Multiple payloads in non-access stratum communications

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to multiple payloads in non-access stratum communications. At least one apparatus configured to perform the following is provided. The apparatus receives a downlink (DL) non-access stratum (NAS) transmission message including a plurality of payload containers. The plurality of payload containers includes a User Equipment Parameter Update (UPU) transparent container and one or more non-UPU payload containers. The UPU transparent container includes a re-registration (REG) flag having a truth value indicating a re-registration of the requesting device. The apparatus sends the plurality of payload containers to respective upper layers for processing. The apparatus triggers a re-registration upon detecting completion of one or more respective processes associated with the one or more non-UPU payload containers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various example embodiments relate to wireless communications. Background Art

[0002] The Non-Access Stratum (NAS) is a functional layer in the wireless telecommunication protocol stack between the Core Network (CN) and the User Equipment (UE). NAS is used to manage the establishment of communication sessions and to maintain continuous communication with the User Equipment when the User Equipment moves. The NAS transmission procedure is used, for example, to enable the transmission of payloads between the UE and the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF). The type of payload is identified by the Payload Container Type Information Element (IE) in the NAS transmission message. One of the possible payload types is "Multiple Payloads", which enables more than one payload to be transmitted using the NAS transmission procedure. However, it is not straightforward to enable the transmission of multiple payloads in the downlink direction, because some combinations of the transmitted Payload Container IEs may be substantially incompatible with each other, resulting in an undesirable stop of some requested actions (e.g., a requested positioning action). Summary of the invention

[0003] According to one aspect, the subject matter of the independent claims is provided. Embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

[0004] One or more examples of implementations are set forth in more detail in the drawings and the description that follows. Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] Figure 1 shows a system in which some embodiments may be applied;

[0006] Figure 2 A signaling scenario between a UE and a core network entity is shown to illustrate the problems of the prior art;

[0007] Figure 3 shows a process according to an embodiment;

[0008] Figure 4 shows signaling between a UE and a core network entity according to an embodiment;

[0009] Figure 5 shows a process according to an embodiment; and

[0010] Figure 6 An apparatus according to some embodiments is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] The following embodiments are given as examples only. Although this specification may refer to "one", "an" or "some" embodiments and / or examples in several places in the text, this does not necessarily mean that each reference is to the same embodiment or example, or that a particular feature applies only to a single embodiment and / or example. Individual features of different embodiments and / or examples may also be combined to provide other embodiments and / or examples.

[0012] As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and at least one of the following ” and similar expressions, wherein a list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”, refer to at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0013] As used herein, the term “upper layer” may refer to a functional layer higher than the NAS layer.

[0014] In the following, different exemplary embodiments will be described using a radio access architecture based on Advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-Advanced, LTE-A) or New Radio (NR, 5G) as an example of an access architecture to which the embodiments may be applied, without however limiting the embodiments to such an architecture. It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that the embodiments may also be applied to other kinds of communication networks with appropriate means by appropriately adapting the parameters and procedures. Some examples of other options for suitable systems are Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Radio Access Network (UTRAN or E-UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE, same as E-UTRA), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN or WiFi), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Personal Communications Service (PCS), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), systems using Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology, sensor networks, mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), and Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), or any combination thereof.

[0015] Figure 1 An example of a simplified system architecture is depicted showing only some elements and functional entities which are all logical units, the implementation of which may differ from what is shown. Figure 1 The connections shown in are logical connections; the actual physical connections may be different. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the system typically includes in addition to Figure 1 Other functions and structures than those shown.

[0016] However, the embodiments are not limited to the system given as an example, but a person skilled in the art may apply the solution to other communication systems having the necessary characteristics.

[0017] Figure 1 The example of FIG. 1 shows a portion of an exemplary radio access network.

[0018] The communication system usually includes more than (e / g) NodeB, in which case, (e / g) NodeB can also be configured to communicate with each other through wired or wireless links designed for this purpose. These links can be used for signaling purposes. (e / g) NodeB is a computing device configured to control the radio resources of the communication system to which it is coupled. Node B can also be referred to as a base station, an access point or any other type of interface device including a relay station capable of operating in a wireless environment. (e / g) NodeB includes or is coupled to a transceiver. From the transceiver of the (e / g) NodeB, a connection to an antenna unit is provided, which establishes a bidirectional radio link to a user equipment. The antenna unit may include multiple antennas or antenna elements. (e / g) NodeB is further connected to a core network 110 (CN or next generation core NGC). According to the system, the counterpart on the CN side may be a service gateway (S-GW, routing and forwarding user data packets), a packet data network gateway (P-GW), or a mobile management entity (MME) etc. for providing a connection of a user equipment (UE) to an external packet data network.

[0019] The core network 110 may include an access and mobility management function (AMF). AMF is a control plane function that performs access and mobility management for terminal devices 100, 102. Other functions implemented on the AMF may include, for example, device registration, policy enforcement, session management, user plane function selection, subscriber data management, security management, network slicing, network integration, control plane management, fault management, policy control, location management and / or network optimization. The AMF may be connected to one or more clients for implementing the functions.

[0020] The core network 110 may include an authentication server function (AUSF) and a unified data management (UDM) network function. The AUSF and UDM network functions manage user data together. For example, the AUSF may be configured to implement authentication functions for identifying terminal devices and for providing and storing authentication keys. The UDM network function may be configured to manage data for access authorization, user registration, and / or data network profiles.

[0021] In some embodiments, the core network 110 may include a location management function (LMF) and include or be connected to a location service (LCS) client. The LMF is a network entity for providing positioning functions. For example, the LMF may be configured to receive measurement and assistance information from a radio access network (RAN) and one or more terminal devices via an AMF for determining the location of one or more terminal devices (i.e., UE). The LCS client may be configured to request the LMF to locate the terminal device.

