0038] In another example embodiment, a method is provided. The method includes receiving, by a UE, a URSP of the UE sent by a core network. The URSP of the UE includes an indication that the UE will initiate registration to request at least one connection parameter of a communication network. The method also includes initiating registration to request the connection parameter of the communication network based on the at least one indication. In some embodiments, initiating registration includes initiating a registration procedure at the UE to register the UE with the communication network based on the at least one connection parameter.

[0039] In some embodiments, the connection parameters include a network slice. In some embodiments, initiating registration includes initiating a registration procedure at the UE to register the UE with a network slice of the communication network.

[0040] In some embodiments, the method includes sending a UE status indication message to a network device of the communication network. In some embodiments, the UE status indication message includes at least a feature support indication indicating that the UE is capable of initiating registration based on at least one indication.

[0041] In some embodiments, the URSP of the UE includes one or more URSP rules, the one or more URSP rules including at least one indication of the UE.

[0042] In some embodiments, initiating registration includes the UE sending a request for at least one connection parameter of the communication network to the core network. In some embodiments, initiating registration includes initiating establishment of a protocol data unit (PDU) session. In some embodiments, establishing the PDU session includes sending a request to the core network to establish the PDU session.

[0043] In some embodiments, initiating registration includes initiating registration with the communication network in response to at least one indication. In some embodiments, initiating registration with the communication network includes initiating registration with the communication network upon detecting a request to establish a PDU session establishment for an application associated with the UE.

[0044] In some embodiments, in response to a failure associated with initiating registration with the communication network, the method includes initiating another registration with the communication network using another matching RSD of the URSP.

[0045] In some embodiments, in response to a failure associated with initiating a registration with the communication network, the method includes initiating another registration with the communication network using another RSD of the URSP.

[0046] In some embodiments, in response to a failure associated with initiating registration with the communication network, the method includes initiating another registration with another communication network that supports at least one connection parameter indicated by the at least one indication included in the URSP.

[0047] In some embodiments, the method includes initiating another registration with the communication network based on a priority value assigned to the routing descriptor of the URSP rule of the URSP.

[0048] In another example embodiment, an apparatus includes a processing circuit system and at least one memory including computer program code instructions, the computer program code instructions being configured to, when executed by the processing circuit system, cause the apparatus to: receive, by a UE, a URSP of the UE sent by a core network. The URSP of the UE includes at least one indication that the UE will initiate registration with a communication network to request at least one connection parameter of the communication network. The computer program code instructions are also configured to, when executed by the processing circuit system, cause the apparatus to: initiate registration with the communication network to request the connection parameter of the communication network based on the at least one indication.

[0049] In some embodiments, the connection parameters include a network slice.

[0050] In some embodiments, the computer program code instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processing circuit system, cause the apparatus to: send a UE status indication message to a core network of the communication network. In some embodiments, the UE status indication message includes at least a feature support indication of the UE, the feature support indication indicating that the UE is capable of initiating registration based on at least one indication.

[0051] In some embodiments, the URSP includes one or more URSP rules including at least one indication of the UE.

[0052] In some embodiments, the computer program code instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the apparatus to: register the UE with the communications network using the at least one connection parameter.

[0053] In some embodiments, the computer program code instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the apparatus to: initiate establishment of a protocol data unit (PDU) session.

[0054] In some embodiments, the computer program code instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processing circuit system, cause the apparatus to: initiate registration with the communication network in response to at least one indication. In some embodiments, the computer program code instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processing circuit system, cause the apparatus to: initiate registration with the communication network upon detecting a request to establish a PDU session for an application associated with the UE.

[0055] In some embodiments, in response to a failure associated with initiating registration with the communication network, the computer program code instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the apparatus to: initiate another registration with the communication network using another matching RSD of the URSP rule of the URSP.

[0056] In some embodiments, in response to a failure associated with initiating registration with the communication network, the computer program code instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the apparatus to: initiate another registration with the communication network using another URSP rule of the URSP.

[0057] In some embodiments, in response to a failure associated with initiating the registration, the computer program code instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the apparatus to: initiate another registration to request at least one connection parameter from another network supporting the at least one connection parameter.

[0058] In some embodiments, the computer program code instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the apparatus to: initiate another registration based on a priority value of the routing descriptor of the URSP rule assigned to the URSP.

[0059] In another example embodiment, a computer program product is provided. The computer program product includes at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions including program code instructions configured to receive a URSP of a UE sent by a core network when executed. The URSP of the UE includes at least one indication for the UE to initiate registration to request at least one connection parameter of a communication network. The computer-executable program code instructions are also configured to: initiate registration with the communication network based on the at least one indication to request at least one connection parameter of the communication network.

[0060] In some embodiments, the connection parameters include a network slice.

[0061] In some embodiments, the computer executable program code instructions are further configured to send a UE status indication message to a core network of the communication network. In some embodiments, the UE status indication message includes at least a feature support indication.

[0062] In some embodiments, the URSP of the UE includes one or more URSP rules, the one or more URSP rules including at least one indication of the UE.

[0063] In some embodiments, the computer-executable program code instructions are further configured to register the UE with the communication network using the at least one connection parameter.

[0064] In some embodiments, the computer executable program code instructions are further configured to initiate establishment of a PDU session.

[0065] In some embodiments, the computer executable program code instructions are further configured to initiate registration in response to receiving at least one indication. In some embodiments, the computer executable program code instructions are further configured to initiate registration upon detecting a request to establish a PDU session for an application associated with the UE.

[0066] In some embodiments, in response to a failure associated with initiating the registration, the computer-executable program code instructions are further configured to initiate another registration using the RSD indicated by the at least one indication to request at least one connection parameter.

[0067] In some embodiments, in response to a failure associated with initiating a registration with the communication network, the computer-executable program code instructions are further configured to initiate another registration with the communication network using another rule of the URSP.

[0068] In some embodiments, in response to a failure associated with initiating registration with the communication network, the computer executable program code instructions are further configured to: initiate another registration with another communication network that supports the at least one connection parameter indicated by the at least one indication.

[0069] In some embodiments, the computer-executable program code instructions are further configured to initiate another registration with the communication network based on a priority value assigned to the routing descriptor of the URSP rule of the URSP.

[0070] In another example embodiment, an apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising means for receiving a URSP of a UE sent by a core network. The URSR of the UE comprises at least one indication indicating that the UE will initiate a registration to request at least one connection parameter of a communication network. The apparatus of this example embodiment also comprises means for initiating a registration to the communication network to request a connection parameter of the communication network based on the at least one indication.

[0071] In some embodiments, the connection parameters include a network slice.

[0072] In some embodiments, the apparatus of this example embodiment further comprises a component for sending a UE status indication message to a core network of the communication network. In some embodiments, the UE status indication message comprises at least a feature support indication, the feature support indication.

[0073] In some embodiments, the URSP includes one or more URSP rules including at least one indication of the UE.

[0074] In some embodiments, the means for initiating registration comprises means for registering the UE with the communication network using at least one connection parameter. In some embodiments, the means for initiating registration comprises means for requesting establishment of a PDU session.

[0075] In some embodiments, the means for initiating registration comprises means for initiating registration in response to receipt of a URSP. In some embodiments, the means for initiating registration comprises means for initiating registration with the communication network upon detecting a request to establish a PDU session establishment for an application associated with the UE.

[0076] In some embodiments, in response to a failure associated with initiating a registration with the communication network, the apparatus of this example embodiment further comprises means for initiating another registration with the communication network using an RSD of the URSP that matches a rule of the URSP.

[0077] In some embodiments, in response to a failure associated with initiating registration with the communication network, the apparatus of this example embodiment further comprises means for initiating another registration with the communication network using another URSP rule including the at least one indicated URSP.

[0078] In some embodiments, in response to a failure associated with initiating registration with the communication network, the apparatus of this example embodiment further comprises means for initiating another registration to request at least one connection parameter of the communication network with another network supporting the at least one connection parameter.

