Trusted non-3GPP access network selection

Abstract

The invention relates to trusted non-3GPP access network selection. An apparatus for trusted non-3GPP access network selection is used in a user equipment (UE) and includes processor circuitry configured to, when the UE operates in an independent non-public network (SNPN) access mode, cause the UE to: receive an access network query protocol (ANQP) information element from a wireless local area network (WLAN), where the ANQP information element is an SNPN list with a trusted 5G connectivity information element, the SNPN list indicates one or more SNPNs which can be selected from the WLAN and have trusted 5G connection; and selecting an SNPN with a trusted 5G connection for trusted non-3GPP access to a 5G core (5GC) network based on the SNPN list with a trusted 5G connection information element.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application is based upon and claims priority to U.S. patent application No. 63 / 421,072 filed on October 31, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to wireless communications and, more particularly, to apparatus for trusted non-3GPP access network selection. Background Art

[0004] Mobile communications have evolved from early voice systems to today's highly complex integrated communications platforms. 5G or New Radio (NR) wireless communication systems will provide a variety of users and applications with access to information and sharing of data anytime, anywhere. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements.

[0006] Figure 1 A diagram illustrating an example scenario of trusted non-3GPP access network selection according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0007] Figure 2 A flow chart of a method for trusted non-3GPP access selection according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0008] Figure 3 A diagram illustrating an example format of a SNPN list with a trusted 5G connection information element according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0009] Figure 4 A diagram illustrating an example format of a SNPN Information List field according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 5A A diagram illustrating an example format of an SNPN information entry field according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 5B A diagram illustrating an example format of a SNPN identity or identifier field according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 5C A diagram illustrating an example format of a SNPN Access Information field according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 5DA diagram illustrating example formats of supported GIN fields according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] Fig. 6A A diagram illustrating an example format of a GIN list field according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 6B A diagram illustrating an example format of GIN information entry fields according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 6C A diagram illustrating an example format of a NID list according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] Fig.6D A diagram illustrating an example format of a NID identity according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 7 A diagram of a network according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0019] Figure 8 A diagram of a wireless network according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0020] Fig. 9 A block diagram illustrating components capable of reading instructions from a machine-readable or computer-readable medium (eg, a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium) and performing any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The various aspects of the illustrative embodiments will be described using the terms commonly used by those skilled in the art to convey the essence of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. However, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that many alternative embodiments can be put into practice using the parts of the described aspects. For illustrative purposes, specific numbering, materials, and configurations are provided to provide a thorough understanding of the illustrative embodiments. However, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that alternative embodiments can be implemented without these specific details. In other examples, known features may be omitted or simplified to avoid confusing the illustrative embodiments.

[0022] In addition, various operations will be described as multiple discrete operations in sequence in a manner that is most helpful for understanding the illustrative embodiments; however, the order of description should not be interpreted as implying that these operations are necessarily order-dependent. In particular, these operations do not need to be performed in the order presented.

[0023] The phrases "in an embodiment," "in one embodiment," and "in some embodiments" are used repeatedly herein. The phrases generally do not refer to the same embodiment; however, the phrases may refer to the same embodiment. Unless the context dictates otherwise, the terms "comprising," "having," and "including" are synonymous. The phrases "A or B" and "A / B" mean "(A), (B), or (A and B)."

[0024] Currently, 5G wireless communication systems are enhanced to enable trusted and untrusted non-3GPP access in a standalone non-public network (SNPN). However, only untrusted non-3GPP access is supported in a public land mobile network (PLMN).

[0025] In view of this, a method for trusted non-3GPP access network selection is proposed to support trusted non-3GPP access in PLMN. Figure 1 Schematic diagram showing an example scenario of trusted non-3GPP access network selection according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1 As shown, a user equipment (UE) can select one from multiple independent non-public networks (SNPNs) with trusted 5G connections via a wireless local area network (WLAN) for trusted non-3GPP access to a 5G core (5GC) network.

[0026] Figure 2 A flow chart of a method for trusted non-3GPP access selection according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 The method 200 for trusted non-3GPP access selection shown can be used in a UE and includes when the UE operates in an SNPN access mode: S202, receiving an access network query protocol (ANQP) information element from a WLAN, wherein the ANQP information element is a SNPN list with a trusted 5G connection information element, the SNPN list indicating one or more SNPNs with a trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN; and S204, based on the SNPN list with the trusted 5G connection information element, selecting a SNPN with a trusted 5G connection for trusted non-3GPP access to a 5GC network. That is, the SNPN list with the trusted 5G connection information element can be used by the WLAN to indicate the SNPN with a trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN, and can be used by the UE to select a SNPN with a trusted 5G connection for trusted non-3GPP access to a 5GC network via the WLAN.

[0027] In some embodiments, the SNPN list with trusted 5G connection information element includes a SNPN identifier associated with each of one or more SNPNs with a trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN.

[0028] In some embodiments, the SNPN list with trusted 5G connection information element includes one or more network selection group identifiers (GINs) supported by each of one or more SNPNs with trusted 5G connection selectable from the WLAN.

[0029] In some embodiments, the SNPN list with trusted 5G connection information element includes SNPN access information associated with each of one or more SNPNs with trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN.

[0030] In some embodiments, the SNPN list with trusted 5G connection information element includes information for each of one or more SNPNs with trusted 5G connection selectable from the WLAN, indicating whether the SNPN supports access using credentials from the credential holder.

[0031] In some embodiments, the SNPN list with trusted 5G connection information element includes information for each of one or more SNPNs with a trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN, indicating whether the SNPN allows a UE that is not explicitly configured to select the SNPN to attempt registration with credentials from the credential holder.

[0032] In some embodiments, the SNPN list with trusted 5G connection information element includes information indicating whether each of one or more SNPNs with trusted 5G connection selectable from the WLAN supports SNPN onboarding service.

[0033] In some embodiments, the SNPN list with trusted 5G connection information element includes information indicating whether each of one or more SNPNs with a trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN supports emergency services.

[0034] Figure 3 A diagram showing an example format of a SNPN list with a trusted 5G connection information element according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3As shown, the SNPN list with a trusted 5G connection information element includes an information element identity or identifier field, a SNPN list length field with a trusted 5G connection value content, a SNPN information list field, and a GIN list field, wherein information related to one or more SNPNs with a trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN can be included in the SNPN information list field, and information related to one or more GINs supported by each of the one or more SNPNs with a trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN can be included in the GIN list field.

[0035] Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example format of the SNPN Information List field according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 4 As shown, the SNPN information list field includes a SNPN information list length field and one or more SNPN information entry fields, wherein information related to one of one or more SNPNs with a trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN can be included in one of the one or more SNPN entry fields.

