Method and apparatus for optimizing user equipment capability signaling

Abstract

The invention provides a method and device for optimizing user equipment capability signaling. Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for UE capability signaling. In some example embodiments, an apparatus may be provided comprising at least: receiving a message from a user equipment capability management function, the message comprising a first restart counter value indicating a restart of the user equipment capability management function; in response to receiving the first restart counter value, inhibiting one or more old user equipment capability identifiers associated with a second restart counter value, the second restart counter value associated with a pre-restart state of the user equipment capability management function; and transmitting a first restart counter value indicating a restart of the user equipment capability management function. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also described.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with the application date of May 1, 2019, the application number of 201980097109.2, and the invention name of "Optimized User Equipment Capability Signaling for Recovery from Database Failures". Technical Field

[0002] The subject matter described herein relates to wireless. Background Art

[0003] In a cellular system, a user equipment (UE) may provide capability information to the network, such as the capabilities of the UE, including its capabilities for a radio access network (RAN). The size of the UE capability information may become significant over time. However, in 3GPP, work items are being advanced regarding the optimization of UE radio capability signaling in rel-16 (see, for example, 800025, FS_RACS, "Study on the Optimization of UE Radio Capability Signaling" and 800097, FS_RACS_RAN, "Study on the Optimization of UE Radio Capability Signaling - NR / E-UTRA Aspects"). Summary of the Invention

[0004] Methods and apparatus for user equipment capability signaling are provided, the methods and apparatus including a computer program product.

[0005] In some example embodiments, an apparatus may be provided, the apparatus including at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receive a message from a user equipment capability management function, the message including a first restart counter value indicating a restart of the user equipment capability management function; in response to receiving the first restart counter value, prohibit one or more old user equipment capability identifiers associated with a second restart counter value, the second restart counter value being associated with a pre-restart state of the user equipment capability management function; and transmit the first restart counter value indicating the restart of the user equipment capability management function.

[0006] In some variations, one or more of the features disclosed herein that include the following features may optionally be included in any feasible combination. A first restart counter value may be stored. When the apparatus receives a registration request including a user equipment capability identifier associated with a second restart counter value, and / or when checking against one or more user equipment capability identifiers stored for a registered user equipment, the apparatus may compare the second restart counter value with the first restart counter value to determine whether the second restart counter value matches the first restart counter value. A message may be sent to the radio access network to trigger the acquisition of user equipment capability information for the user equipment. The message may be sent when the apparatus does not include in its cache a user equipment capability identifier associated with the second restart counter value. A new user equipment capability identifier associated with user equipment capability information including at least one radio capability may be assigned to the user equipment, wherein the new user equipment capability identifier may be associated with the first restart counter value. In a registration acceptance message, a configuration update message, a globally unique temporary identifier reassignment command message, and / or a non-access stratum signaling message, the assigned new user equipment capability identifier may be sent to the user equipment. The new user equipment capability identifier and / or the first restart counter value may be sent to the radio network so that the radio access network can prohibit the use of one or more old user equipment capability identifiers associated with the second restart counter value. The user equipment capability identifier and / or the first restart counter associated with the first restart counter value may be stored. The new user equipment capability identifier and / or the first restart counter value may be sent to the radio access network via an N2 interface or an S1 interface message. Context information including an old user equipment radio capability identifier associated with the second restart counter value may be sent towards one or more user equipment. The first restart counter value indicating a restart of the user equipment capability management function may be sent towards the radio access network. The apparatus may be included in a core network node, an access and mobility management function, and / or a mobility management entity, or comprise a core network node, an access and mobility management function, and / or a mobility management entity.

[0007] In some example embodiments, an apparatus may be provided, the apparatus including at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receive a first user equipment capability identifier associated with a first restart counter value indicating a restart of a user equipment capability management function; associate the first user equipment capability identifier with at least one user equipment capability; and store the first restart counter value and / or the first user equipment capability identifier associated with the at least one user equipment capability.

[0008] In some variations, one or more of the features disclosed herein that include the following features may optionally be included in any feasible combination. A registration request including a first user equipment capability identifier associated with a first restart counter value may be sent to the core network via a radio access network. When compared with a second restart counter value associated with a second user equipment capability identifier for the device, the first restart counter value may indicate the most recent restart of the user equipment capability management function. In response to the received first user equipment capability identifier, the use of the second user equipment capability identifier may be prohibited. The prohibition of the second user equipment capability identifier may include deleting the second user equipment capability identifier. One or more user equipment capability identifiers associated with the second restart counter value may be cached after the reception of the first user equipment capability identifier associated with the first restart counter value, and the caching may include corresponding user equipment capability information. The first user equipment capability identifier associated with the first restart counter value may be received via a registration acceptance message, a configuration update message, a globally unique temporary identifier reassignment command message, and / or a non-access stratum signaling message. The first user equipment capability identifier may be sent to the radio access network. The device may be included in or include a user equipment.

[0009] The above aspects and features may be implemented in a system, apparatus, method, and / or article of manufacture according to a desired configuration. Details of one or more variations of the subject matter described herein are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the following description. The features and advantages of the subject matter described herein will be apparent from the specification, the drawings, and from the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] In the drawings,

[0011] Figure 1A an example of a portion of a 5G system according to some example embodiments is depicted;

[0012] Figure 1B an example of a portion of an evolved packet system according to some example embodiments is depicted;

[0013] Figure 2 an example of a process flow for handling UCMF failures and recovery according to some example embodiments is depicted;

[0014] Figure 3 an example of a process flow for handling restart counter values from the perspective of a network node according to some example embodiments is depicted;

[0015] Figure 4 another example of a process flow for handling restart counter values from the perspective of a user equipment according to some example embodiments is depicted;

[0016] Figure 5 depicts an example of a network node according to some example embodiments; and

[0017] Figure 6 depicts an example of a device according to some example embodiments.