[0079] In some embodiments, the apparatus of this example embodiment further comprises means for initiating another registration with the communication network based on a priority value of the routing descriptor of the URSP rule assigned to the URSP of the UE. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0080] Having generally described certain example embodiments of the present invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in which:

[0081] Figure 1Depicting an example system environment in which implementations according to one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure may be performed;

[0082] Figure 2 is a block diagram of an apparatus configured according to one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0083] Figure 3 illustrates example transmissions between a user equipment (UE) and a network entity or function of a core network according to one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0084] Figure 4 illustrates example UE routing selection policy (URSP) rules according to one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0085] Figure 5 The present invention illustrates one or more example embodiments of the present invention. Figure 4 Example routing descriptor for URSP rules shown;

[0086] Figure 6 illustrates another example URSP rule according to one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0087] Figure 7 A flowchart according to one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated, the flowchart illustrating a process such as by Figure 2 Operations performed by a device to provide terminal behavior control for network registration in a communication network;

[0088] Figure 8 A flowchart according to one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated, the flowchart illustrating a process such as by Figure 2 Operations performed by an apparatus to provide terminal behavior control for network registration via a network device; and

[0089] Fig. 9 A flowchart according to one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated, the flowchart illustrating a process such as by Figure 2 Operations performed by a device to provide terminal behavior control for network registration. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0090] Some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some but not all embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. In fact, various embodiments of the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described herein; on the contrary, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure satisfies applicable legal requirements. The same figure numerals always refer to the same elements. As used herein, the terms "data", "content", "information" and similar terms may be used interchangeably to refer to data that can be sent, received and / or stored according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, the use of any such terms should not be construed as limiting the spirit and scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0091] In addition, as used herein, the term "circuitry" refers to (a) a pure hardware circuit implementation (e.g., an implementation in analog circuitry and / or digital circuitry); (b) a combination of circuitry and (multiple) computer program products, including software and / or firmware instructions stored on one or more computer-readable memories, which work together to cause the device to perform one or more functions described herein; and (c) circuitry that requires software or firmware to operate (even if the software or firmware is not physically present), such as, for example, (multiple) microprocessors or a portion of (multiple) microprocessors. This definition of "circuitry" applies to all uses of the term herein, including in any claims. As another example, as used herein, the term "circuitry" also includes an implementation that includes one or more processors and / or (multiple) portions thereof and accompanying software and / or firmware. As defined herein, "computer-readable storage media" (which refers to physical storage media (e.g., volatile or non-volatile memory devices)) can be distinguished from "computer-readable transmission media" (which refers to electromagnetic signals).

[0092] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) fifth generation (5G) technology is the next generation of radio systems and network architectures that can provide extreme broadband and ultra-robust low-latency connectivity. 5G technology improves the various telecommunication services provided to end users and helps support massive broadband to provide gigabytes of bandwidth per second for uplink and downlink transmissions as needed. Next generation systems utilizing the 5G architecture utilize virtualized radio access network (RAN) functions and core network functions.

[0093] Embodiments will be described herein in conjunction with example communication systems and related technologies for terminal behavior control for network registration (e.g., network slice registration) in a communication network. However, it should be understood that the scope of the claims is not limited to the specific type of communication system and / or process disclosed. The embodiments may be implemented in a terminal device (e.g., user equipment) or a network (e.g., a communication network) of a communication system using alternative processes and operations. For example, although described in the context of a wireless cellular system utilizing 3GPP system elements (such as a 3GPP next-generation core network), the disclosed embodiments may be directly applicable to various other types of communication systems. In addition, although the present disclosure may describe the present invention in conjunction with a 5G communication system, the present invention is also applicable to and includes other networks and network technologies, such as 3G, 4G, long term evolution (LTE), 6G, etc., without limitation thereto.

[0094] According to an exemplary embodiment implemented in a 5G communication system environment, one or more 3GPP technical specifications (TS) and technical reports (TR) provide further explanations of user equipment and core network elements / entities / functions and / or operations performed by user equipment and core network elements / entities or functions, such as 3GPP TS23.501, 3GPP TS23.289 and / or 3GPP TS24.501. Other 3GPP TS / TR documents provide other routine details that will be implemented by a person of ordinary skill in the art. However, while the illustrative embodiments are well suited for implementations associated with the 3GPP standards for 5G NR described above, alternative embodiments are not necessarily intended to be limited to any particular standard.

[0095] In communication systems such as 5G systems, network slicing is a concept of running multiple logical networks as virtually independent operations on a common physical infrastructure. A network slice is considered to be an independent virtualized end-to-end logical network. A user equipment (UE) can subscribe to one or more network slices of a communication system. The UE subscription can include several network slices in the network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI). Therefore, a network slice can be identified by a single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI). For example, a network slice can be identified by an S-NSSAI, and the S-NSSAI set is called an NSSAI.

[0096] When the UE attempts to register with a communication network, the UE requests one or more network slices of the communication network (e.g., the UE indicates the requested NSSAI). The UE may be configured with one or more S-NSSAIs of the communication network that may be requested. The one or more S-NSSAIs configured in the UE form a configured NSSAI, and the configured NSSIA is stored in the UE on a per-network basis. For example, the UE may be provisioned with multiple configured NSSAIs, each of which may be stored in the UE and associated with a different network.

[0097] One or more S-NSSAIs of the configured NSSAI may be marked as default S-NSSAIs. If the UE does not request any specific network slice (e.g., S-NSSAI) in the requested NSSAI, the default S-NSSAI may identify the network slice that the UE may or should use for communication with the communication network. In current versions of the 3GPP standards, such as those mentioned herein, these current standards give the UE complete freedom to request any allowed S-NSSAI of the configured NSSIA based on local logic, if the UE has been configured with a configured NSSAI. Under current network protocols, there is no control over the behavior of one or more S-NSSAIs based on which the UE requests the configured NSSAI. Therefore, in some cases, the UE may select a suboptimal network slice (e.g., S-NSSAI) to register with the communication network.

[0098] In addition, under current network protocols such as, for example, 3GPP TS23.289, an initial mission critical service (MCS) UE configuration of a network (e.g., a home public land mobile network (HPLMN) or a visited PLMN (VPLMN)) is provided to the UE. In addition, at least one S-NSSAI in the initial MC service UE configuration may be marked as a default S-NSSAI. Therefore, at least one network slice identifier (e.g., S-NSSAI) of the network may be a subset of the configured NSSAI of the communication network. In other words, one or more S-NSSAIs in the configured NSSAI may be marked as the default S-NSSAI. However, current network protocols do not specify how the UE uses the default S-NSSAI.

[0099] In an example scenario, the UE may use the configured NSSAI (e.g., S-NSSAI 1, S-NSSAI 2) for the network. S-NSSAI 1 may be used for MC services (e.g., MC push-to-talk), and S-NSSAI 2 may be used for normal services (e.g., Internet or other network services). When the UE registers with the communication network, the UE may include only S-NSSAI 2 in the requested NSSAI. However, there is currently no way to control the manner in which the UE selects (multiple) S-NSSAIs to be included in the requested NSSAI from the configured NSSAI. After successful registration, the UE may start an MC application (e.g., MC push-to-talk). In addition, the UE may initiate the establishment of a protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with S-NSSAI 2 to serve the data of the MC application. The characteristics of the PDU session to be established (also referred to as PDU session attributes) are determined by the URSP rules of the UE's URPR. Each URSP rule includes a service descriptor (TD) identifying the matching service and one or more routing descriptors that describe the details of the PDU session to be established, such as the network slice. Therefore, in this example scenario, the data of the MC application is served by a suboptimal network slice (e.g., S-NSSAI 2). In some cases, the MC application may not even be able to obtain service (e.g., if the UE's UE routing policy (URSP) includes a URSP rule indicating that the UE will request S-NSSAI 1 for the MC application). This problem may be amplified because the configured NSSAI typically contains up to twice the number of S-NSSAIs that can be requested. In addition, this problem may be further exacerbated if the candidate S-NSSAI to be requested is retrieved from multiple MCS configurations (e.g., via the initial MSC UE configuration of the MC service on top of the configured NSSAI). In addition to the S-NSSAI, similar problems may also occur with other routing descriptor (RSD) parameters, such as, for example, with respect to the session and service continuity (SSC) mode.