[0036] Figure 5A FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example format of an SNPN information entry field according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 5A As shown, the SNPN information entry field includes a SNPN information entry length field, a SNPN identity or identifier field, and a supported GIN field. Figure 5B A diagram is shown of an example format of an SNPN identity or identifier field according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, wherein the SNPN identity or identifier field includes a mobile country code (MCC), a mobile network code (MNC), a network identifier (NID) value, and NID allocation mode information. Figure 5C A diagram showing an example format of an SNPN access information field according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, wherein a "CH" bit indicates whether the SNPN supports access using credentials from a credential holder, a "CHWC" bit indicates whether the SNPN allows a UE that is not explicitly configured to select the SNPN to attempt registration using credentials from the credential holder, an "OB" bit indicates whether the SNPN allows bootstrapping, and an "EMS" bit indicates whether the SNPN supports emergency services. Figure 5D A diagram illustrating an example format of a supported GIN field in which a GIN identifier supported by a SNPN is included according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0037] Fig. 6A A diagram showing an example format of a GIN list field according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig. 6AAs shown, the GIN list field includes a GIN list length field and one or more GIN information entry fields, wherein information related to one or more GINs supported by the SNPN is contained in the one or more GIN information entry fields. Figure 6B A diagram illustrating an example format of a GIN information entry field according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, wherein the GIN information entry field includes an MCC, an MNC, and a NID list. Figure 6C A diagram illustrating an example format of a NID list according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, wherein the NID list includes one or more NID identifiers or identities. Fig.6D A diagram illustrating an example format of a NID identity according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0038] In some embodiments, the method 100 for trusted non-3GPP access network selection may further include: creating a prioritized available WLAN list based on a WLAN selection policy (WLANSP) rule, and receiving an ANQP information element from each WLAN indicated by the prioritized available WLAN list.

[0039] In some embodiments, the UE can obtain the WLANSP rules by pre-configuration or downloading from the policy control function (PCF) entity of the 5GC network, and the WLANSP rules contain policy information related to UE access network discovery and selection to help the UE discover and select available WLANs.

[0040] In some embodiments, when the UE is not operating in SNPN access mode, the UE may obtain WLANSP rules from the PLMN. For example, when the UE is in the home PLMN, the UE may obtain WLANSP rules from the home PLMN and use them to select an available WLAN. For example, when the UE is roaming and has obtained WLANSP rules from the home PLMN, the visited PLMN, and a PLMN equivalent to the visited PLMN, the UE may use these WLANSP rules in the following order of decreasing priority: a) WLANSP rules from the visited PLMN; b) WLANSP rules from the equivalent PLMN from which the UE last received WLANSP rules; c) WLANSP rules from the home PLMN.

[0041] In some embodiments, when the UE operates in SNPN access mode, the UE may receive WLANSP rules from the credential holder and use the following WLANSP rules to select an available WLAN: a) if the UE is registered via 3GPP access, then the WLANSP rules from the subscribed SNPN subscription or PLMN subscription used for registration via 3GPP access; or b) if the UE is not registered via 3GPP access, then the WLANSP rules from the subscribed SNPN subscription or PLMN subscription selected from the subscriber data list maintained by the UE.

[0042] In some embodiments, the UE may perform WLAN selection based on user preferences and WLANSP rules. When the UE is not operating in SNPN access mode, WLANSP rules from multiple PLMNs may be provided to the UE. When the UE is operating in SNPN access mode, WLANSP rules from the credential holder may be provided to the UE. User preferences take precedence over WLANSP rules.

[0043] In some embodiments, when the UE operates in SNPN access mode and supports access to the SNPN using credentials from a credential holder: a) if the UE is registered via 3GPP access, the UE may obtain WLANSP rules from the subscribed SNPN subscription or PLMN subscription used to register via 3GPP access; or b) if the UE is not registered via 3GPP access, the UE may obtain WLANSP rules from the subscribed SNPN subscription or PLMN subscription selected from a subscriber data list maintained by the UE.

[0044] In some embodiments, when the UE receives a domain name list and a SNPN identifier list from a WLAN, the WLAN may be included in the priority available WLAN list, the domain name list includes the home network domain name associated with the SNPN identifier included in the PLMN subscription selected from the subscriber data list maintained by the UE, and the SNPN identifier list includes the SNPN identifier associated with the subscribed SNPN.

[0045] In some embodiments, the method 100 for trusted non-3GPP access network selection may further include, when the UE is operating in SNPN access mode, for each WLAN indicated by the priority available WLAN list: when both the WLAN and the UE support ANQP, sending an ANQP request message to request a network access identifier (NAI) realm or a list of SNPN identifiers associated with one or more SNPNs with a trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN; or when the WLAN or the UE does not support ANQP, sending an extensible authentication protocol (EAP) response or identity message to request a list of NAI realms or SNPN identifiers associated with one or more SNPNs with a trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN. It should be noted that the NAI realm or the list of SNPN identifiers received from the WLAN has a limited size and may not contain all NAI realms or SNPN identifiers available via the WLAN.

[0046] In some embodiments, the method 100 for trusted non-3GPP access network selection may further include: when the NAI field included in the NAI field or the SNPN identifier list is associated with a registered SNPN (RSNPN) for 3GPP access, if the NAI field does not match the NAI field converted from any SNPN identifier included in a temporary or permanent prohibited SNPN list for non-3GPP access associated with a PLMN subscription selected from a subscriber data list maintained by the UE, then selecting the RSNPN for trusted non-3GPP access to the 5GC network, otherwise selecting the corresponding SNPN for trusted non-3GPP access to the 5GC network according to the priority order of the entries in the NAI field or the SNPN identifier list.

[0047] In some embodiments, the method 100 for trusted non-3GPP access network selection may also include, for each WLAN indicated by the priority available WLAN list: indicating to a user of the UE one or more SNPNs with trusted 5G connections that can be selected from the WLAN for selection by the user based on user preferences.

[0048] In some embodiments, the method 100 for trusted non-3GPP access network selection may also include: selecting a corresponding SNPN for trusted non-3GPP access to a 5GC network based on an SNPN selection parameter included in a PLMN subscription selected from a subscriber data list maintained by the UE; and constructing a NAI for trusted access to the selected SNPN based on an SNPN identifier of the selected SNPN.

[0049] Figure 7-8 Various systems, devices, and components are shown that can implement aspects of the disclosed embodiments.

[0050] Figure 7 A diagram of a network 700 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The network 700 may operate in a manner consistent with 3GPP technical specifications for LTE or 5G / NR systems. However, the example embodiments are not limited in this regard, and the described embodiments may be applied to other networks that benefit from the principles described herein, such as future 3GPP systems, etc.