[0022] In some embodiments, the core network 110 may include an unrewritten air system network function (UAS-NF). The UASNF may be configured to provide UAS-specific network exposure function (NEF) services to NF service consumers (e.g., AMF). For example, these services may include unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) authentication / authorization, UAV flight authorization, UAV-UAVC (UAV controller) pairing authorization, UAV tracking, and / or control of quality of service (QoS) / traffic filtering for C2 communications.

[0023] User equipment (also referred to as UE, user device, user terminal, terminal device, etc.) shows a type of device to which resources on the air interface are allocated and assigned, and therefore any features described herein using user equipment can be implemented using corresponding devices such as relay nodes. An example of such a relay node is a layer 3 relay (self-backhaul relay) towards a base station. User equipment may include a mobile device and at least one universal integrated circuit card (UICC).

[0024] A user device generally refers to a portable computing device, including wireless mobile communication devices that operate with or without a subscriber identity module (SIM) or UICC, including but not limited to the following types of devices: mobile stations (mobile phones), smart phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handsets, devices using wireless modems (alarm or measuring devices, etc.), laptop and / or touch screen computers, tablet computers, game consoles, notebooks, and multimedia devices. It should be understood that a user device may also be a device that provides almost only uplink, an example of which is a camera or video camera that loads images or video clips to a network. A user device may also be a device with the ability to operate in an Internet of Things (IoT) network, an IoT network being a scenario in which objects are provided with the ability to transmit data on a network without human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. A user device (or in some embodiments, a layer 3 relay node) is configured to perform one or more of the user device functions. A user device may also be referred to as a subscriber unit, a mobile station, a remote terminal, an access terminal, a user terminal, or a user equipment (UE), to mention only a few names or devices.

[0025] The different techniques described herein can also be applied to Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) (systems of computing elements that coordinate the control of physical entities). CPS enables the implementation and development of a large number of interconnected ICT devices (sensors, actuators, processors microcontrollers, etc.) embedded in physical objects at different locations. Mobile Cyber-Physical Systems, where the physical systems discussed have inherent mobility, are a subcategory of Cyber-Physical Systems. Examples of mobile physical systems include mobile robots and electronic devices transported by humans or animals.

[0026] It should be understood that Figure 1 In the figure, for the sake of clarity, the user equipment is depicted as comprising 2 antennas. The number of receiving and / or transmitting antennas may naturally vary according to the current implementation.

[0027] Furthermore, although an apparatus has been depicted as a single entity, different units, processors and / or memory units may be implemented (in Figure 1 Not all are shown).

[0028] 5G allows the use of multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antennas, more base stations or nodes than LTE (the so-called small cell concept), including macro sites operating in cooperative operation with smaller stations and adopting various radio technologies according to service needs, use cases and / or available spectrum. 5G mobile communications support a wide range of use cases and related applications, including video streaming, augmented reality, different data sharing methods and various forms of machine-type applications, including vehicle safety, different sensors and real-time control. 5G is expected to have multiple radio interfaces, namely below 6GHz, cmWave and mmWave, and can also be integrated with existing traditional wireless access technologies, such as LTE. At least in the early stages, the integration with LTE can be implemented as a system in which macro coverage is provided by LTE and 5G radio interface access comes from small cells by aggregation to LTE. In other words, 5G is planned to support inter-RAT operability (such as LTE-5G) and inter-RI operability (inter-radio interface operability, such as below 6GHz-cmWave, below 6GHz-cmWave-mmWave). One of the concepts considered for use in 5G networks is network slicing, in which multiple independent and dedicated virtual subnetworks (network instances) can be created within the same infrastructure to run services with different requirements for latency, reliability, throughput and mobility.

[0029] The current architecture in LTE networks is completely distributed in the radio and completely concentrated in the core network. Low-latency applications and services in 5G require content to be close to the radio, which leads to local interruptions and multi-access edge computing (MEC). 5G enables analysis and knowledge generation to occur at the data source. The method requires the use of resources that may not be continuously connected to the network, such as laptops, smart phones, tablet computers and sensors. MEC provides a distributed computing environment for application and service hosting. It also has the ability to store and process content near cellular subscribers to obtain faster response times. Edge computing covers a wide variety of technologies, such as wireless sensor networks, mobile data collection, mobile signature analysis, collaborative distributed peer-to-peer self-organizing networking and processing, which can also be classified as local cloud / fog computing and grid / grid computing, dew computing, mobile edge computing, cloud gathering, distributed data storage and retrieval, autonomous self-healing networks, remote cloud services, augmented and virtual reality, data caching, Internet of Things (large-scale connectivity and / or latency critical), critical communications (autonomous vehicles, traffic safety, real-time analysis, time-critical control, medical applications).

[0030] The communication system can also communicate with other networks, such as the public switched telephone network or the Internet 112, or utilize services provided by them. The communication network can also support the use of cloud services, for example, at least a portion of the core network operations can be performed as a cloud service (this is in the Figure 1 114). The communication system may also include a central control entity or the like, which provides facilities for networks of different operators to collaborate, for example in spectrum sharing.

[0031] The edge cloud can be brought to the RAN using network function virtualization (NVF) and software defined networking (SDN). Using edge cloud can mean that access node operations are at least partially performed in a server, host or node that is operatively coupled to a remote radio head or unit (RU) or a base station including a radio portion. Node operations may also be distributed between multiple servers, nodes or hosts. The application of cloud RAN architecture enables RAN real-time functions to be performed on the RAN side (in distributed units, DU 104) and non-real-time functions to be performed in a centralized manner (in a central or centralized unit, CU 108). Therefore, in summary, the RAN may include at least one distributed access node, which includes a central unit, one or more distributed units communicatively connected to the central unit, and one or more (remote) radio heads or units, each of which is communicatively connected to at least one of the one or more distributed units.

[0032] It should also be understood that the distribution of labor between core network operations and base station operations may be different from that of LTE or even non-existent. Some other technological advances that may be used are big data and all-IP, which may change the way networks are being constructed and managed. 5G (or New Radio, NR) networks are designed to support multiple layers, where MEC servers can be placed between the core and base stations or Node Bs (gNBs). It should be understood that MEC can also be applied to 4G networks.