[0100] Certain S-NSSAI requested by the UE may include at least one indication (e.g., at least one indicator) to assist the operator in controlling the behavior of the UE when registering and / or deregistering with a network slice and establishing and releasing a PDU session in the communication network. However, the use of indications for certain S-NSSAIs does not take into account the dynamic nature of applications requesting connections based on URSPs. Therefore, in this case, the communication network cannot handle scenarios where the requested slices are prioritized (e.g., if more than eight network slices are marked as default). In addition, in this case, the communication network cannot consider whether the UE requires a specific network slice (e.g., whether the corresponding application is running). Therefore, in the current communication network, the UE decides to use the network slice for the request.

[0101] In addition, for the current communication network, if the URSP rule matching the application includes an S-NSSAI in the selected RSD, and the S-NSSAI is not included in the allowed NSSAI, another RSD will be selected. In addition, if there is no other valid RSD, the URSP rule matching the application (e.g., a URSP rule whose service description matches the application) will be evaluated, which has a higher priority value (e.g., a URSP rule with a lower priority). Therefore, it is likely that the default URSP rule will be adopted, and the default URSP rule is also likely to contain a one-size-fits-all S-NSSAI (e.g., enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) S-NSSAI) or no S-NSSAI, which will cause one or more of the above-mentioned problems.

[0102] Therefore, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for controlling terminal (e.g., UE) behavior (also referred to as terminal control behavior) for network registration (e.g., network slice registration) in a communication network are described herein to address some or all of the above limitations of current communication networks and / or current network protocols. In various embodiments, the control of the terminal behavior is specified by the corresponding processing of the URSP and / or the requested NSSAI of the UE. For example, in various embodiments, a URSP rule for an application requiring a specific S-NSSAI may include a specific S-NSSAI associated with an indication that the application will only be executed by a network slice associated with a specific S-NSSAI. In addition, if a URSP rule matching the application (e.g., a URSD rule whose service description matches the application) includes the indication, and the S-NSSAI associated with the indication is not included in the allowed NSSAI, the UE may initiate registration (i.e., initiate a registration process) to request the S-NSSAI from the communication network. The indication may be part of a URSP rule, one or more RSDs of a URSP rule, or an RSD parameter.

[0103] In various embodiments, the URSP may be used to initiate a registration to request at least one network slice of a communication network. For example, the URSP may be provided with an indication of whether the S-NSSAI is forced for an application. If the S-NSSAI is forced for an application, one or more URSP rules may be provided. One or more URSP rules may provide guidance on how the UE should subsequently act. For example, if the S-NSSAI is forced for an application, the UE may initiate a registration to request the S-NSSAI that is forced for the application ("forced S-NSSAI indication"). In addition, if the communication network rejects the request for the S-NSSAI that is forced for the application, the UE may attempt to select a different network to request the S-NSSAI that is forced for the application. In various embodiments, a priority value for each S-NSSAI may be provided in the URSP rule to guide the UE to select the S-NSSAI with the highest priority value as the S-NSSAI of the requested NSSAI. The UE may use the priority value to determine which network slices to request from the communication network.

[0104] In various embodiments, registration may be initiated immediately or later based on the usage of the application, such as only when the application requests a network slice. For example, in some embodiments, registration may be usage-based, and registration may be initiated when the application requests a network slice (e.g., not initiated based on receipt of an indication). Thus, in some embodiments, the UE may request the indicated connection parameters, including the network slice, during registration with the communication network, even if usage of the connection parameters (e.g., the network slice) is delayed until a network slice request is received for the application. Alternatively, in some embodiments, registration may be initiated upon receipt of an indication.

[0105] In various embodiments, at least one indication (e.g., a mandatory RSD indication) about how the RSD must be used may be adopted to enable the core network to dynamically update and / or configure one or more insights of each RSD of the URSP, URSP rules. A mandatory RSD indication may be an indication from the core network indicating that the RSD (e.g., a network slice) is indeed required and should be requested using a registration process if it is not available. For example, an RSD indication may be used to indicate an existing backward compatible process (e.g., a UE may adopt a URSP rule with an "all match" service descriptor). In addition, a mandatory RSD indication may be used to indicate whether the RSD is really mandatory. A mandatory RSD indication may be used additionally or alternatively to indicate whether the RSD is preferred and / or whether the UE may use an RSD from another non-default URSP rule that matches an existing service descriptor (TD). A mandatory RSD indication may be used additionally or alternatively to indicate whether the RSD should cause the UE to initiate registration. In certain embodiments, a mandatory RSD indication may be used additionally or alternatively to indicate one or more other details and / or communication network options associated with the RSD. In various embodiments. The UE may first indicate whether it supports such advanced RSD indication so that the network may provide the RSD indication to facilitate improved registration of the UE with the communication network.

[0106] The RSD may also indicate the UE's subsequent processing of the registration. For example, if the network slice is not available when the URSP rule is evaluated, the RSD may indicate the UE's subsequent processing of the registration. The UE may attempt to update its registration with the network by requesting a specific network slice. If the mandatory S-NSSAI requested by the UE (i.e., the mandatory S-NSSAI applied) is rejected by the network, the UE may adopt another matching RSD and / or another URSP rule. Additionally or alternatively, if the mandatory S-NSSAI requested by the UE is rejected by the network, the UE may select a different network that supports the mandatory S-NSSAI. In certain embodiments, in order to help the UE select the S-NSSAI to request, the RSD may include a priority value indicating the importance of the S-NSSAI. The UE may use the priority value to determine which S-NSSAI to include in the requested NSSAI. For example, given a specific network slice restriction (e.g., a restriction of eight network slices marked as default), the UE may use the priority value to determine which network slices to request. To ensure backward compatibility and / or avoid excessive signaling in the communication network, the UE may indicate whether the UE supports mandatory RSD indication and / or one or more other features associated with terminal behavior control for network registration in the communication network when registering with the core network of the communication network. In various embodiments, a policy control function (PCF) as a network entity or function of the core network may indicate how the corresponding RSD affects the UE's selection of a network slice.

[0107] By providing terminal behavior control for network registration in a communication network, the behavior of the terminal in the network, network slice and / or network entity (e.g., UE behavior) can be tuned according to the specific network deployment. For example, by providing terminal behavior control for network registration in a communication network, an optimal operating mode can be established for the UE. In some embodiments, the registration and / or UE configuration update process can be optimized for the UE. In addition, by providing terminal behavior control for network registration of the terminal in the communication network, the signaling load can be minimized and / or the bandwidth dedicated to such signaling, registration / deregistration and / or other such activities can be reduced. In addition, by providing terminal behavior control for network registration in a communication network, the terminal (e.g., UE) can adopt a network slice that is more suitable for the behavior supported by the terminal (e.g., UE) and / or the communication network. Therefore, the performance of the UE and / or the communication network can be improved.

[0108] Figure 1An example communication system environment 100 is depicted in which implementations according to example embodiments of the present disclosure may be performed. The communication system environment 100 is an environment that includes or corresponds to a communication system. In one or more embodiments, the communication system environment 100 may include one or more terminal devices (e.g., user devices) and one or more networks (e.g., one or more communication networks). In various embodiments, the communication system environment 100 is an environment that includes or corresponds to a 5G communication system (e.g., a 5G communication network), which is associated with one or more terminal devices (e.g., user devices) and / or one or more networks (e.g., one or more communication networks) that support 5G communications. Figure 1 The description of the communication system environment 100 ("system environment 100") in the present disclosure is not intended to limit or otherwise constrain the embodiments described and contemplated herein to any particular configuration of elements or networks, nor is it intended to exclude any alternative configurations or systems of configurations and system collections that may be used in conjunction with embodiments of the present disclosure. On the contrary, Figure 1 The system environment 100 disclosed therein is intended only to provide an example basis and context for describing some of the features, aspects, and uses of the methods, apparatus, and computer program products disclosed and contemplated herein. It should be understood that although Figure 1 Many of the aspects and components presented in the drawings are shown as discrete individual elements, but other configurations may also be used in conjunction with the methods, apparatuses, and computer programs described herein, including configurations in which various aspects and / or components may be combined, omitted, and / or added.