[0051] The network 700 may include a UE 702, which may include any mobile or non-mobile computing device designed to communicate over an air connection with a radio access network (RAN) 730. The UE 702 may be, but is not limited to, a smartphone, a tablet, a wearable computer device, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, an in-vehicle infotainment device, an in-vehicle entertainment device, a dashboard, a head-up display device, an on-board diagnostic device, a dashboard mobile device, a mobile data terminal, an electronic engine management system, an electronic / engine control unit, an electronic / engine control module, an embedded system, a sensor, a microcontroller, a control module, an engine management system, a networked appliance, a machine type communication device, an M2M or D2D device, an IoT device, etc.

[0052] In some embodiments, the network 700 may include multiple UEs directly coupled to each other via a sidelink interface. The UE may be an M2M / D2D device that communicates using a physical sidelink channel (such as, but not limited to, a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH), a physical sidelink discovery channel (PSDCH), a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), a physical sidelink fundamental channel (PSFCH), etc.).

[0053] In some embodiments, UE 702 may additionally communicate with access point (AP) 706 over the air. AP 706 may manage WLAN connections, which may be used to offload some / all network traffic from RAN 704. The connection between UE 702 and AP 706 may conform to any IEEE 802.11 protocol, where AP 706 may be a Wireless Fidelity (Wireless Fidelity) wireless network. Router. In some embodiments, UE 702, RAN 704, and AP 706 may utilize cellular WLAN aggregation (e.g., LTE-WLAN aggregation (LWA) / Lightweight IP (LWIP)). Cellular WLAN aggregation may involve UE 702 being configured by RAN 704 to utilize both cellular radio resources and WLAN resources.

[0054] RAN 704 may include one or more access nodes, such as AN 708. AN 708 may terminate the air interface protocol of UE 702 by providing access layer protocols including RRC, Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), Radio Link Control (RLC), Medium Access Control (MAC), and L1 protocols. In this way, AN 708 may enable data / voice connection between CN 720 and UE 702. In some embodiments, AN 708 may be implemented in a discrete device or as one or more software entities running on a server computer (as part of a virtual network, for example, which may be referred to as a CRAN or a virtual baseband unit pool). AN 708 may be referred to as a BS, gNB, RAN node, eNB, ng-eNB, NodeB, roadside unit (RSU), TRxP, TRP, etc. AN 708 may be a macro cell base station or a low power base station, where the low power base station is used to provide a femto cell, a pico cell, or other similar cells with a smaller coverage area, a smaller user capacity, or a higher bandwidth than a macro cell.

[0055] In an embodiment where the RAN 704 includes multiple access networks (ANs), they may be coupled to each other via an X2 interface (if the RAN 704 is an LTE RAN) or an Xn interface (if the RAN 704 is a 5G RAN). In some embodiments, the X2 / Xn interface may be divided into a control / user plane interface, which may allow the AN to communicate information related to handover, data / context transfer, mobility, load management, interference coordination, etc.

[0056] The ANs of the RAN 704 may each manage one or more cells, cell groups, component carriers, etc., to provide an air interface for network access to the UE 702. The UE 702 may simultaneously connect to multiple cells provided by the same or different ANs of the RAN 704. For example, the UE 702 and the RAN 704 may use carrier aggregation to allow the UE 702 to connect to multiple component carriers, each corresponding to a primary cell (Pcell) or a secondary cell (Scell). In a dual-connectivity scenario, the first AN may be a primary node providing a primary cell group (MCG), and the second AN may be a secondary node providing a secondary cell group (SCG). The first / second AN may be any combination of eNB, gNB, ng-eNB, etc.

[0057] RAN 704 may provide an air interface over a licensed spectrum or an unlicensed spectrum. To operate in an unlicensed spectrum, a node may use a licensed assisted access (LAA), enhanced LAA (eLAA), and / or further enhanced LAA (feLAA) mechanism based on carrier aggregation (CA) technology and PCell / Scell. Before accessing an unlicensed spectrum, a node may perform a medium / carrier sensing operation based on, for example, a listen-before-talk (LBT) protocol.

[0058] In a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) scenario, the UE 702 or AN 708 may be or act as a roadside unit (RSU), which may refer to any traffic infrastructure entity used for V2X communications. The RSU may be implemented in or by a suitable AN or a stationary (or relatively stationary) UE. An RSU implemented in or by a UE may be referred to as a "UE-type RSU"; an RSU implemented in or by an eNB may be referred to as an "eNB-type RSU"; an RSU implemented in or by a next-generation NodeB (gNB) may be referred to as a "gNB-type RSU"; and so on. In one example, an RSU is a computing device coupled to a radio frequency circuit located on the roadside that provides connection support for passing vehicle UEs. The RSU may also include internal data storage circuits to store intersection map geometry, traffic flow statistics, media, and applications / software for sensing and controlling ongoing vehicle and pedestrian traffic flows. The RSU may provide very low latency communications required for high-speed events such as collision avoidance, traffic flow warnings, etc. In addition or alternatively, the RSU may provide other cellular / WLAN communication services. The components of the RSU may be housed in a weatherproof enclosure suitable for outdoor installation and may include a network interface controller to provide a wired connection to a traffic flow signal controller or a backhaul network (e.g., Ethernet).

[0059] In some embodiments, the RAN 704 may be an LTE RAN 710 with an evolved NodeB (eNB) (e.g., eNB 712). The LTE RAN 710 may provide an LTE air interface with the following characteristics: SCS of 15 kHz; CP-OFDM waveform for DL ​​and SC-FDMA waveform for UL; turbo codes for data and TBCC for control; etc. The LTE air interface may rely on CSI-RS for CSI acquisition and beam management; rely on PDSCH / PDCCH demodulation reference signal (DMRS) for PDSCH / PDCCH demodulation; and rely on CRS for cell search and initial acquisition, channel quality measurement, and channel estimation to achieve coherent demodulation / detection at the UE. The LTE air interface may operate on frequency bands below 6 GHz.

[0060] In some embodiments, the RAN 704 may be a next generation (NG)-RAN 714 having a gNB (e.g., gNB 716) or an ng-eNB (e.g., ng-eNB 718). The gNB 716 may be connected to a 5G-enabled UE using a 5G NR interface. The gNB 716 may be connected to the 5G core via an NG interface, which may include an N2 interface or an N3 interface. The ng-eNB 718 may also be connected to the 5G core via an NG interface, but may also be connected to the UE via an LTE air interface. The gNB 716 and the ng-eNB 718 may be connected to each other via an Xn interface.

[0061] In some embodiments, the NG interface can be divided into two parts: an NG user plane (NG-U) interface (e.g., N3 interface), which carries traffic data between the nodes of the NG-RAN 714 and the UPF 748; and an NG control plane (NG-C) interface (e.g., N2 interface), which is a signaling interface between the nodes of the NG-RAN 714 and the access and mobility management function (AMF) 744.