[0033] 5G can also make use of satellite communications to enhance or supplement the coverage of 5G services, for example by providing backhaul. Possible use cases are to provide service continuity for machine-to-machine (M2M) or Internet of Things (IoT) devices or for passengers on vehicles, or to ensure service availability for critical communications and future rail / maritime / aeronautical communications. Satellite communications can make use of geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite systems, but can also make use of low earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems, in particular mega-constellations (systems in which hundreds of (nano) satellites are deployed). Each satellite 106 in a mega-constellation can cover several satellite-supporting network entities that create ground cells. Cells on the ground can be created by relay nodes 104 on the ground or by gNBs located on the ground or in satellites.

[0034] It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that the depicted system is only an example of a part of a radio access system, and in practice the system may include multiple (e / g)NodeBs, a user equipment may access multiple radio cells, and the system may also include other devices, such as physical layer relay nodes or other network elements. At least one of the (e / g)NodeBs may be a home (e / g)NodeB. Furthermore, in a geographical area of ​​the wireless communication system, a plurality of different kinds of radio cells as well as a plurality of radio cells may be provided. The radio cells may be macro cells (or umbrella cells), which are large cells (typically having a diameter of up to tens of kilometers) or smaller cells (such as micro, femto or pico cells). Figure 1 The (e / g) Node B can provide any kind of these cells. A cellular radio system can be implemented as a multi-layer network including several kinds of cells. Usually, in a multi-layer network, one access node provides one or more cells, so multiple (e / g) Node Bs are needed to provide such a network structure.

[0035] In order to meet the need to improve the deployment and performance of communication systems, the concept of "plug and play" (e / g) NodeB has been introduced. Generally, a network capable of using "plug and play" (e / g) NodeB includes a Home NodeB Gateway or HNB-GW (in addition to a Home (e / g) NodeB) (H(e / g) NodeB). Figure 1(not shown). An HNB gateway (HNB-GW) usually installed in an operator's network can aggregate services from a large number of HNBs back to the core network.

[0036] The goal of the 6G architecture is to enable easy integration of everything such as networks of networks, joint communications and sensing, non-terrestrial networks and terrestrial communications. 6G systems are envisioned to include machine learning algorithms and local and distributed computing capabilities, where virtual network functions can be distributed across core and edge computing resources. For example, in a "zero latency" scenario, remote computing that pushes computing resources to the very edge of the network will be part of a distributed computing environment. 5G systems can also adopt this capability. More generally, it is envisioned that the actual (radio) communication system includes one or more computer programs executed within a programmable infrastructure such as a general-purpose computing entity (server, processor, etc.).

[0037] The embodiments discussed below specifically relate to Non-Access Stratum (NAS) communications. Non-Access Stratum (NAS) is a functional layer in the wireless telecommunications protocol stack between the core network and the UE that manages the establishment of communication sessions and is used to maintain continuous communication with the UE when the UE is mobile. The purpose of the NAS transmission procedure is to enable the transmission of one or more payloads between the UE and a core network node (such as the AMF). The type of payload is identified by the Payload Container Type Information Element (IE). The type of payload can be one of the following: a) N1 Session Management (SM) information,

[0038] b) Short Message Service (SMS) messages,

[0039] c) LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) messages,

[0040] d) a roaming guidance (SOR) transparent container, including roaming guidance information;

[0041] e) a UE policy container including UE policy information,

[0042] f) a UE Parameters Update (UPU) transparent container including one or more UE parameters,

[0043] g) Location Services (LCS) message container,

[0044] h) Cellular Internet of Things (CIoT) user data container,

[0045] i) Service Level AA (Authentication and Authorization) container,

[0046] j) incident notification, or

[0047] k) Multiple payloads.

[0048] For these payload types, along with the payload, the NAS transport process may transmit associated information (e.g., protocol data unit PDU session information for 5GS session management (5GSM) message payload). For payload type k), the payload container IE may include or consist of a list of payload container entries, each payload container entry containing a payload and optional associated information (e.g., PDU session information for 5GSM message payload).

[0049] The payload container type IE may correspond to, for example, 4 bits. For example, the payload container type IE a) to k) may correspond to values ​​0001, 0010, 0011, 0100, 0101, 0110, 0111, 1000, 1001, 1010, and 1111, respectively.

[0050] Upon receiving any type of downlink (DL) NAS transmission message, the UE may stop the running back-off timer (e.g., timer T3346). In addition, upon receiving a DL NAS transmission message, the UE may perform various different procedures or actions depending on the value of the payload type IE.

[0051] When a DL NAS transport message is received with the Payload Container Type IE set to N1 SM Information (Option a) and the 5GMM Cause IE is not included in the DL NAS transport message, the 5GSM message and PDU Session ID in the Payload Container IE are processed in the 5GSM procedure specified in item 6 of TS24.501.

[0052] When receiving a DL NAS transport message with the Payload Container Type IE set to SMS (option b), the UE forwards the content of the Payload Container IE to the SMS stack entity.

[0053] Upon receiving a DL NAS transport message (option c) in which the payload container type IE is set to the LPP message container, the UE forwards the payload container type, the content of the payload container IE, and the routing information included in the additional information IE to the upper layer LCS application.

[0054] When receiving a DL NAS Transport message with the Payload Container Type IE set to SOR Transparent Container (option d), the UE may be configured to process the DL NAS Transport message as discussed in section 5.4.5.3.3d of TS 24.501.

[0055] When receiving a DL NAS Transport message with the Payload Container Type IE set to UE Policy Container (option e), the UE may be configured to process the DL NAS Transport message as discussed in Annex D of TS 24.501.