[0109] In one or more embodiments, system environment 100 is a network environment. Figure 1 As shown, the system environment 100 includes one or more user equipment (UE) 102 configured to communicate wirelessly with a network 106 (such as via an access network). Although the user equipment 102 can be configured in a variety of different ways, the user equipment 102 can also be embodied as a mobile terminal, such as a portable digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a smart phone, a pager, a mobile TV, a gaming device, a laptop, a camera, a tablet computer, a communicator, a tablet, a headset, a touch surface, a recorder, an audio / video player, a radio, an e-book, a positioning device (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS) device) or any combination of the foregoing, as well as other types of voice and text and multi-mode communication systems. Figure 1As shown, the system environment 100 also includes one or more access points 104a and 104b, such as one or more base stations, including but not limited to Node B, evolved Node B (eNB), etc. In some embodiments, the one or more access points 104a and 104b are one or more cellular access points. In some embodiments, the one or more access points 104a and 104b can define and / or serve one or more cells. The one or more access points 104a and 104b can then communicate with the network 106 (such as a core network) via a gateway, so that the one or more access points 104a and 104b establish a cellular radio access network, and the user equipment 102 can communicate with the network 106 through the cellular radio access network. Figure 1 The system environment 100 may include multiple different cells and / or networks or portions of such networks, including, for example, a 5G radio access network, an LTE (Long Term Evolution) radio access network, and a UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) radio access network, etc. In some example implementations, equipment and other infrastructure associated with multiple different cellular radio access networks may be located at or near structures and / or other equipment associated with a particular access point, such as one or more access points 104a and 104b.

[0110] In some implementations of the system environment 100, when a user device 102 moves from an area served by access point 104a to an area served by access point 104b, the cellular radio access network served by one or more access points 104a and 104b and any other access points in a given area are the same. The user device 102 is able to access the network 106 via a radio access network provided across one or more access points 104a and 104b. Although not shown, the system environment 100 may also include a controller associated with one or more of the access points 104a and 104b, such as a base station, to facilitate the operation of the access points 104a and 104b and the management of the user devices 102 communicating therewith. Figure 1 As shown, the system environment 100 may also include one or more wireless local area networks (WLANs), each of which may be served by a WLAN access point 108 configured to establish wireless communication with the user device 102. Figure 1 The WLAN access point shown in the solid line communicates with the network 106, or alternatively, can communicate with the network 106 via the access point shown in the dotted line (e.g., access point 104a or access point 104b). The radio access network and the core network may be composed of additional network elements such as routers, switches, servers, gateways and / or controllers.

[0111] In this regard, the implementation and / or allocation of network slices within the system environment 100 can be performed by, for example, Figure 2The apparatus 200 shown is completed. The apparatus 200 may be performed by one or more UEs (such as user equipment 102) or about Figure 1 The apparatus 200 may be embodied and / or incorporated into any other device discussed (such as access point 104a and / or 104b, one or more WLAN access points 108, and / or devices that may be combined with or otherwise associated with system environment 100). Alternatively, the apparatus 200 may be embodied by another device external to such a device. For example, the apparatus may be embodied by a computing device, such as a personal computer, a computer workstation, a server, etc., or by any of a variety of mobile computing devices, such as a mobile terminal, including but not limited to a smartphone, a tablet computer, etc.

[0112] In some embodiments, the core network of the system environment 100 may include one or more of the following network functions (NFs): authentication server function (AUSF), access and mobility management function (AMF), data network (DN) (e.g., operator service, Internet access, or third-party service), unstructured data storage function (UDSF), network exposure function (NEF), network repository function (NRF), network slice selection function (NSSF), PCF, session management function (SMF), unified data management (UDM), unified data repository (UDR), user plane function (UPF), UE radio capability management function (UCMF), application function (AF), user equipment (UE), next generation radio access network (NG-RAN), 5G equipment identity register (5G-EIR), network data analysis function (NWDAF), and charging function (CHF). The system environment may also include the following network entities: service communication proxy (SCP) and security edge protection proxy (SEPP).

[0113] Regardless of how the apparatus 200 is embodied, the apparatus 200 of the example embodiment is configured to include or otherwise communicate with the processing circuit system 202 and the memory 204. In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 is configured to additionally include or otherwise communicate with the communication interface 206. In some embodiments, the processing circuit system 202 may communicate with the memory 204 via a bus to transfer information between components of the apparatus 200. The memory 204 may be non-transitory and may include, for example, one or more volatile and / or non-volatile memories. In other words, for example, the memory 204 may be an electronic storage device (e.g., a computer-readable storage medium) that includes a gate configured to store data (e.g., bits) that can be retrieved by a machine (e.g., a computing device such as the processing circuit system 202). The memory 204 may be configured to store information, data, content, applications, instructions, etc., so that the apparatus 200 can perform various functions according to the example embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the memory 204 may be configured to buffer input data for processing by the processing circuit system 202. Additionally or alternatively, memory 204 may be configured to store instructions for execution by processing circuitry 202 .

[0114] As described above, the device 200 can be embodied by a computing device. However, in some embodiments, the device 200 can be embodied as a chip or a chipset. In other words, the device 200 may include one or more physical packages (e.g., chips), including materials, components and / or wires on a structural assembly (e.g., a substrate). The structural assembly can provide physical strength, constant size and / or limitations on electrical interactions for the component circuit systems included thereon. Therefore, in some cases, the device 200 can be configured to implement embodiments of the present disclosure on a single chip or as a single "system on a chip". Therefore, in some cases, a chip or a chipset may constitute a component for performing one or more operations to provide the functionality described herein.

[0115] The processing circuit system 202 can be implemented in a variety of different ways. For example, the processing circuit system 202 can be embodied as one or more of various hardware processing components, which include a processor, such as a coprocessor, a microprocessor, a controller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a processing element with or without an accompanying DSP, or various other processing circuit systems, which include integrated circuits, such as, for example, ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits), FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), microcontroller units (MCUs), hardware accelerators, special-purpose computer chips, etc. Therefore, in some embodiments, the processing circuit system 202 may include one or more processing cores configured to execute independently. A multi-core processor can implement multi-processing within a single physical package. Additionally or alternatively, the processing circuit system 202 may include one or more processors configured in series via a bus to implement independent execution of instructions, pipelining, and / or multithreading.

[0116] In an example embodiment, the processing circuit system 202 may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory 204 or otherwise accessible by the processing circuit system 202. Alternatively or additionally, the processing circuit system 202 may be configured to perform hard-coded functions. Therefore, whether configured by a hardware approach or a software approach, or by a combination thereof, the processing circuit system 202 may represent an entity (e.g., physically embodied in a circuit system) that is capable of performing operations according to embodiments of the present disclosure when configured accordingly. Therefore, for example, when the processing circuit system 202 is implemented as an ASIC, FPGA, etc., the processing circuit system 202 may be hardware specifically configured to perform the operations described herein. Alternatively, as another example, when the processing circuit system 202 is embodied as an executor of software instructions, the instructions may specifically configure the processing circuit system 202 to perform the algorithms and / or operations described herein when the instructions are executed. However, in some cases, the processing circuit system 202 may be a processor of a specific device (e.g., a pass-through display or a mobile terminal), which is configured to further configure the processing circuit system 202 to employ embodiments of the present disclosure by executing instructions of the algorithms and / or operations described herein. The processing circuit system 202 may include a clock, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), logic gates, etc., which are configured to support the operation of the processing circuit system 202.

[0117] The device 200 may optionally include a communication interface 206. The communication interface 206 may be any component configured to receive and / or send data from / to a network and / or any other device or module communicating with the device, such as a device or circuit system embodied in hardware or a combination of hardware and software. In this regard, for example, the communication interface 206 may include an antenna (or multiple antennas) and supporting hardware and / or software to enable communication with a wireless communication network. Additionally or alternatively, the communication interface 206 may include a circuit system for interacting with (multiple) antennas to cause signal transmission via (multiple) antennas or processing reception of signals received via (multiple) antennas. In some environments, the communication interface 206 may alternatively or additionally support wired communication. Thus, for example, the communication interface 206 may include a communication modem and / or other hardware / software to support communication via cable, digital subscriber line (DSL), universal serial bus (USB) or other mechanisms.

[0118] The following provides example transmissions between UE 102 and core network 106, which includes one or more network entities or network functions (eg, one or more network devices, one or more network components, etc.) The following example transmissions provide the required foresight steps or messaging.