[0062] NG-RAN 714 may provide a 5G-NR air interface with the following features: variable SCS; CP-OFDM for DL, CP-OFDM and DFT-s-OFDM for UL; polar code, repetition code, simple code, and Reed-Muller code for control and LDPC for data. The 5G-NR air interface may rely on CSI-RS, PDSCH / PDCCH DMRS similar to the LTE air interface. The 5G-NR air interface may not use CRS, but may use PBCH DMRS for PBCH demodulation; use PTRS for PDSCH phase tracking; and use tracking reference signals for time tracking. The 5G-NR air interface may operate on a FR1 band including bands below 6 GHz or a FR2 band including bands from 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz. The 5G-NR air interface may include an SSB, which is an area of ​​a downlink resource grid including PSS / SSS / PBCH.

[0063] In some embodiments, the 5G-NR air interface can utilize BWP for various purposes. For example, BWP can be used for dynamic adaptation of SCS. For example, UE 702 can be configured with multiple BWPs, each of which is configured with a different SCS. When the BWP change is indicated to UE 702, the transmitted SCS also changes. Another use case example of BWP is related to energy saving. Specifically, multiple BWPs with different numbers of frequency resources (e.g., PRBs) can be configured for UE 702 to support data transmission in different traffic load scenarios. BWPs containing fewer PRBs can be used for data transmission with smaller traffic loads, while allowing energy saving at UE 702 and in some cases gNB 716. BWPs containing more PRBs can be used in scenarios with higher traffic loads.

[0064] RAN 704 is communicatively coupled to CN 720, which includes network elements that provide various functions to support data and telecommunication services for customers / subscribers (e.g., users of UE 702). The components of CN 720 may be implemented in one physical node or in different physical nodes. In some embodiments, NFV may be used to virtualize any or all functions provided by the network elements of CN 720 onto physical computing / storage resources in servers, switches, etc. A logical instantiation of CN 720 may be referred to as a network slice, and a logical instantiation of a portion of CN 720 may be referred to as a network sub-slice.

[0065] In some embodiments, CN 720 may be LTE CN 722, which may also be referred to as EPC. LTE CN 722 may include a mobility management entity (MME) 724, a serving gateway (SGW) 726, a serving GPRS support node (SGSN) 728, a home subscriber server (HSS) 730, a proxy gateway (PGW) 732, and a policy control and charging rules function (PCRF) 734 coupled to each other via an interface (or "reference point"), as shown. The functions of the elements of LTE CN 722 may be briefly described as follows.

[0066] The MME 724 may implement mobility management functions to track the current location of the UE 702 to facilitate paging, bearer activation / deactivation, handoff, gateway selection, authentication, and the like.

[0067] The SGW 726 may terminate the S1 interface to the RAN and route data packets between the RAN and the LTE CN 722. The SGW 726 may be a local mobility anchor for handovers between RAN nodes and may also provide anchoring for inter-3GPP mobility. Other responsibilities may include lawful interception, charging, and some policy enforcement.

[0068] SGSN 728 can track the location of UE 702 and perform security functions and access control. In addition, SGSN 728 can perform inter-EPC node signaling for mobility between different RAT networks; PDN and S-GW selection specified by MME 724; MME selection for handover; etc. The S3 reference point between MME 724 and SGSN 728 can enable user and bearer information exchange for mobility between 3GPP access networks in idle / active states.

[0069] HSS 730 may include a database for network users (including subscription related information) to support network entities in handling communication sessions. HSS 730 may provide support for routing / roaming, authentication, authorization, naming / addressing resolution, location dependency, etc. The S6a reference point between HSS 730 and MME 724 may enable the transmission of subscription and authentication data for authenticating / authorizing user access to LTE CN 720.

[0070] The PGW 732 may terminate the SGi interface to a data network (DN) 736, which may include an application / content server 738. The PGW 732 may route data packets between the LTE CN 722 and the data network 736. The PGW 732 may be coupled to the SGW 726 via an S5 reference point to facilitate user plane tunneling and tunnel management. The PGW 732 may also include a node (e.g., PCEF) for policy enforcement and charging data collection. In addition, the SGi reference point between the PGW 732 and the data network 736 may be, for example, an operator external public, private PDN, or an operator internal packet data network for providing IMS services. The PGW 732 may be coupled to the PCRF 734 via a Gx reference point.

[0071] PCRF 734 is the policy and charging control element of LTE CN 722. PCRF 734 may be communicatively coupled to application / content server 738 to determine appropriate QoS and charging parameters for service flows. PCRF 732 may provide the relevant rules to PCEF (via Gx reference point) with appropriate TFT and QCI.

[0072] In some embodiments, CN 720 may be a 5G core network (5GC) 740. 5GC 740 may include an authentication server function (AUSF) 732, an access and mobility management function (AMF) 744, a session management function (SMF) 746, a user plane function (UPF) 748, a network slice selection function (NSSF) 750, a network exposure function (NEF) 752, a NF repository function (NRF) 754, a policy control function (PCF) 756, a unified data management (UDM) 758, and an application function (AF) 760 coupled to each other through an interface (or "reference point"), as shown. The functions of the elements of 5GC 740 can be briefly described as follows.

[0073] AUSF 742 can store data for authentication of UE 702 and handle authentication-related functions. AUSF 742 can facilitate a common authentication framework for various access types. In addition to communicating with other elements of 5GC 740 through reference points as shown, AUSF 742 can also present an interface based on NAUSF services.

[0074] AMF 744 may allow other functions of 5GC 740 to communicate with UE 702 and RAN 740 and subscribe to notifications about mobility events relative to UE 702. AMF 744 may be responsible for registration management (e.g., for registering UE 702), connection management, reachability management, mobility management, legal interception of AMF-related events, and access authentication and authorization. AMF 744 may provide for the transmission of session management (SM) messages between UE 702 and SMF 746 and act as a transparent proxy for routing SM messages. AMF 744 may also provide for the transmission of SMS messages between UE 702 and SMSF. AMF 744 may interact with AUSF 742 and UE 702 to perform various security anchoring and context management functions. In addition, AMF 744 can be the termination point of the RAN CP interface, which can include or be the N2 reference point between RAN 704 and AMF 744; AMF 744 can be the termination point of NAS (N1) signaling and perform NAS encryption and integrity protection. AMF 744 can also support NAS signaling with UE 702 through the N3 IWF interface.

[0075] SMF 746 may be responsible for: SM (e.g., session establishment, tunnel management between UPF 748 and AN 708); UE IP address allocation and management (including optional authorization); selection and control of UP functions; configuring traffic steering at UPF 748 to route traffic to the appropriate destination; terminating the interface to the policy control function; controlling part of policy enforcement, charging, and QoS; lawful interception (for SM events and interface to LI system); terminating the SM part of NAS messages; downlink data notification; initiating AN-specific SM information, which is sent to AN 708 on N2 via AMF 744; and determining the SSC mode for the session. SM may refer to the management of a PDU session, which may refer to a PDU connection service that provides or enables the exchange of PDUs between UE 702 and data network 736.