[0056] Upon receiving a DL NAS Transport message (option f) with the Payload Container Type IE set to UPU Transparent Container, the UE (or its ME) performs the following operations. The ME behaves as if an SMS is received, where the Protocol Identifier is set to SIM Data Download, the Data Coding Scheme is set to Class 2 Message, and the SMS payload is included as the secure packet content of the UPU Transparent Container IE. The SMS payload is forwarded from the ME to the UICC as specified in 3GPP TS 23.040. In addition, if the Acknowledgement (ACK) bit of the UPU header in the UPU Transparent Container is set to "Request Acknowledgement" and if the ME receives a Status Byte from the UICC indicating that the UICC has successfully received the secure packet, the ME sends an acknowledgment in the Payload Container IE of the UL NAST RANSPORT message with the Payload Type IE set to "UE Parameter Update Transparent Container" as specified in subclause 5.4.5.2.2 of TS 24.501. Furthermore, if the ME receives a refresh (or REFRESH) command (or message) from the UICC as specified in 3GPP TS 31.111 and if the reregistration (REG) bit of the UPU header in the UPU transparent container IE is set to "reregistration requested", the ME triggers reregistration with the network (i.e., deregistration and subsequent registration).

[0057] When receiving a DL NAS transport message (option g) with the payload container type IE set to the LCS message container, the UE forwards the payload container type, the contents of the payload container IE and the routing information in the additional information IE (if included) to the upper layer location service application.

[0058] When receiving a DL NAS transport message with the Payload Container Type IE set to CIoT User Data Container (option h), the UE forwards the content of the Payload Container IE and the PDU Session ID to the 5GSM sublayer;

[0059] When receiving a DL NAS transport message with the Payload Container Type IE set to Service Level AA container (option i), the UE forwards the content of the Payload Container IE to upper layers.

[0060] When receiving a DL NAS transport message with the Payload Container Type IE set to Event Notification (option j), the UE forwards the received Event Notification Indicator to upper layers.

[0061] When receiving a DL NAS transport message with the Payload Container Type IE set to multiple payloads (option k), the UE first decodes the contents of the Payload Container IE to obtain the number of payload container entries. Then, for each payload container entry, the UE shall: 1) decode the Payload Container Type field; 2) decode the Optional IE fields and the Payload Container Content field in the Payload Container entry; and 3) process the contents of each Payload Container entry in the same manner as the contents of the Payload Container IE and associated Optional IEs as specified above, based on the Payload Container Type field.

[0062] Combine the following Figure 2 The signaling diagram of discusses the specific issues associated with option k ("multiple payloads") with specific combinations of payloads. Figure 2 The signaling diagram shows a scenario where multiple payloads of different types will be transmitted from the AMF to the UE. Specifically, Figure 2 The signaling between the user equipment including the UICC and the ME, AMF, LMF, LCS client, AUSF / UDM and UAS-NF is shown. The elements may be combined as described herein Figure 1 Defined as described.

[0063] exist Figure 2 In the UE, three different messages are communicated to the AMF to trigger further transmissions to the UE. Figure 2 It is represented as cases A, B and C.

[0064] In case A, the LCS client sends an LCS message to the LMF in message 201. The LCS message 201 may be, for example, a downlink positioning message (with assistance data) or a location information request. The LCS message 201 may be transmitted via a Gateway Mobile Location Center (GLMC). Upon receiving the LCS message 201, the LMF sends (or forwards) the LCS message to the AMF in message 202 using, for example, a service-based interface (SBI). The LCS message 202 may be a Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer message (e.g., Figure 2 The AMF receives the LCS message 202.

[0065] In case B, in response to receiving UPU data for routing indicator update, the AUSF / UDM (or specifically the UDM) sends a UPU data message or container (i.e., a message including UPU data) to the AMF in message 203. The UPU data message or container 203 may be a home network (HN) UPU data message or container. The UPU data message or container 203 may be a Nudm_SDM_Notification message (e.g., Figure 2 The AMF receives the LCS message 203.

[0066] In case C, the UAS-NF transmits an authentication and authorization message to the AMF via the NEF in message 204 for UAV authentication and authorization. The authentication and authorization message 204 may include, for example, a universal public subscription identifier (GPSI), a service-level device identity (e.g., capacity allocation confirmation, CAA-level UAV identifier), and / or an authentication message. The authentication message may be based on the authentication method used that is transparently forwarded to the UE via a NAS Mobility Management (MM) transport message. The authentication message may include, for example, a USS Required UAV UAS Service Provider (USS) Authentication and Authorization (UUAA) aviation payload if it was not previously provided by the UE. The authentication and authorization message 204 may be a Nnef_Authentication_AuthenticateAuthorize message (e.g., Figure 2 shown).

[0067] When all three above cases A to C are considered simultaneously, the AMF generates a downlink (DL) NAS transport message (corresponding to cases A to C) with multiple payloads with three containers in block 205. Thus, the multiple payload containers of the DL NAS transport message include a UPU transparent container, an LPP message container, and a service level AA (authentication and authorization) message container. The UPU transparent container includes a re-registration (REG) flag with a true value ('1'), which indicates (by the UDM) that re-registration of the UE (i.e., registration after deregistration) is requested.

[0068] The AMF transmits the DL NAS transport message to the UE (or its ME) in message 206. Upon receiving the DL NAS transport message, the UE will process different payloads in different protocol stack layers. That is, in block 207, the UE sends the payload to the corresponding (different) upper layer (of the UE) for further processing.

[0069] Each payload will have a different action to be considered with the received container. For example, case B may result in an acknowledgement (ACK) being sent after the content is stored and the subsequent logout process. Additionally, case A may result in UE positioning measurements and after the measurements are completed, the location information response is transmitted from the AMF to the LCS client via the LMF. Case C may result in end-to-end authentication of the UAV with USS / UTM (Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management).