[0119] In some embodiments, one or more network entities or network functions of the core network may be configured to determine whether the UE supports terminal behavior control for network registration (e.g., network slice registration). The terminal behavior control for network slice registration may be a process that enables the UE 102 to register with the communication system environment 100 by adopting at least one indication from one or more network devices of the communication system environment 100, the at least one indication indicating that the UE 102 will request at least one connection parameter of the communication system environment 200. For example, the terminal behavior control for network registration may be a process that enables the UE 102 to register with the network slice of the communication system environment 100 by adopting at least one indication from one or more network devices of the communication system environment 100, the at least one indication indicating that the UE 102 will request at least one connection parameter of the network slice. The connection parameter may be associated with an RSD, a data network name (DNN), a network slice, or another connection aspect requested by the UE 102. In some embodiments, the UE 102 may request multiple connection parameters for a single network registration. For example, in some embodiments, the UE 102 may request up to eight connection parameters (e.g., up to eight network slices) for a single network registration. In some embodiments, one or more network entities or functions of the core network may be configured to determine whether the UE supports a URSP configuration with a mandatory RSD support indication and / or a mandatory RSD indication. In some embodiments, upon receiving the URSP, the UE may store the URSP together with an indication of whether the RSD is mandatory.

[0120] In some embodiments, upon registration of a network slice, the UE may indicate support for terminal behavior control for network registration by including a mandatory RSD support indication. In some embodiments, if the UE provides a mandatory RSD support indication, the PCF may update one or more URSP rules that indicate the required processing of certain RSDs. For each parameter (e.g., for each RSD parameter), the PCF may include a mandatory RSD indication. The mandatory RSD indication may be an eight-bit byte indicator encoded in a defined manner. In some embodiments, the UE may indicate the success or failure of an update related to the association of an application with a PDU session.

[0121] Figure 3An example transmission between a UE 302, an AMF 304, and / or a PCF 306 of a communication system according to one or more embodiments for updating the URSP of the UE 302 and causing registration is illustrated. The PCF 306 may be, for example, a network entity or function of a core network of the communication system. In one or more embodiments, the UE 302 may send a message (referred to as a UE status indication message) to the PCF 306 at 1. In some embodiments, the UE 302 may send a UE status indication message to the PCF 306 via the AMF 304. In one or more embodiments, the UE status indication message may include a mandatory RSD support indication. The mandatory RSD support indication is a feature support indication that may indicate support for terminal behavior control for initiating registration (e.g., for initiating a registration process at the UE 302) to request one or more network connection parameters. Additionally or alternatively, the UE status indication message may include a UE policy part identifier (UPSI) list, one or more UE policy class tags, UE identifier information, and / or other information associated with the UE 302. The UPSI list may include the PLMN ID of the PLMN associated with the PCF 306, one or more policies of the UE 302 (including the URSP of the UE 302), and / or a UE Policy Part Code (UPSC) (which includes a unique value within the PLMN associated with the PCF 306). In addition, the PCF 306 may receive the URSP of the UE 302 from an external application function (AF). In one or more embodiments, the PCF 306 may determine the URSP of the UE 302 based on the UE status indication message. In some embodiments, the mandatory RSD support indication and / or another part of the UE status indication message may provide URSP information related to the URSP of the UE 302. The URSP may include one or more URSP rules for the UE 302.

[0122] In response to the mandatory RSD support indication in the UE status indication message, the PCF 306 or another suitable network entity of the communication system may update one or more URSP rules of the UE 302. One or more URSP rules of the URSP of the UE 302 updated by the PCF 306 may indicate the required processing of one or more RSDs. In some embodiments, one or more URSP rules that have been updated by the PCF 306 may indicate the required processing of one or more RSDs associated with the mandatory RSD support indication. For each updated URSP rule and / or associated RSD parameter, the PCF 306 may provide a mandatory RSD indication. The RSD parameter may be related to the SSC mode or another mode of the UE 302. In one or more embodiments, the PCF 306 may send a management UE policy command message to the UE 302 at 2. The management UE policy command message may be a policy command message of the UE 302. In some embodiments, the PCF 306 may send a management UE policy command message to the UE 302 via the AMF 304. In one or more embodiments, the management UE policy command message may include a mandatory RSD indication. For example, the management UE policy command message may include one or more updated URSPs of the UE and / or one or more updated URSP rules of the URSP of the UE 302. The one or more updated URSPs of the UE 302 and / or one or more updated URSP rules of the URSP may include a mandatory RSD indication. For example, the mandatory RSD indication may be an indication that causes the UE 302 to initiate registration to request at least one connection parameter of the communication network. The connection parameter may be one or more network slices, one or more PDU sessions, and / or one or more other aspects of the communication network. Additionally or alternatively, the management UE policy command message may include a UE policy selection management list. In various embodiments, in response to receiving the management UE policy command message, the UE 302 may initiate registration to request at least one connection parameter of the communication system (e.g., via one or more network slices, via one or more PDU sessions, via one or more core networks, via AMF 304, etc.) based on the mandatory RSD indication and / or the UE policy selection management list included in the management UE policy command message.

[0123] In one or more embodiments, the UE 302 may send a Manage UE Policy Complete message to the PCF 306 at 3. In some embodiments, the UE 302 may send a Manage UE Policy Complete message to the PCF 306 via the AMF 304. In one or more embodiments, the Manage UE Policy Complete message may include an indication of success or failure related to the registration of the UE 302 and may cause a subsequent (re)registration with the communication network. For example, in one or more implementations, the Manage UE Policy Complete message may include an indication of success or failure related to the registration of the UE 302 to the network slice or the establishment of a PDU session for the UE 302. In one or more embodiments, the Manage UE Policy Complete message may include a confirmation that the UE 302 is configured to provide an updated association of an application with a PDU session. For example, the Manage UE Policy Complete message may include an indication of success or failure of an update related to the association of an application with a PDU session.

[0124] In some embodiments, RSD can be configured to include mandatory RSD support indication. For example, in some embodiments, alternatively, mandatory RSD support indication can be included as a part for one or more RSDs in the URSP rule. In some embodiments, each routing descriptor component can be encoded as a sequence of eight-bit bytes of an eight-bit byte routing descriptor component type identifier, routing descriptor component value field and / or indication RSD whether it is mandatory. For example, the routing descriptor component type identifier can be sent before the routing descriptor component value field and / or indication RSD whether it is mandatory eight-bit byte.

[0125] In one or more embodiments, based on the mandatory RSD indication included in the management UE policy command message, the UE 302 may register with the communication system (e.g., AMF 304, PCF 306, and / or one or more other network devices) via registration at 4. For example, based on the mandatory RSD indication included in the management UE policy command message, the UE 302 may register with one or more network slices of the communication system.

[0126] Figure 4An example URSP rule 400 is illustrated in accordance with one or more embodiments. The URSP rule 400 includes one or more octets encoded in a defined format of the URSP rule 400. For example, the URSP rule 400 may include a first octet range 402 associated with the length of the URSP rule 400, a second octet range 404 associated with a priority value of the URSP rule 400, a third octet range 406 associated with the length of the traffic descriptor, a fourth octet range 408 associated with the traffic descriptor, a fifth octet range 410 associated with the length of the routing descriptor list, and / or a sixth octet range 412 associated with the routing descriptor list.

[0127] Figure 5 An example routing descriptor 500 is illustrated in accordance with one or more embodiments. In some embodiments, the routing descriptor 500 may be a routing descriptor included in a routing descriptor list associated with the sixth octet range 412 of the URSP rule 400. The routing descriptor 500 includes one or more octets encoded in a defined format of the routing descriptor 500. For example, the routing descriptor 500 may include a first octet range 502 associated with the length of the routing descriptor 500, a second octet range 504 associated with a priority value of the routing descriptor 500, a third octet range 506 associated with the length of the routing descriptor content, a fourth octet range 508 associated with the routing descriptor content, and / or a fifth octet range 510 associated with a mandatory RSD indication.

[0128] In some embodiments, URSP rules may be configured to include mandatory RSD support indications. For example, in some embodiments, mandatory RSD support indications may be included as part of individual URSP rules. In addition, mandatory RSD support indications may be applied to one or more routing descriptors present in a specific URSP rule.