[0076] The UPF 748 may serve as an anchor point for intra-RAT and inter-RAT mobility, an external PDU session point interconnected with the data network 736, and a branch point to support multi-homed PDU sessions. The UPF 748 may also perform packet routing and forwarding, perform packet inspection, perform the user plane portion of policy rules, lawful interception of packets (UP collection), perform traffic usage reporting, perform QoS processing for the user plane (e.g., packet filtering, gating, UL / DL rate enforcement), perform uplink traffic validation (e.g., SDF to QoS flow mapping), transport level packet marking in uplink and downlink, and perform downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggering. The UPF 748 may include an uplink classifier to support routing of traffic flows to the data network.

[0077] The NSSF 750 may select a set of network slice instances to serve the UE 702. If necessary, the NSSF 750 may also determine the allowed network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) and the mapping to the subscribed single NSSAI (S-NSSAI). The NSSF 750 may also determine a set of AMFs or a list of candidate AMFs for serving the UE 702 based on appropriate configuration and possibly by querying the NRF 754. The selection of a set of network slice instances for the UE 702 may be triggered by the AMF 744 (with which the UE 702 registers by interacting with the NSSF 750), which may result in a change of the AMF. The NSSF 750 may interact with the AMF 744 via the N22 reference point; and may communicate with another NSSF in the visited network via the N31 reference point (not shown). In addition, the NSSF 750 may present an interface based on the Nnssf service.

[0078] NEF 752 can securely expose services and capabilities provided by 3GPP network functions for third parties, internal exposure / re-exposure, AF (e.g., AF 760), edge computing or fog computing systems, etc. In such an embodiment, NEF 752 can authenticate, authorize, or throttle AF. NEF 752 can also translate information exchanged with AF 760 and information exchanged with internal network functions. For example, NEF 752 can translate between AF service identifiers and internal 5GC information. NEF 752 can also receive information from other NFs based on the exposed capabilities of other NFs. The information can be stored at NEF 752 as structured data, or stored in a data storage NF using a standardized interface. The stored information can then be re-exposed to other NFs and AFs by NEF 752, or used for other purposes (such as analysis). In addition, NEF 752 can present an interface based on Nnef services.

[0079] NRF 754 may support service discovery functionality, receive NF discovery requests from NF instances, and provide information of discovered NF instances to NF instances. NRF 754 also maintains information of available NF instances and their supported services. As used herein, the terms "instantiate", "instantiation", etc. may refer to the creation of an instance, and "instance" may refer to the specific occurrence of an object, which may occur, for example, during the execution of a program code. In addition, NRF 754 may present an interface based on Nnrf services.

[0080] PCF 756 can provide policy rules to the control plane functions to enforce them, and can also support a unified policy framework for governing network behavior. PCF 756 can also implement a front end to access subscription information related to policy decisions in the UDR of UDM 758. In addition to communicating with functions through reference points as shown, PCF 756 also presents an interface based on Npcf services.

[0081] UDM 758 can process subscription-related information to support the processing of communication sessions by network entities, and can store subscription data of UE 702. For example, subscription data can be communicated between UDM 758 and AMF 744 via the N8 reference point. UDM 758 can include two parts: application front end and UDR. UDR can store structured data of subscription data and policy data of UDM 758 and PCF 756 and / or exposure and application data of NEF 752 (including PFD for application detection, application request information of multiple UE 702). Nudr service-based interface can be presented by UDR to allow UDM 758, PCF756, and NEF 752 to access a specific set of stored data and read, update (e.g., add, modify), delete, and subscribe to notifications about changes in related data in UDR. UDM may include UDM-FE, which is responsible for handling credentials, location management, subscription management, etc. Several different front ends can provide services for the same user in different transactions. UDM-FE accesses subscription information stored in UDR and performs authentication credential processing, user identity processing, access authorization, registration / mobility management, and subscription management. In addition to communicating with other NFs through reference points as shown, UDM 758 can also present Nudm service-based interfaces.

[0082] The AF 760 can provide application influence on traffic routing, provide access to the NEF, and interact with the policy framework for policy control.

[0083] In some embodiments, 5GC 740 can enable edge computing by selecting an operator / third-party service that is geographically close to the point where UE 702 is attached to the network. This can reduce latency and load on the network. In order to provide an edge computing implementation, 5GC 740 can select a UPF 748 close to UE 702 and perform traffic manipulation from UPF 748 to data network 736 through the N6 interface. This can be based on UE subscription data, UE location, and information provided by AF 760. In this way, AF 760 can affect UPF (re)selection and traffic routing. Based on operator deployment, when AF 760 is regarded as a trusted entity, the network operator can allow AF 760 to interact directly with related NFs. In addition, AF 760 can present an interface based on Naf services.

[0084] The data network 736 may represent various network operator services, Internet access, or third party services, which may be provided by one or more servers including, for example, an application / content server 738 .

[0085] Figure 8A wireless network 800 is shown in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. The wireless network 800 may include a UE 802 in wireless communication with an AN 804. The UE 802 and AN 804 may be similar to and substantially interchangeable with like-named components described elsewhere herein.

[0086] UE 802 may be communicatively coupled to AN 804 via connection 806. Connection 806 is shown as an air interface that enables the communicatively coupled and may be consistent with a cellular communication protocol, such as a 5G NR protocol or an LTE protocol operating at mmWave or sub-6 GHz frequencies.

[0087] UE 802 may include a host platform 808 coupled to a modem platform 810. Host platform 808 may include application processing circuitry 812, which may be coupled to protocol processing circuitry 814 of modem platform 810. Application processing circuitry 812 may run various applications that generate / aggregate application data for UE 802. Application processing circuitry 812 may also implement one or more layer operations for sending application data to or receiving application data from a data network. These layer operations may include transport (e.g., UDP) operations and Internet (e.g., IP) operations.

[0088] The protocol processing circuitry 814 may implement one or more layer operations for facilitating sending or receiving data over the connection 806. The layer operations implemented by the protocol processing circuitry 814 may include, for example, MAC, RLC, PDCP, RRC, and NAS operations.

[0089] The modem platform 810 may also include digital baseband circuitry 816, which may implement one or more layer operations that are "below" the layer operations performed by the protocol processing circuitry 814 in the network protocol stack. These operations may include, for example, PHY operations that include one or more of the following: HARQ-ACK functionality, scrambling / descrambling, encoding / decoding, layer mapping / demapping, modulation symbol mapping, received symbol / bit metric determination, multi-antenna port precoding / decoding (which may include one or more of space-time, space-frequency, or spatial coding), reference signal generation / detection, preamble sequence generation and / or decoding, synchronization sequence generation / detection, control channel signal blind decoding, and other related functions.