[0070] As described above, the UPU transparent container included in the DL NAS transport message 206 (and forwarded in box 207) includes a REG flag (also referred to as a REG bit, assuming that the flag consists of a single bit) having a true value ('1') indicating (by the UDM) that re-registration of the device is requested. This causes the UICC of the UE to transmit a REFRESH message to the ME of the UE in message 208 for triggering re-registration. Upon receiving the REFRESH message, in box 209, the ME triggers and performs re-registration. Due to the re-registration in box 209, actions related to the payloads of cases A and C cannot be performed (as described in the previous paragraph). Thus, the REG flag is set to true in the case of multiple payloads, always resulting in further actions related to other containers being suspended. For example, even if location information is requested and LPP UE positioning measurements are ongoing, deregistration and registration can be triggered before the LPP UE positioning measurements can be completed. This is always the case when the REG flag is set to true and sent to the UE. This is a considerable limitation in the implementation of DL NAS transmission involving multiple payloads. The embodiments discussed below attempt to overcome this problem.

[0071] Figure 3 A process for handling DL NAS transmissions with multiple payloads according to an embodiment is shown. Figure 3 The described process may be performed by a user equipment (UE) or by a mobile equipment (ME) forming a part of a UE or by a part of a ME (e.g., a chipset configured to control the functions of the ME or the UE). Here, the UE may be Figure 1 One of the UEs 100, 102. The UE may include a ME and a UICC (communication) connected to the ME. Figure 3 The process shown can be performed by the NAS layer. In the following, for simplicity, the execution Figure 3 The entities of a process are called devices.

[0072] See also Figure 3 The device initially receives a DL NAS transport message including multiple payload containers (i.e., having a payload container type IE "multiple payloads") in block 301. The multiple payload containers include a UPU transparent container and one or more non-UPU payload containers. Here, the UPU transparent container includes a REG flag having a true value ('1'), indicating, for example, that a re-registration of the device (or UE) is requested by the UDM. The DL NAS transport message of block 301 may correspond to Figure 2 Message 206.

[0073] The one or more non-UPU payload containers may be any non-UPU payload containers. In some embodiments, the one or more non-UPU payload containers include at least one of the following: (N1) SM information, SMS message, SOR transparent container, UE policy container, LCS message container, CIoT user data container, event notification, LPP message container, or service level AA message container. In some embodiments, the one or more non-UPU payload containers include LPP message containers and / or service level AA message containers.

[0074] The apparatus sends a plurality of payload containers to corresponding upper layers for processing in block 302. The one or more non-UPU payload containers sent in block 302 may include a request for a completion flag that is set to true indicating a request for completion of one or more corresponding processes associated with the one or more non-UPU payload containers. Subsequently, one or more corresponding processes associated with the one or more non-UPU payload containers may be completed. The one or more processes may include, for example, requesting, performing, and reporting UE positioning measurements and / or authentication (and authorization) of a UAV.

[0075] In some embodiments, a request for a done flag with a true value may be included in all of the plurality of payload containers sent in block 302 to the respective upper layer for processing.

[0076] The device triggers re-registration (i.e., deregistering and then registering) in box 303 after detecting that one or more corresponding processes associated with one or more non-UPU payload containers are completed. Triggering re-registration in box 303 may include at least transmitting a deregistration request to the AMF. Subsequently, the device may receive a deregistration acceptance message from the AMF. Typically, deregistration can be performed as described in section 5.5.2 of 3GPP TS24.501. Thereafter, the device may trigger a registration procedure (e.g., by transmitting a registration request to the AMF). Typically, registration can be performed as described in section 5.5.1 of 3GPP TS24.501. It is worth noting that in this case, re-registration is not performed as described in conjunction with Figure 2 Receipt of any REFRESH message discussed above (i.e., as described below in conjunction with Figure 4 As discussed above with respect to elements 405 to 406 of FIG. 1 , such REFRESH messages may simply be ignored). It should be noted that, although for simplicity of presentation, Figure 3 The box 303 depicted in is arranged on all of the UE, AMF, LMF, LCS client, AUSF / UDM and UAS-NF, but the re-registration may only involve the UE, AMF and AUSF / UDM (not LMF, LCS client or UAS-NF).

[0077] Figure 4 The signaling between the UE including the UICC and ME, AMF, LMF, LCS Client, AUSF / UDM and UAS-NF is shown for handling DL NAS transmission with multiple payloads. The elements may be combined as herein Figure 1 The process shown in the UICC / ME may be performed by the NAS layer.

[0078] See also Figure 4 , the initial steps of the process in block 401 may correspond entirely to Figure 2 Alternatively, the initial steps of the process in block 401 may correspond exactly to Figure 2 Elements 201 to 203, 205, or elements 203 to 205 (ie, only one of case A and case C may be applied).

[0079] In addition, similar to Figure 2 In message 206 of the UE, the LMF sends a DL NAS transport message including multiple payload containers (i.e., with payload container type IE "multiple payloads") in message 401. The multiple payload containers include a UPU transparent container and one or more non-UPU payload containers. Here, the UPU transparent container includes a REG flag having a true value ('1') indicating (by the UDM) that the UE's re-registration is requested.

[0080] The ME receives a DL NAS transport message with multiple payloads. Thereafter, in block 403, the UE (or specifically the ME) sets the REG flag defer to true ('1') based on the DL NAS transport message including multiple payload containers (as opposed to a single payload container) and the REG flag having a true value. The defer REG flag is used to indicate whether re-registration should be deferred (until actions related to other non-UPU payload containers are completed).

[0081] The UE (or ME) sends the plurality of payload containers to various upper layers (or equivalently to various modules, such as LPP and / or UAS modules) for processing in block 404. Here, a request for completion flag in one or more non-UPU payload containers (associated with case A and / or case C) may be set to true, indicating a request for completion of one or more corresponding processes associated with the one or more non-UPU payload containers.

[0082] As part of the processing of case B, the UICC sends a REFRESH message to the ME in message 405. However, Figure 2In this case, the ME does not trigger re-registration. Instead, in block 406, the ME simply ignores the received REFRESH message based on the postpone REG flag being set to true. In other words, when the postpone REG flag is set to true, any REFRESH message received at the ME does not trigger re-registration.