[0129] In some embodiments, each URSP rule may be encoded as a list of sequence service descriptors, routing descriptors, and / or an octet with a mandatory RSD indication. The mandatory RSD may indicate and / or instruct backward compatible processing (e.g., UE 302 may adopt a URSP rule with a "match all" service descriptor). The mandatory RSD may additionally or alternatively indicate and / or instruct that the RSD is mandatory (e.g., the application must adopt one of the RSDs in the URSP rule). If no S-NSSAI is included in the allowed NSSAI list, the mandatory RSD may additionally or alternatively trigger network slice registration. The mandatory RSD may additionally or alternatively indicate and / or instruct that the RSD is preferred, but the UE may use another RSD from another non-default URSP rule that matches the service descriptor. Otherwise, network slice registration may be triggered. A mandatory RSD may additionally or alternatively indicate and / or instruct other information associated with the RSD.

[0130] Figure 6 An example URSP rule 600 is illustrated in accordance with one or more embodiments. The URSP rule 600 includes one or more octets encoded in a defined format of the URSP rule 600. For example, the URSP rule 600 may include a first octet range 602 associated with the length of the URSP rule 600, a second octet range 604 associated with a priority value of the URSP rule 600, a third octet 606 associated with the length of the traffic descriptor, a fourth octet 608 associated with the traffic descriptor, a fifth octet 610 associated with the length of the routing descriptor list, a sixth octet indicator 612 associated with the routing descriptor list, and / or a seventh octet indicator 614 associated with a mandatory RSD indication.

[0131] In some embodiments, UE 302 may adopt an MCS UE configuration. For example, in some embodiments, UE 302 may be pre-configured with and / or may be provided with an MCS UE configuration that includes an S-NSSAI of the MCS. Additionally or alternatively, UE 302 may provide an indication of whether the S-NSSAI is a default S-NSSAI. In various embodiments, UE 302 may evaluate one or more URSP rules updated by PFC 306. When UE 302 evaluates one or more URSP rules, if the RSD of the URSP rule includes an S-NSSAI associated with an indication that the S-NSSAI is a default S-NSSAI, UE 302 may initiate registration (e.g., initiate a registration process) to request the S-NSSAI from the communication network (e.g., if the S-NSSAI is not yet included in the allowed NSSAI).

[0132] In some embodiments, special application requests are executed via a specific network slice. For example, a mission critical push-to-talk (MCPTT) application is typically executed by a public safety network slice (e.g., identified by S-NSSAI X).

[0133] In some embodiments, S-NSSAI X is not included in the allowed NSSAIs of UE 302. For example, in some embodiments, UE 302 does not request S-NSSAI X during the registration process. In another example, even if UE 302 requests S-NSSAI X, the communication network may reject the request for S-NSSAI X during the registration process. In such an embodiment, even if UE 302 can identify one or more matching non-default URSP rules (e.g., URSP rules with a traffic descriptor matching the MCPTT application), if the RSD of the URSP rule includes S-NSSAI X, UE 302 cannot successfully establish a PDU session. Therefore, in some embodiments, UE 302 may be configured to initiate registration to request S-NSSAI X by adding at least one indication in the UE's URSP that causes the UE to initiate registration to request S-NSSAI X.

[0134] In some embodiments, a mode for mission-critical services (e.g., MC mode operation) may be defined for UE 302. When configured with MC mode operation, UE 302 may request one or more default MC S-NSSAIs and / or may be granted authorization for one or more default MC S-NSSAIs. In some embodiments, if it is determined that access identity 2 is valid for UE 302, it may be determined that UE 302 is configured with MC mode operation (e.g., as defined in Section 4.5.2 of 3GPP TS24.501). In other words, UE 302 may determine whether UE 302 is to request (multiple) default S-NSSAIs of the communication network based on the validity of the access identifier of the mission-critical service in the communication network. In addition, if the communication network indicates that the access identifier of the mission-critical service is valid for UE 302, the communication network may be configured to include (multiple) default S-NSSAIs in the allowed NSSAIs (e.g., even if UE 302 does not request (multiple) default S-SSAIs).

[0135] If one or more default MC S-NSSAIs are not granted authorization (e.g., even if the UE 302 requests one or more default MC S-NSSAIs), the UE 302 configured with MC mode operation may attempt to select a different communication network and / or a different network slice. Alternatively, if the UE 302 is unable to identify a communication network and / or network slice that supports one or more default MC S-NSSAIs (e.g., by performing network selection in consideration of rejected NSSAIs), the UE 302 may send an indication to an upper layer of a protocol stack of the UE 302 and / or the communication network that MC mode is not available, so that a user associated with the UE 302 may be notified that MC services are not available or that MC services may be provided on a dynamic basis.

[0136] Figure 7A flowchart depicting a method 700 according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart and the combination of blocks in the flowchart can be implemented in various ways, such as hardware, firmware, processors, circuit systems, and / or other communication devices associated with the execution of software including one or more computer program instructions. For example, one or more of the above-mentioned processes can be embodied by computer program instructions. In this regard, the computer program instructions embodying the above-mentioned processes can be stored, for example, by the memory 204 of the device 200 adopting an embodiment of the present disclosure, and executed by the processing circuit system 202. As will be understood, any such computer program instructions can be loaded onto a computer or other programmable device (e.g., hardware) to produce a machine so that the resulting computer or other programmable device implements the functions specified in the flowchart blocks. These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable memory, which can instruct a computer or other programmable device to operate in a specific manner so that the instructions stored in the computer programmable memory produce a product, the execution of which implements the functions specified in the flowchart blocks. Computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus to cause a series of operations to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions executed in the computer or other programmable apparatus provide operations for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart block.

[0137] Therefore, the blocks of the flow chart support the combination of components for performing the specified functions and the combination of operations for performing the specified functions. It will also be understood that one or more blocks of the flow chart and the combination of blocks in the flow chart can be implemented by a computer system based on special-purpose hardware that performs the specified functions, or a combination of special-purpose hardware and computer instructions.

[0138] Reference now Figure 7 According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the operation of method 700 may be performed by Figure 2 The apparatus 200 of the method 700 is executed to provide terminal behavior control of network registration in the communication network. For example, the apparatus 200 that can perform the operation of the method 700 can be implemented in the UE 302. Figure 7 As shown in block 702 of FIG. 1 , the apparatus 200 includes components configured to register the UE 302 with the communication network and receive the allowed NSSAI, such as the processing circuit system 202, the memory 204, etc. In some embodiments, the memory 204 of the apparatus 200 may store computer program instructions that, when executed by the processing circuit system 202, cause the apparatus 200 to perform the operations depicted in block 702 (i.e., register the UE 302 with the communication network and receive the allowed NSSAI). The communication network may be a 5G system or other type of communication network. For example, the UE may be Figure 3UE 302 is shown. In some embodiments, during registration, the UE may request a number of S-NSSAIs for use by the UE. For example, the UE may send the requested NSSAI to the communication network via a registration request message. In response, the communication network may provide the allowed NSSAI (e.g., the set of S-NSSAIs authorized for use by the UE) in a registration response message.

[0139] like Figure 7 As shown in block 704 of the apparatus 200, the apparatus 200 also includes a component configured to receive a request to provide PDU session information, such as a processing circuit system 202, a memory 204, etc. In some embodiments, the memory 204 of the apparatus 200 may store computer program instructions that, when executed by the processing circuit system 202, cause the apparatus 200 to perform the operations depicted in block 704. In some embodiments, after the UE registers with the communication network, a request to provide PDU session information may be received. The request for PDU session information may be received in response to the launch of an application at the UE. For example, when an application is launched at the UE, the application layer of the UE may request the lower layer of the protocol stack of the UE to provide PDU session information.