[0090] The modem platform 810 may also include a transmit circuit 818, a receive circuit 820, an RF circuit 822, and an RF front end (RFFE) circuit 824, which may include or be connected to one or more antenna panels 826. In brief, the transmit circuit 818 may include a digital-to-analog converter, a mixer, an intermediate frequency (IF) component, etc.; the receive circuit 820 may include an analog-to-digital converter, a mixer, an IF component, etc.; the RF circuit 822 may include a low noise amplifier, a power amplifier, a power tracking component, etc.; the RFFE 824 may include a filter (e.g., a surface / bulk acoustic wave filter), a switch, an antenna tuner, a beamforming component (e.g., a phased array antenna component), etc. The selection and arrangement of the components of the transmit circuit 818, the receive circuit 820, the RF circuit 822, the RFFE 824, and the antenna panel 826 (collectively referred to as "transmit / receive components") may be specific to the details of a particular implementation (e.g., whether the communication is TDM or FDM, using millimeter waves or using frequencies below 6 gHz, etc.). In some embodiments, the transmit / receive components may be arranged in multiple parallel transmit / receive chains, may be provided in the same or different chips / modules, and so on.

[0091] In some embodiments, the protocol processing circuit 814 may include one or more control circuit instances (not shown) for providing control functionality for the transmit / receive components.

[0092] UE reception may be established through antenna panel 826, RFFE circuitry 824, RF circuitry 822, receive circuitry 820, digital baseband circuitry 816, and protocol processing circuitry 814. In some embodiments, antenna panel 826 may receive transmissions from AN 804 by receiving beamformed signals received by multiple antennas / antenna elements of one or more antenna panels 826.

[0093] UE transmission can be established through protocol processing circuit 814, digital baseband circuit 816, transmit circuit 818, RF circuit 822, RFFE circuit 824, and antenna panel 826. In some embodiments, the transmit component of UE 804 can apply a spatial filter to the data to be transmitted to form a transmit beam emitted by the antenna elements of antenna panel 826.

[0094] Similar to UE 802, AN 804 may include a host platform 828 coupled to a modem platform 830. The host platform 828 may include an application processing circuit 832 coupled to a protocol processing circuit 834 of the modem platform 830. The modem platform may also include a digital baseband circuit 836, a transmit circuit 838, a receive circuit 840, an RF circuit 842, an RFFE circuit 844, and an antenna panel 846. The components of AN 804 may be similar to and substantially interchangeable with the components of the same name of UE 802. In addition to performing data transmission / reception as described above, the components of AN 808 may also perform various logical functions, including, for example, RNC functions such as radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management, and data packet scheduling.

[0095] Fig. 9 A block diagram of components capable of reading instructions from a machine-readable or computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium) and executing any one or more of the methods discussed herein according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, Fig. 9 A pictorial representation of hardware resources 900 is shown, including one or more processors (or processor cores) 910, one or more memory / storage devices 920, and one or more communication resources 930, each of which may be communicatively coupled via a bus 940 or other interface circuitry. For embodiments utilizing node virtualization (e.g., network function virtualization (NFV)), a hypervisor 902 may be executed to provide an execution environment utilizing hardware resources 900 for one or more network slices / subslices.

[0096] Processor 910 may include, for example, processor 912 and processor 914. Processor 910 may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a DSP such as a baseband processor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), another processor (including those discussed herein), or any suitable combination thereof.

[0097] The memory / storage device 920 may include main memory, disk storage, or any suitable combination thereof. The memory / storage device 920 may include, but is not limited to, any type of volatile, nonvolatile, or semi-volatile memory, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, solid-state storage, etc.

[0098] The communication resources 930 may include interconnect or network interface controllers, components, or other suitable devices for communicating with one or more peripheral devices 904 or one or more databases 906 or other network elements via the network 908. For example, the communication resources 930 may include wired communication components (e.g., for coupling via USB, Ethernet, etc.), cellular communication components, NFC components, (or low power consumption ) components, components, and other communication components.

[0099] The instructions 950 may include software, programs, applications, applet, applications, or other executable code for causing at least any processor 910 to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein. The instructions 950 may reside in whole or in part in at least one of the processor 910 (e.g., in a cache memory of the processor), the memory / storage device 920, or any suitable combination thereof. In addition, any portion of the instructions 950 may be transferred to the hardware resources 900 from any combination of the peripheral device 904 or the database 906. Therefore, the memory of the processor 910, the memory / storage device 920, the peripheral device 904, and the database 906 are examples of computer-readable and machine-readable media.

[0100] The following paragraphs describe examples of various embodiments.

[0101] Example 1 includes a device for trusted non-3GPP access network selection, wherein the device is used in a user equipment (UE) and includes a processor circuit, which is configured to enable the UE, when the UE is operating in a standalone non-public network (SNPN) access mode: to receive an access network query protocol (ANQP) information element from a wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein the ANQP information element is a SNPN list with a trusted 5G connection information element, the SNPN list indicating one or more SNPNs with a trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN; and based on the SNPN list with the trusted 5G connection information element, to select a SNPN with a trusted 5G connection for trusted non-3GPP access to a 5G core (5GC) network.

[0102] Example 2 includes the apparatus of Example 1, wherein the SNPN list with trusted 5G connection information element includes an SNPN identifier associated with each of one or more SNPNs with trusted 5G connection selectable from the WLAN.

[0103] Example 3 includes the apparatus of Example 1, wherein the SNPN list with trusted 5G connection information element includes one or more network selection group identifiers (GINs) supported by each of one or more SNPNs with trusted 5G connection selectable from the WLAN.

[0104] Example 4 includes the apparatus of Example 1, wherein the SNPN list with trusted 5G connection information element includes SNPN access information associated with each of one or more SNPNs with trusted 5G connection selectable from the WLAN.

[0105] Example 5 includes the apparatus of Example 1, wherein the SNPN list with a trusted 5G connection information element includes information for each of one or more SNPNs with a trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN, indicating whether the SNPN supports access using credentials from a credential holder.

[0106] Example 6 includes the apparatus of Example 1, wherein the SNPN list with a trusted 5G connection information element includes information for each of one or more SNPNs with a trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN, indicating whether the SNPN allows a UE that is not explicitly configured to select the SNPN to attempt to register with credentials from a credential holder.

[0107] Example 7 includes the apparatus of Example 1, wherein the SNPN list with a trusted 5G connection information element includes information indicating, for each of one or more SNPNs with a trusted 5G connection selectable from the WLAN, whether the SNPN supports the SNPN bootstrap service.

[0108] Example 8 includes the apparatus of Example 1, wherein the SNPN list with trusted 5G connection information element includes information indicating whether each of one or more SNPNs with trusted 5G connection selectable from the WLAN supports emergency services.