[0083] The sending of the REFRESH message (block 405) may be triggered in a number of different ways. For example, a REG flag with a true value (sent from the network to the UICC in elements 402, 404) may trigger a REFRESH message when the received content is successfully verified and stored. If verification fails, the REFRESH command may not be triggered. As another example, if an AUTHENTICATE message sent from the ME to the UICC has been executed before the pairing process has been successfully completed, the UICC may need to trigger a network attachment procedure by sending an active REFRESH message. As a final example, assume that the UICC is removed and inserted back into the ME, and if the EF IMSI If the UICC has a REFRESH message sent to the ME, the UICC may send a REFRESH message to the ME if the UICC has a REFRESH message sent to the ME (i.e., the elementary file EF including the International Mobile Subscriber Identity IMSI) and the IMSI is changed.

[0084] At block 407, the UE (or ME) triggers re-registration of the UE in response to detecting completion of one or more corresponding procedures associated with one or more non-UPU payload containers while the defer REG flag is set to true. Figure 3 As described in block 303 of , re-registration may be performed.

[0085] Figure 5 An alternative process for handling DL NAS transmissions with multiple payloads according to an embodiment is shown. Figure 5 The process shown in may be performed by a user equipment (UE) or by a mobile equipment (ME) forming a part of the UE or by a part of the ME. Here, the UE may be Figure 1 One of the UEs 100, 102. The UE may include a ME and a UICC (communicatively) connected to the ME. Figure 5 The process shown in can be performed by the NAS layer. In the following, for simplicity, execution Figure 5 The entities of a process are called devices.

[0086] See also Figure 5 , the apparatus receives in block 501 a DL NAS transport message including a plurality of payload containers, similar to Figure 3Thus, the plurality of payload containers include a UPU transparent container and one or more non-UPU payload containers, wherein the UPU transparent container includes a REG flag having a true value indicating (by the UDM) that a re-registration of the device is requested. The DL NAS transport message may have been combined with Figure 2 The generation and transmission in question.

[0087] The one or more non-UPU payload containers may be any non-UPU payload containers. In some embodiments, the one or more non-UPU payload containers include at least one of the following: (N1) SM information, SMS message, SOR transparent container, UE policy container, LCS message container, CIoT user data container, event notification, LPP message container, or service level AA message container. In some embodiments, the one or more non-UPU payload containers include LPP message containers and / or service level AA message containers.

[0088] Based on the REG flag having a true value (indicating that registration is required after successfully updating the UPU data), in block 502, the device (temporarily) stores one or more non-UPU payload containers to at least one memory for later processing. The at least one memory may include at least one internal memory and / or at least one external memory of the device. Compared to the scheme discussed above, at this stage, the device does not send one or more non-UPU payload containers to the corresponding upper layer for processing.

[0089] In step 503, the device sends the UPU transparent container to the upper layer (or UPU module) for processing. At this stage, one or more non-UPU containers are not sent to the upper layer for processing.

[0090] At block 504, the device receives a REFRESH message from a UICC connected to the device to trigger re-registration (as part of the processing of a UPU transparent container).

[0091] In block 505, the device triggers re-registration based on the REFRESH message. During the re-registration process, other non-UPU containers temporarily stored may not be deleted or cleared. Re-registration may be performed as described in conjunction with Figure 3 The process is performed as described in block 303 of FIG.

[0092] After completing the re-registration, in block 506, the device (retrieves and) sends the one or more stored non-UPU payload containers to the corresponding upper layer (or equivalently to the corresponding module, such as the LPP and / or UAS module) for processing. The one or more stored non-UPU payload containers sent in block 506 may include a request for a completion flag that is set to true, indicating a request for completion of one or more corresponding processes associated with the one or more non-UPU payload containers. Thereafter, the device may remove the one or more non-UPU payload containers from at least one memory.

[0093] Therefore, although in Figure 3 to Figure 4 In an embodiment of the present invention, re-registration is delayed until one or more actions (or processes) associated with one or more non-UPU payload containers can be completed, but in Figure 5 In an embodiment, execution of one or more actions associated with one or more non-UPU payload containers is delayed until re-registration is completed.

[0094] Above through Figures 3 to 5 The blocks, related functions and information exchanges described are not in absolute chronological order, and some of these blocks, related functions and information exchanges may be performed simultaneously or in an order different from the given order. Other functions may also be performed between or within them, and other information may be sent and / or other rules may apply. Some blocks or parts of blocks or one or more pieces of information may also be omitted or replaced by corresponding blocks or parts of blocks or one or more pieces of information.

[0095] Figure 6 An apparatus 601 according to some embodiments is provided. Specifically, Figure 6 The UE, the ME, or a portion of either may be illustrated.

[0096] The device 601 may include one or more communication control circuits 620, such as at least one processor, and at least one memory 630, which includes one or more algorithms 631 (instructions), such as computer program codes (software), wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code (software) are configured to cause the device 601 to perform any of the example functions of the above-mentioned device (e.g., ME or UE) together with the at least one processor. The at least one memory 630 may also include at least one database 632.

[0097] When one or more communication control circuits 620 include more than one processor, the device 601 can be a distributed device in which the processing of tasks occurs in more than one physical unit. Each of the at least one processor may include one or more processor cores. The processing core may include, for example, a Cortex-A8 processing core manufactured by ARM Holdings or a Zen processing core designed by Advanced Micro Devices Corporation. One or more communication control circuits 620 may include at least one Qualcomm Snapdragon and / or Intel Atom processor. One or more communication control circuits 620 may include at least one application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). One or more control circuits 620 may include at least one field programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0098] refer to Figure 6 , the one or more communication control circuits 620 of the device 601 are configured to use one or more separate circuits by means of Figure 3 and 5 Any of and / or Figure 4 (Part of) elements 403, 404, 405, 406, 407 perform the above functions. It is also feasible to use specific integrated circuits such as ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or other components and devices for realizing the functions according to different embodiments.