[0140] like Figure 7 As shown in block 706 of the apparatus 200, the apparatus 200 also includes a component configured to determine PDU session attributes using URSP and / or MRS UE configuration, such as processing circuit system 202, memory 204, etc. In some embodiments, the memory 204 of the apparatus 200 may store computer program instructions that, when executed by the processing circuit system 202, cause the apparatus 200 to perform the operations depicted in block 706. In some embodiments, before sending a request to establish a PDU session, the UE determines the attributes of the PDU session to be requested. For example, for a PDU session establishment request, the UE may specify the requested attributes of the PDU session (e.g., S-NSSAI, data network name, IP multimedia subsystem information, network information, Internet information, etc.). The URSP may regulate how the UE sets the PDU session attributes in the PDU session establishment request. In various embodiments, a PCF (e.g., PCF 306) of a core network of the communication network may provide a URSP. The URSP may include one or more URSP rules. The corresponding URSP rules may include a service descriptor and / or an RSD. The traffic descriptor may include application information (eg, application ID) of the application, and the RSD may include one or more PDU session attributes.

[0141] like Figure 7As shown in block 708 of the apparatus 200, the apparatus 200 also includes a component configured to request a PDU session establishment with the determined PUD session attributes, such as the processing circuit system 202, the memory 204, etc. In some embodiments, the memory 204 of the apparatus 200 may store computer program instructions that, when executed by the processing circuit system 202, cause the apparatus 200 to perform the operations depicted in block 708. For example, the communication network sublayer of the UE may request a PDU session establishment with the determined PUD session attributes. In some embodiments, the request for the PDU session establishment may be provided using the RSD of the URSP rule and the service descriptor matching the application.

[0142] like Figure 7 As shown in block 710 of the apparatus 200, the apparatus 200 also includes a component configured to provide PDU session information to the application, such as the processing circuit system 202, the memory 204, etc. In some embodiments, the memory 204 of the apparatus 200 may store computer program instructions that, when executed by the processing circuit system 202, cause the apparatus 200 to perform the operations depicted in block 710. For example, the communication network sublayer of the UE may provide the PDU session information to the application. The PDU session information may include an IP address and / or other PDU session information. In some embodiments, after the PDU session is successfully established, the PDU session information may be provided to one or more upper layers of the UE.

[0143] Figure 8A flowchart describing a method 800 according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart and the combination of blocks in the flowchart can be implemented in various ways, such as hardware, firmware, processors, circuit systems, and / or other communication devices associated with the execution of software including one or more computer program instructions. For example, one or more of the above-mentioned processes can be embodied by computer program instructions. In this regard, the computer program instructions embodying the above-mentioned processes can be stored, for example, by the memory 204 of the device 200 adopting an embodiment of the present disclosure, and executed by the processing circuit system 202. As will be understood, any such computer program instructions can be loaded onto a computer or other programmable device (e.g., hardware) to produce a machine so that the resulting computer or other programmable device implements the functions specified in the flowchart blocks. These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable memory, which can instruct a computer or other programmable device to operate in a specific manner so that the instructions stored in the computer programmable memory produce a product, the execution of which implements the functions specified in the flowchart blocks. Computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus to cause a series of operations to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions executed in the computer or other programmable apparatus provide operations for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart block.

[0144] Therefore, the blocks of the flow chart support the combination of components for performing the specified functions and the combination of operations for performing the specified functions. It will also be understood that one or more blocks of the flow chart and the combination of blocks in the flow chart can be implemented by a computer system based on special-purpose hardware that performs the specified functions, or a combination of special-purpose hardware and computer instructions.

[0145] Reference now Figure 8 ,when Figure 2 When the device 200 is part of the core network, Figure 2 The device 200 may implement or include one or more network entities or network functions of the core network, including Figure 3 AMF 304 and / or PCF 306 as shown. Figure 8As shown in block 802 of , the apparatus 200 includes a component configured to send a URSP of the UE to the UE, such as a processing circuit system 202, a memory 204, etc., and the URSP of the UE includes at least one indication for causing the UE to initiate registration to request at least one connection parameter of the communication network. At least one indication may be an RSD support indication, such as, for example, a mandatory RSD support indication. In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 (such as the processing circuit system 202) may be configured to configure at least one indication as an RSD indication in at least one RSD of a URSP rule of the URSP. In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 (such as the processing circuit system 202) may be configured to configure at least one indication as an RSD indication of all routing descriptors (RSDs) in the URSP rule of the URSP of the UE. In some embodiments, the connection parameters may include a network slice. In some embodiments, the connection parameters may include a network slice parameter of a network slice. In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 (such as the processing circuit system 202) may be configured to encode at least one indication into the URSP of the UE. In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 (such as the processing circuitry 202) may be configured to encode at least one indication into the RSD of the URSP rule of the URSP of the UE.

[0146] like Figure 8 As shown in block 804 of , the apparatus 200 further includes a component configured to initiate UE registration based on at least one indication, such as the processing circuit system 202, the memory 204, etc. In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 (such as the processing circuit system 202) may be configured to initiate registration of the UE based on at least one indication to request a network slice. In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 (such as the processing circuit system 202) may be configured to initiate establishment of a PDU session based on at least one indication.

[0147] In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 (such as the processing circuit system 202) may be configured to send a policy command message to the UE. The policy command message may include at least a URSP of the UE, the URSP including at least one indication. In some embodiments, the URSP of the UE included in the policy command message may additionally or alternatively include one or more URSP rules, the URSP rule including at least one indication.

[0148] In some embodiments, apparatus 200 (such as processing circuitry 202) may be configured to configure a URSP having at least one indication in response to receipt of a message from a UE.

[0149] In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 (such as the processing circuit system 202) may be configured to receive a UE status indication message from the UE. The UE status indication message may include at least. In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 (such as the processing circuit system 202) may be configured to configure the URSP to include at least one indication in response to receiving the UE status indication message.

[0150] In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 (such as the processing circuit system 202) may be configured to send a management UE policy command message to the UE. The management UE policy command message may include at least a UE policy part management list of the UE. In addition, the UE policy part management list may include a URSP including at least one indication.

[0151] In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 (such as the processing circuit system 202) may be configured to receive a manage UE policy complete message from the UE. The manage UE policy complete message may include an indication of success or failure associated with the UE's registration with the communication network. The indication of success associated with initiating the UE's registration with the communication network may indicate that the UE successfully registered to the network slice included in at least one connection parameter requested by the UE. The indication of failure associated with initiating the UE's registration with the communication network may indicate that the UE did not successfully register to the network slice included in at least one connection parameter requested by the UE.

[0152] In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 (such as the processing circuit system 202) may be configured to receive a UE status indication message from the UE. The UE status indication message may include at least an RSD support indication of the network device. In addition, in some embodiments, the apparatus 200 (such as the processing circuit system 202) may be configured to configure a URSP having at least one indication in response to the UE status indication message.

[0153] In some embodiments, the memory 204 of the apparatus 200 may store computer program instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry 202 , cause the apparatus 200 to perform the operations of the method 800 .

[0154] Fig. 9A flowchart describing a method 900 according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart and the combination of blocks in the flowchart can be implemented in various ways, such as hardware, firmware, processors, circuit systems, and / or other communication devices associated with the execution of software including one or more computer program instructions. For example, one or more of the above-mentioned processes can be embodied by computer program instructions. In this regard, the computer program instructions embodying the above-mentioned processes can be stored, for example, by the memory 204 of the device 200 adopting an embodiment of the present disclosure, and executed by the processing circuit system 202. As will be understood, any such computer program instructions can be loaded onto a computer or other programmable device (e.g., hardware) to produce a machine so that the resulting computer or other programmable device implements the functions specified in the flowchart blocks. These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable memory, which can instruct a computer or other programmable device to operate in a specific manner so that the instructions stored in the computer programmable memory produce a product, the execution of which implements the functions specified in the flowchart blocks. Computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus to cause a series of operations to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions executed in the computer or other programmable apparatus provide operations for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart blocks.

[0155] Therefore, the blocks of the flow chart support the combination of components for performing the specified functions and the combination of operations for performing the specified functions. It will also be understood that one or more blocks of the flow chart and the combination of blocks in the flow chart can be implemented by a computer system based on special-purpose hardware that performs the specified functions, or a combination of special-purpose hardware and computer instructions.