[0109] Example 9 includes the apparatus of Example 1, wherein the processor circuit is further configured to cause the UE to: create a prioritized available WLAN list based on a WLAN selection policy (WLANSP) rule, and receive an ANQP information element from each WLAN indicated by the prioritized available WLAN list.

[0110] Example 10 includes the apparatus of Example 9, wherein the WLAN SP rules are obtained from a public land mobile network (PLMN) when the UE is not operating in SNPN access mode.

[0111] Example 11 includes the apparatus of Example 9, wherein when the UE operates in SNPN access mode and supports accessing the SNPN using credentials from the credential holder, the WLAN SP rules are obtained from the credential holder.

[0112] Example 12 includes the apparatus of Example 11, wherein the processor circuit is further configured to cause the UE to, for each WLAN indicated in the priority available WLAN list: when both the WLAN and the UE support ANQP, send an ANQP request message to request a network access identifier (NAI) realm or a list of SNPN identifiers associated with one or more SNPNs with a trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN; or when the WLAN or the UE does not support ANQP, send an extensible authentication protocol (EAP) response or identity message to request a NAI realm or a list of SNPN identifiers associated with one or more SNPNs with a trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN.

[0113] Example 13 includes the apparatus of Example 12, wherein the processor circuit is further configured to cause the UE to, for each WLAN indicated in the priority available WLAN list: indicate to a user of the UE one or more SNPNs with a trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN for selection by the user based on user preferences.

[0114] Example 14 includes the apparatus of Example 12, wherein when the UE registers through 3GPP access, the WLAN SP rules are obtained from a subscribed SNPN subscription or a PLMN subscription for registering through 3GPP access.

[0115] Example 15 includes the apparatus of Example 12, wherein when the UE is not registered through 3GPP access, the WLANSP rule is obtained from a subscribed SNPN subscription or a PLMN subscription selected from a subscriber data list maintained by the UE.

[0116] Example 16 includes the apparatus of Example 14 or 15, wherein, when the UE receives a domain name list and a SNPN identifier list from a WLAN, the WLAN is included in a priority available WLAN list, the domain name list includes a home network domain name associated with an SNPN identifier included in a PLMN subscription, and the SNPN identifier list includes an SNPN identifier associated with the subscribed SNPN.

[0117] Example 17 includes the apparatus of Example 14, wherein the processor circuit is further configured to cause the UE to: when an NAI field included in the NAI field or the SNPN identifier list is associated with a registered SNPN (RSNPN) for 3GPP access, if the NAI field does not match an NAI field converted from any SNPN identifier included in a temporary or permanent prohibited SNPN list for non-3GPP access associated with a PLMN subscription, select the RSNPN for trusted non-3GPP access to the 5GC network, otherwise select the corresponding SNPN for trusted non-3GPP access to the 5GC network according to the priority order of the entries in the NAI field or the SNPN identifier list.

[0118] Example 18 includes the apparatus of Example 15, wherein the processor circuit is further configured to cause the UE to: select a corresponding SNPN for trusted non-3GPP access to the 5GC network based on an SNPN selection parameter included in a PLMN subscription.

[0119] Example 19 includes the apparatus of Example 12, wherein the processor circuit is further configured to cause the UE to: construct a NAI for trusted access to the selected SNPN based on a SNPN identifier of the selected SNPN.

[0120] Example 20 includes a method for trusted non-3GPP access network selection, wherein the method is used in a user equipment (UE) and includes, when the UE is operating in a standalone non-public network (SNPN) access mode: receiving an access network query protocol (ANQP) information element from a wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein the ANQP information element is a SNPN list with a trusted 5G connection information element, the SNPN list indicating one or more SNPNs with a trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN; and selecting a SNPN with a trusted 5G connection for trusted non-3GPP access to a 5G core (5GC) network based on the SNPN list with the trusted 5G connection information element.

[0121] Example 21 includes the method of Example 20, wherein the SNPN list with trusted 5G connection information element includes an SNPN identifier associated with each of one or more SNPNs with trusted 5G connection selectable from the WLAN.

[0122] Example 22 includes the method of Example 20, wherein the SNPN list with trusted 5G connection information element includes one or more network selection group identifiers (GINs) supported by each of one or more SNPNs with trusted 5G connection selectable from the WLAN.

[0123] Example 23 includes the method of Example 20, wherein the SNPN list with trusted 5G connection information element includes SNPN access information associated with each of one or more SNPNs with trusted 5G connection selectable from the WLAN.

[0124] Example 24 includes the method of Example 20, wherein the SNPN list with a trusted 5G connection information element includes information for each of one or more SNPNs with a trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN, indicating whether the SNPN supports access using credentials from a credential holder.

[0125] Example 25 includes the method of Example 20, wherein the SNPN list with a trusted 5G connection information element includes information for each of one or more SNPNs with a trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN, indicating whether the SNPN allows a UE that is not explicitly configured to select the SNPN to attempt to register with credentials from a credential holder.

[0126] Example 26 includes the method of Example 20, wherein the SNPN list with trusted 5G connection information element includes information indicating whether each of one or more SNPNs with trusted 5G connection selectable from the WLAN supports the SNPN bootstrap service.

[0127] Example 27 includes the method of Example 20, wherein the SNPN list with trusted 5G connection information element includes information indicating whether each of one or more SNPNs with trusted 5G connection selectable from the WLAN supports emergency services.

[0128] Example 28 includes the method of Example 20, wherein the method further comprises creating a prioritized available WLAN list based on a WLAN selection policy (WLANSP) rule, and receiving an ANQP information element from each WLAN indicated by the prioritized available WLAN list.

[0129] Example 29 includes the method of Example 28, wherein the WLAN SP rules are obtained from a public land mobile network (PLMN) when the UE is not operating in SNPN access mode.

[0130] Example 30 includes the method of Example 28, wherein when the UE operates in SNPN access mode and supports access to the SNPN using credentials from the credential holder, the WLAN SP rules are obtained from the credential holder.

[0131] Example 31 includes the method of Example 30, wherein the method further includes, for each WLAN indicated in the priority available WLAN list: when both the WLAN and the UE support ANQP, sending an ANQP request message to request a network access identifier (NAI) realm or a list of SNPN identifiers associated with one or more SNPNs with a trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN; or when the WLAN or the UE does not support ANQP, sending an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) response or identity message to request a NAI realm or a list of SNPN identifiers associated with one or more SNPNs with a trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN.

[0132] Example 32 includes the method of Example 31, wherein the method further comprises, for each WLAN indicated in the priority available WLAN list: indicating to a user of the UE one or more SNPNs with a trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN for selection by the user based on user preferences.

[0133] Example 33 includes the method of Example 31, wherein when the UE registers through 3GPP access, the WLAN SP rules are obtained from a subscribed SNPN subscription or a PLMN subscription for registration through 3GPP access.