[0099] See also Figure 6 , the device 601 may also include different interfaces 610, such as one or more communication interfaces including hardware and / or software for implementing communication connections according to one or more communication protocols. Specifically, the one or more communication interfaces 610 may include, for example, a communication interface for providing a connection between the device 601 and one or more access nodes for providing a connection to a core network (including, for example, AMF, LMF, AUSF / UDM and UAS-NF). If the device 601 is a ME, the one or more communication interfaces 610 may also include a communication interface between the device 601 and at least one UICC. The one or more communication interfaces 610 may include standard well-known components controlled by a corresponding control unit and one or more antennas, such as amplifiers, filters, frequency converters, (demodulation) modulators and encoder / decoder circuits. The device 601 may also include one or more user interfaces.

[0100] See also Figure 6 , memory 630 may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, flash memory, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory.

[0101] As used in this application, the term 'circuitry' may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) hardware-only circuit implementations, such as implementations in analog and / or digital circuits only, and (b) combinations of hardware circuits and software (and / or firmware), such as (if applicable): (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits with software / firmware and (ii) any portion of a hardware processor with software, including a digital signal processor, software and memory, which enables a device such as a terminal device or access node to perform various functions, and (c) hardware circuits and processors that require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, such as a microprocessor or a portion of a microprocessor. However, the software may not be present when it is not required to operate. This definition of "circuitry" applies to all uses of the term in this application, including any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term 'circuitry' also covers implementations of hardware circuits or processors (or multiple processors) or portions of hardware circuits or processors and their (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware.

[0102] In an embodiment, in combination Figures 3 to 5 At least some of the described processes may be performed by an apparatus including corresponding means for performing at least some of the described processes. Some example means for performing the described processes may include at least one of the following: a detector, a processor (including dual-core and multi-core processors), a digital signal processor, a controller, a receiver, a transmitter, an encoder, a decoder, a memory, a RAM, a ROM, software, firmware, a display, a user interface, a display circuit, a user interface circuit, a user interface software, a display software, a circuit, a filter (low pass, high pass, band pass and / or band stop), a sensor, a circuit, an inverter, a capacitor, an inductor, a resistor, an operational amplifier, a diode and a transistor. In one embodiment, at least one processor, a memory and a computer program code form a processing device or include one or more computer program code portions for performing the processing according to Figures 3 to 5 One or more operations of any embodiment of the present invention or its operation. In some embodiments, at least some of the processes can be implemented using discrete components.

[0103] According to an embodiment, there is provided a device (e.g., ME or UE), comprising means for performing the following operations:

[0104] receiving a downlink (DL) non-access stratum (NAS) transport message including a plurality of payload containers, wherein the plurality of payload containers include a user equipment parameter update (UPU) transparent container and one or more non-UPU payload containers, the UPU transparent container including a re-registration REG flag having a true value indicating that re-registration of the apparatus is requested;

[0105] sending the plurality of payload containers to corresponding upper layers for processing; and

[0106] The re-registration is triggered upon detecting completion of the one or more corresponding transactions associated with one or more of the non-UPU payload containers.

[0107] According to an embodiment, there is provided a device (e.g., ME or UE), comprising means for performing the following operations:

[0108] receiving a downlink (DL) non-access stratum (NAS) transport message including a plurality of payload containers, wherein the plurality of payload containers include a user equipment parameter update (UPU) transparent container and one or more non-UPU payload containers, the UPU transparent container including a re-registration REG flag having a true value indicating that re-registration of the apparatus is requested;

[0109] storing one or more of the non-UPU payload containers to the at least one memory or at least one external memory for later processing based on the REG flag having a true value;

[0110] Sending the UPU transparent container to an upper layer for processing;

[0111] receiving a REFRESH message for triggering the re-registration from a universal integrated circuit card UICC connected to the device;

[0112] triggering the re-registration based on the REFRESH message; and

[0113] After completing the re-registration, one or more of the stored non-UPU payload containers are sent to the corresponding upper layer for processing.

[0114] The described embodiments may also be implemented completely or at least partially in the form of a computer process defined by a computer program or a portion thereof. The embodiments may be implemented by executing at least a portion of a computer program comprising corresponding instructions. Figures 3 to 5Embodiments of the described methods. The computer program may be provided as a computer-readable medium including program instructions stored thereon or as a non-transitory computer-readable medium including program instructions stored thereon. The computer program may be in source code form, object code form, or some intermediate form, and it may be stored in a carrier, which may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. For example, the computer program may be stored on a computer program distribution medium readable by a computer or processor. The computer program medium may be, for example, but not limited to, a recording medium, a computer memory, a read-only memory, an electrical carrier signal, a telecommunications signal, and a software distribution package. The computer program medium may be a non-transitory medium. The coding of the software for executing the embodiments shown and described is well within the scope of ordinary technicians in the art.

[0115] The term "non-transitory" as used herein refers to the limitation of the medium itself (ie, tangible, not a signal), versus the limitation on the persistence of data storage (eg, RAM versus ROM).

[0116] References throughout this specification to an embodiment or embodiments mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present solution. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" appearing in various places throughout this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment.

[0117] As used herein, for convenience, multiple items, structural elements, constituent elements and / or materials may be presented in a common list. However, these lists should be interpreted as each member of the list being individually identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, a single member of such a list should not be interpreted as being actually equivalent to any other member of the same list based solely on their presentation in a common group, without an indication to the contrary. In addition, this article may refer to different embodiments and examples of the present solution and alternatives to its different components. It should be understood that such embodiments, examples and replacements should not be interpreted as de facto equivalents of each other, but should be considered as separate and autonomous representations of the present solution.

[0118] Although the embodiments have been described above with reference to the examples according to the accompanying drawings, it is apparent that the embodiments are not limited thereto, but can be modified in several ways within the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, all words and expressions should be interpreted broadly, and they are intended to illustrate rather than limit the embodiments. It is apparent to those skilled in the art that, as technology advances, the inventive concept can be implemented in various ways. Further, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the described embodiments can (but are not required to) be combined with other embodiments in different ways.

[0119] Industrial Applicability

[0120] At least some embodiments find industrial application in wireless communications.