[0156] Reference now Fig. 9 According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a method such as Figure 2 The apparatus 200 performs operations to provide terminal behavior control for network registration performed by the UE. Fig. 9 As shown in block 902 of , the apparatus 200 includes a component configured to receive a URSP of a UE sent by a core network, such as a processing circuit system 202, a memory 204, etc., the URSP of the UE including at least one indication of at least one connection parameter of the communication network that the UE will request. At least one indication may be an RSD indication, such as, for example, a mandatory RSD indication. In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 (such as the processing circuit system 202) may be configured to receive at least one indication via a management UE policy command message sent by the core network. In some embodiments, the connection parameters may include a network slice. In some embodiments, receiving includes receiving one or more URSP rules, the URSP rule including at least one indication of the UE.

[0157] like Fig. 9 As shown in block 904 of , the apparatus 200 also includes a component configured to initiate registration based on at least one indication to request at least one connection parameter of the communication network, such as the processing circuit system 202, the memory 204, etc. In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 (such as the processing circuit system 202) may be configured to register the UE with the communication network using the at least one connection parameter. In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 (such as the processing circuit system 202) may be configured to establish a PDU session based on at least one indication. In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 (such as the processing circuit system 202) may be configured to initiate registration in response to receipt of at least one indication. In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 (such as the processing circuit system 202) may be configured to initiate registration upon detecting a request to establish a PDU session for an application associated with the UE.

[0158] like Fig. 9 As shown in block 906 of , apparatus 200 further includes components, such as processing circuit system 202, memory 204, etc., configured to initiate another registration to request at least one connection parameter of the communication network using another matching RSD of the URSP in response to a failure associated with initiating a registration to request at least one connection parameter of the communication network. In some embodiments, apparatus 200 (such as processing circuit system 202) may be configured to initiate another registration based on a respective priority value assigned to the RSD of the URSP.

[0159] In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 (such as the processing circuit system 202) may be configured to send a UE status indication message to a core network of the communication network. The UE status indication message may include at least a feature support indication of the UE, the feature support indication indicating that the UE can initiate registration based on at least one indication.

[0160] In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 (such as the processing circuit system 202) may be configured to send a UE status indication message to a network device of the communication network. The UE status indication message may include at least an RSD support indication of the UE.

[0161] In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 (such as the processing circuitry 202) may be configured to receive a UE policy portion management list. The UE policy portion management list may include a URSP of the UE.

[0162] In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 (such as the processing circuit system 202) may be configured to send a manage UE policy complete message to a core network of the communication network. The manage UE policy complete message may include an indication of success or failure associated with initiating the registration of the UE with the communication network. The indication of success associated with initiating the registration of the UE with the communication network may indicate that the UE successfully registered to the network slice included in at least one connection parameter requested by the UE. The indication of failure associated with initiating the registration of the UE with the communication network may indicate that the UE did not successfully register to the network slice included in at least one connection parameter requested by the UE.

[0163] In some embodiments, the memory 204 of the apparatus 200 may store computer program instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry 202 , cause the apparatus 200 to perform the operations of the method 900 .

[0164] As mentioned above, Figure 7-Figure 9 200 and / or according to a computer program product. Therefore, in the case where computer program instructions (such as computer readable program code portions) are stored by at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium, a computer program product is defined, wherein the computer program instructions (such as computer readable program code portions) are configured to perform the above functions when executed, such as, for example, in combination with Figure 3 Communication flow chart or as Figure 1 In other embodiments, the computer program instructions (such as computer readable program code portions) need not be stored or otherwise embodied by a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, but may be embodied by a transient medium, where the computer program instructions (such as computer readable program code portions) are still configured to perform the above-described functions when executed.

[0165] Therefore, the blocks of the flow chart support the combination of components for performing the specified functions and the combination of operations for performing the specified functions. It will also be understood that one or more blocks of the flow chart and the combination of blocks in the flow chart can be implemented by a computer system based on special-purpose hardware that performs the specified functions, or a combination of special-purpose hardware and computer instructions.

[0166] In some embodiments, some of the operations described above may be modified or further amplified. In addition, in some embodiments, additional optional operations may be included. The modification, addition or amplification of the operations described above may be performed in any order and in any combination.

[0167] Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art having benefit of the teachings given in the foregoing description and the associated drawings. Therefore, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are used herein, they are used only in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims

1. A method comprising: Receiving, by a user equipment (UE), a UE routing policy (URSP) of the UE sent by a core network of a communication network, the URSP of the UE comprising: at least one indication that the UE will initiate registration with the communication network to request at least one connection parameter of the communication network; and The UE initiates registration with the communication network based on the at least one indication to request the at least one connection parameter of the communication network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the connection parameters comprises a network slice.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, further comprising: The UE sends a message to the core network of the communication network, wherein the message includes at least a feature support indication of the UE, The feature support indication indicates that the UE is capable of initiating registration based on the at least one indication. 4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the URSP comprises one or more URSP rules, the one or more URSP rules comprising the at least one indication of the UE.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said initiating said registration comprises: The UE sends a request for the at least one connection parameter of the communication network to the core network.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the initiating the registration to the communication network comprises: Initiate a protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment to establish a protocol data unit (PDU) session.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said initiating said registration comprises: In response to receiving the URSP including the at least one indication, the registration is initiated.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the initiating the registration to the communication network comprises: The registration is initiated with the communication network upon detecting a request to establish a PDU session for an application associated with the UE.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising: In response to a failure associated with the initiating registration with the communication network, another registration is initiated with the communication network using a routing descriptor (RSD) of the URSP of the UE that matches a URSP rule.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising: In response to a failure associated with initiating the registration with the communication network, initiating another registration with the communication network using another RSD of the URSP of the UE.

11. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 8, further comprising: In response to a failure associated with initiating the registration with the communication network, initiating another registration with the communication network using another network slice included in the at least one connection parameter.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising: Another registration is initiated with the communication network based on a priority value of a routing descriptor (RSD) assigned to a URSP rule of the URSP.

13. An apparatus comprising processing circuitry, and at least one memory comprising computer program code instructions configured, when executed by the processing circuitry, to cause the apparatus to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

15. An apparatus comprising: means for receiving, by a user equipment (UE), a UE routing policy (URSP) for the UE sent by a core network, the URSP for the UE comprising: at least one indication that the UE will initiate registration to request at least one connection parameter of a communication network; and Means for initiating registration with the communication network based on the at least one indication to request the connection parameters of the communication network.

16. A method comprising: A UE routing policy (URSP) of a user equipment (UE) is sent by a core network to the UE, wherein the URSP of the UE includes at least one indication for the UE to initiate registration to request at least one connection parameter of a communication network.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising: The at least one indication is configured as a routing descriptor (RSD) indication in one or more RSDs of a URSP rule of the URSP.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising: The at least one indication is configured as a routing descriptor (RSD) indication in a URSP rule of the URSP.

19. A method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein the connection parameters include a network slice.

20. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 19, further comprising: The core network sends a policy command message to the UE, wherein the policy command message includes at least the URSP of the UE, and the URSP includes the at least one indication.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the URSP included in the policy command message comprises one or more URSP rules, the one or more URSP rules comprising the at least one indication.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising: In response to receiving a message from the UE, configuring the URSP with the at least one indication.

23. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 22, further comprising: A manage UE policy complete message is received from the UE, wherein the manage UE policy complete message includes an indication of success or failure associated with registration of the UE with the communication network.

24. The method of claim 16, further comprising: The at least one indication is encoded into the URSP of the UE.

25. The method of claim 16, further comprising: The at least one indication is encoded into a routing descriptor (RSD) of a URSP rule of the URSP of the UE.

26. The method of claim 16, further comprising: receiving a UE status indication message from the UE, wherein the UE status indication message includes at least a feature support indication of the UE, the feature support indication indicating whether the UE can initiate registration based on the at least one indication; as well as In response to receiving the UE status indication message, configuring the URSP to include the at least one indication.

27. An apparatus comprising processing circuitry, and at least one memory comprising computer program code instructions configured, when executed by the processing circuitry, to cause the apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 16 to 26.

28. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions for performing the method according to any one of claims 16 to 26.

29. An apparatus comprising: Means for sending, by a core network, a UE routing policy (URSP) for a user equipment (UE) to the UE, the URSP for the UE comprising at least one indication indicating that the UE will initiate a registration to request at least one connection parameter of a communication network.

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