[0134] Example 34 includes the method of Example 31, wherein when the UE is not registered through 3GPP access, the WLANSP rule is obtained from a subscribed SNPN subscription or a PLMN subscription selected from a subscriber data list maintained by the UE.

[0135] Example 35 includes the method of Example 33 or 34, wherein, when the UE receives a domain name list and a SNPN identifier list from a WLAN, the WLAN is included in a priority available WLAN list, the domain name list includes a home network domain name associated with an SNPN identifier included in a PLMN subscription, and the SNPN identifier list includes an SNPN identifier associated with the subscribed SNPN.

[0136] Example 36 includes the method of Example 33, wherein the method further includes: when the NAI field included in the NAI field or the SNPN identifier list is associated with a registered SNPN (RSNPN) for 3GPP access, if the NAI field does not match the NAI field converted from any SNPN identifier included in the temporary or permanent prohibited SNPN list for non-3GPP access associated with the PLMN subscription, then selecting the RSNPN for trusted non-3GPP access to the 5GC network, otherwise selecting the corresponding SNPN for trusted non-3GPP access to the 5GC network according to the priority order of the entries in the NAI field or the SNPN identifier list.

[0137] Example 37 includes the method of Example 34, wherein the method further includes: based on the SNPN selection parameters included in the PLMN subscription, selecting the corresponding SNPN for trusted non-3GPP access to the 5GC network.

[0138] Example 38 includes the method of Example 31, wherein the method further comprises constructing a NAI for trusted access to the selected SNPN based on a SNPN identifier of the selected SNPN.

[0139] Example 39 includes an apparatus for trusted non-3GPP access network selection, comprising an apparatus for implementing the method of any one of Examples 20 to 38.

[0140] Example 40 includes a user equipment (UE) comprising the apparatus of any one of Examples 1 to 19.

[0141] Example 41 includes a user equipment (UE) comprising an apparatus for implementing the method of any one of Examples 20 to 38.

[0142] Although certain embodiments are illustrated and described herein for descriptive purposes, various alternative and / or equivalent embodiments or implementations that achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. This application is intended to cover any modifications or variations of the embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is apparent that the embodiments described herein are subject to the limitations of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An apparatus for trusted non-3GPP access network selection, wherein the apparatus is used in a user equipment (UE) and comprises a processor circuit configured to, when the UE operates in a standalone non-public network (SNPN) access mode, cause the UE to: receiving an access network query protocol (ANQP) information element from a wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein the ANQP information element is a SNPN list with a trusted 5G connection information element, the SNPN list with a trusted 5G connection information element indicating one or more SNPNs with a trusted 5G connection selectable from the WLAN; and Based on the SNPN list with trusted 5G connection information elements, a SNPN with a trusted 5G connection is selected for trusted non-3GPP access to the 5G Core (5GC) network.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The SNPN list with trusted 5G connection information element includes an SNPN identifier associated with each of the one or more SNPNs with trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The SNPN list with trusted 5G connection information element includes one or more network selection group identifiers (GINs) supported by each of the one or more SNPNs with trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The SNPN list with trusted 5G connection information element includes SNPN access information associated with each of the one or more SNPNs with trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The SNPN list with trusted 5G connection information element contains information for each of the one or more SNPNs with trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN, indicating whether the SNPN supports access using credentials from a credential holder.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The SNPN list with trusted 5G connection information element contains information for each of the one or more SNPNs with trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN, indicating whether the SNPN allows a UE that is not explicitly configured to select the SNPN to attempt registration with credentials from a credential holder.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The SNPN list with trusted 5G connection information element contains information indicating whether each of the one or more SNPNs with trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN supports SNPN bootstrap service.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The SNPN list with trusted 5G connection information element contains information indicating whether each of the one or more SNPNs with trusted 5G connection that can be selected from the WLAN supports emergency services.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The processor circuit is further configured to cause the UE to: create a prioritized available WLAN list based on a WLAN selection policy (WLANSP) rule, and receive the ANQP information element from each WLAN indicated by the prioritized available WLAN list.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein: When the UE is not operating in SNPN access mode, the WLAN SP rules are obtained from a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN).

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein: When the UE operates in SNPN access mode and supports access to SNPN using credentials from a credential holder, the WLANSP rules are obtained from the credential holder.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein The processor circuit is further configured to cause the UE to, for each WLAN indicated by the priority available WLAN list: When both the WLAN and the UE support ANQP, sending an ANQP request message to request a network access identifier (NAI) field or a list of SNPN identifiers associated with the one or more SNPNs that can be selected from the WLAN with a trusted 5G connection; or When the WLAN or the UE does not support ANQP, an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) response or an identity message is sent to request the NAI realm or the list of SNPN identifiers associated with the one or more SNPNs that can be selected from the WLAN with a trusted 5G connection.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein: The processor circuit is further configured to cause the UE to, for each WLAN indicated by the priority available WLAN list: The one or more SNPNs selectable from the WLAN with a trusted 5G connection are indicated to a user of the UE for selection by the user based on user preferences.

14. The device according to claim 12, wherein: When the UE is registered through 3GPP access, the WLANSP rules are obtained from the subscribed SNPN subscription or PLMN subscription used for registration through 3GPP access.

15. The device according to claim 12, wherein: When the UE is not registered through 3GPP access, the WLANSP rule is obtained from a subscribed SNPN subscription or PLMN subscription selected from a subscriber data list maintained by the UE.

16. The device according to claim 14 or 15, wherein: When the UE receives a domain name list and a SNPN identifier list from a WLAN, the WLAN is included in the priority available WLAN list, the domain name list includes the home network domain name associated with the SNPN identifier included in the PLMN subscription, and the SNPN identifier list includes the SNPN identifier associated with the subscribed SNPN.

17. The device according to claim 14, wherein: The processor circuit is further configured to cause the UE to: When the NAI field included in the NAI field or the SNPN identifier list is associated with a registered SNPN (RSNPN) for 3GPP access, if the NAI field does not match the NAI field converted from any SNPN identifier included in the temporary or permanent prohibited SNPN list for non-3GPP access associated with the PLMN subscription, the RSNPN is selected for trusted non-3GPP access to the 5GC network, otherwise the corresponding SNPN is selected for trusted non-3GPP access to the 5GC network according to the priority order of the entries in the NAI field or the SNPN identifier list.

18. The device according to claim 15, wherein: The processor circuit is further configured to cause the UE to: Based on the SNPN selection parameters included in the PLMN subscription, a corresponding SNPN is selected for trusted non-3GPP access to the 5GC network.

19. The device according to claim 12, wherein: The processor circuit is further configured to cause the UE to: A NAI for trusted access to the selected SNPN is constructed based on the SNPN identifier of the selected SNPN.

20. A user equipment comprising the apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

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