Claims

1. A device for communication, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform: receiving a downlink (DL) non-access stratum (NAS) transport message including a plurality of payload containers, wherein the plurality of payload containers include a user equipment parameter update (UPU) transparent container and one or more non-UPU payload containers, the UPU transparent container including a re-registration REG flag, the re-registration REG flag having a true value, the true value indicating that re-registration of the device is requested; sending the plurality of payload containers to respective upper layers for processing; as well as The re-registration is triggered upon detecting completion of one or more corresponding processes associated with the one or more non-UPU payload containers.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more non-UPU payload containers sent to the corresponding upper layer for the processing include a request completion flag, the request completion flag being set to true, indicating that completion of the one or more corresponding processes associated with the one or more non-UPU payload containers is requested.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the instructions together with the at least one processor are configured to cause the apparatus to perform, prior to the detecting: A defer REG flag is set to true based on the DL NAS transport message including the plurality of payload containers and a REG flag having the true value.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the triggering of the re-registration is performed in response to detecting completion of the one or more corresponding processes associated with the one or more non-UPU payload containers while the defer REG flag is set to true.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one memory and the instructions together with the at least one processor are configured to cause the apparatus to perform, after the receiving and before the detecting: receiving a REFRESH message for triggering the re-registration from a universal integrated circuit card UICC communicatively connected to the device; and Based on the delayed REG flag being set to true, the REFRESH message is ignored.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more non-UPU payload containers include at least one of the following: session management (SM) information, short message service (SMS) message, roaming guidance (SOR) transparent container, user equipment (UE) policy container, cellular Internet of Things (CIoT) user data container, event notification, long term evolution (LTE) positioning protocol (LPP) message container, or service level (AA) authentication and authorization message container. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a mobile device communicatively connected to a UICC.

8. An apparatus for communication, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform: receiving a downlink (DL) non-access stratum (NAS) transport message including a plurality of payload containers, wherein the plurality of payload containers include a user equipment parameter update (UPU) transparent container and one or more non-UPU payload containers, the UPU transparent container including a re-registration REG flag, the re-registration REG flag having a true value, the true value indicating that re-registration of the device is requested; storing the one or more non-UPU payload containers to the at least one memory or at least one external memory for later processing based on the REG flag having the true value; Sending the UPU transparent container to an upper layer for processing; receiving a REFRESH message for triggering the re-registration from a universal integrated circuit card UICC connected to the device; triggering the re-registration based on the REFRESH message; as well as After completing the re-registration, the stored one or more non-UPU payload containers are sent to a corresponding upper layer for processing.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and the instructions, together with the at least one processor, are configured to cause the device to, after sending the stored one or more non-UPU payload containers to the corresponding upper layer, perform: The one or more stored non-UPU payload containers are removed from the at least one memory or the at least one external memory.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the one or more non-UPU payload containers include at least one of the following: session management (SM) information, short message service (SMS) message, roaming guidance (SOR) transparent container, user equipment (UE) policy container, cellular Internet of Things (CIoT) user data container, event notification, long term evolution (LTE) positioning protocol (LPP) message container or service level (AA) authentication and authorization message container.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is a mobile device communicatively connected to the UICC.

12. A user equipment, comprising: An apparatus according to any preceding claim; as well as A universal integrated circuit card, UICC, communicatively connected to the apparatus and comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor cause the UICC to at least perform: A REFRESH message for triggering re-registration is sent to the device.

13. A method for communication, comprising: Receiving a downlink (DL) non-access stratum (NAS) transmission message including a plurality of payload containers, wherein the plurality of payload containers include a user equipment parameter update (UPU) transparent container and one or more non-UPU payload containers, the UPU transparent container including a re-registration REG flag, the re-registration REG flag having a true value, the true value indicating that re-registration of the terminal device is requested; sending the plurality of payload containers to respective upper layers for processing; as well as The re-registration is triggered upon detecting completion of one or more corresponding processes associated with the one or more non-UPU payload containers.

14. A method for communication, comprising: Receiving a downlink (DL) non-access stratum (NAS) transmission message including a plurality of payload containers, wherein the plurality of payload containers include a user equipment parameter update (UPU) transparent container and one or more non-UPU payload containers, the UPU transparent container including a re-registration REG flag, the re-registration REG flag having a true value, the true value indicating that re-registration of the terminal device is requested; storing the one or more non-UPU payload containers to the at least one memory or at least one external memory for later processing based on the REG flag having the true value; Sending the UPU transparent container to an upper layer for processing; receiving a REFRESH message for triggering the re-registration from a universal integrated circuit card UICC connected to the device; triggering the re-registration based on the REFRESH message; as well as After completing the re-registration, the stored one or more non-UPU payload containers are sent to a corresponding upper layer for processing.

15. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform: receiving a downlink (DL) non-access stratum (NAS) transmission message including a plurality of payload containers, wherein the plurality of payload containers include a user equipment parameter update (UPU) transparent container and one or more non-UPU payload containers, the UPU transparent container including a re-registration REG flag, the re-registration REG flag having a true value, the true value indicating that re-registration of the computing device is requested; sending the plurality of payload containers to respective upper layers for processing; as well as The re-registration is triggered upon detecting completion of one or more corresponding processes associated with the one or more non-UPU payload containers.

16. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform: receiving a downlink (DL) non-access stratum (NAS) transmission message including a plurality of payload containers, wherein the plurality of payload containers include a user equipment parameter update (UPU) transparent container and one or more non-UPU payload containers, the UPU transparent container including a re-registration REG flag, the re-registration REG flag having a true value, the true value indicating that re-registration of the computing device is requested; storing the one or more non-UPU payload containers to the at least one memory or at least one external memory for later processing based on the REG flag having the true value; Sending the UPU transparent container to an upper layer for processing; receiving a REFRESH message for triggering the re-registration from a universal integrated circuit card UICC connected to the device; triggering the re-registration based on the REFRESH message; as well as After completing the re-registration, the stored one or more non-UPU payload containers are sent to a corresponding upper layer for processing.

Images