[0018] In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to refer to the same or similar items. Detailed Description

[0019] As described above, a user equipment (UE) may provide UE capability information to the network, which can cause inefficiencies, including wasting storage resources as the size of the UE capability information increases, wasting spectrum, etc. 3GPP is proposing a solution that provides a centralized node (such as a UE Capability Management Function (UCMF)) to allocate a UE Radio Capability ID (also referred to as a UE Capability ID). The UE Radio Capability ID represents the capabilities of the UE, including the UE radio capabilities with respect to the RAN. This UE Radio Capability ID may be provided by the network and / or the UCMF to the UE, which stores the UE Radio Capability ID for the UE. The mapping of the UE Radio Capability ID to the associated UE capability information may also be cached in the network, such as in a core network node, a radio access node, etc. Subsequently, the UE Radio Capability ID may be sent by the UE to the network in one or more messages. For example, in a 5G system, the UE Radio Capability ID may then be sent by the UE to the network in one or more registration messages, while in an EPS (Evolved Packet System), the UE Radio Capability ID may then be sent by the UE to the network in one or more attachment messages (and / or Tracking Area Update messages). In either case, the network knows (based on the UE Radio Capability ID) the UE's capability information, which includes the UE's radio capabilities (e.g., supported radio access technologies, radio frequency parameters, supported frequency bands, etc.), without the network triggering a UE capability information query process to obtain the complete set of the UE's radio capabilities (thus saving signaling on the radio).

[0020] However, the use of a centralized node such as UCMF can cause problems regarding failures, such as hardware failures, software failures, data loss or corruption, and / or other problems that require restart or other types of recovery. For example, if UCMF fails and there is corresponding data loss of some (if not all) UE capability information, such as the mapping from each UE radio capability ID to the corresponding UE capability information (which includes the radio capabilities of the UE), the failure can cause problems in the public land mobile network (PLMN) because the PLMN may not be able to recover from the failure since the UE may have stale UE radio capability IDs, and the RAN and the core network may also cache the stale UE radio capability IDs and the mapped UE capability information.

[0021] After UCMF recovers from the failure, a solution to the problem is to indicate (e.g., signal, send, inform, etc.) the recovery of UCMF to the access and mobility management function (AMF) in the 5G system or the mobility management entity (MME) in EPS. Also, the solution can further indicate to the UE to prohibit the use (e.g., erase, delete, flush, ignore, clear, mark or indicate not to use, mark or indicate that the ID is stale, etc.) of the UE radio capability ID stored at the UE, which may no longer be suitable for use with the network due to ID staleness after the failure. The use of a stale UE radio capability ID can create problems for the PLMN as it is not known whether the stored UE radio capability ID of the UE was assigned before or after the UCMF failure. In short, after UCMF failure and restart, the PLMN does not know whether the UE radio capability ID provided by the UE was before the failure (and thus stale and / or no longer active or valid) or after the recovery (and thus stale and / or active or valid). Therefore, the drawback of this approach is that the UE needs to be informed (which has received the UE radio capability ID before the failure) to prohibit the use of its "stale" UE radio capability ID, and the network cannot determine whether the UE is using the "stale" UE radio capability ID. Therefore, it is necessary to determine at which time the UE capability ID is assigned (e.g., before UCMF recovery or after UCMF recovery).

[0022] In some example embodiments, a UE radio capability ID may be associated with an indicator to indicate that the UCMF has been restarted. The indicator may take the form of a counter of the UCMF in a PLMN (hereinafter referred to as "restart counter value"). For example, a field of the UE radio capability ID may include the restart counter value. The restart counter value may indicate whether the current UE radio capability ID is invalid (e.g., associated with the pre-failure state of the UCMF and thus not associated with the latest value of the restart counter) or a new UE radio capability ID (e.g., associated with the post-recovery state of the UCMF and / or the latest value of the restart counter). The restart counter value may be sent separately from the UE radio capability ID instead of including the restart counter value as a field in the UE radio capability ID. In some example embodiments, the restart counter value may be sent and stored together with the UE radio capability ID.

[0023] According to some example embodiments, when the UCMF recovers after a failure, the UCMF may indicate the value of the restart counter to a core network node. The value may be another restart counter value (e.g., "new restart counter value") to indicate that the restart counter value of the UCMF has changed, such as after recovery from a failure. In some example embodiments, the UCMF may actively indicate the new restart counter value to one or more core network nodes (e.g., without an explicit request from one or more core network nodes) or when requested or contacted by one or more core network nodes. For example, the UCMF may include the restart counter value in response to a core network node message (such as a request message, etc.). In some example embodiments, one or more core network nodes may indicate the new restart counter value to one or more RAN nodes contacted by the core network node. The core network node (which receives the new restart counter) may actively provide the new restart counter to the RAN (via a message) or in a response message to a request from a RAN node.

[0024] In some example embodiments, some (if not all) of the stored UE radio capability ID(s) and the corresponding old mapping(s) (associated with the old, pre-UCMF failure and / or recovery) may be prohibited from use at the UE, radio access network, core network node, and other nodes. In the network, the RAN and the core network may keep the "invalid" UE radio capability ID(s) cached for handling any existing registered UEs (which may use the invalid UE radio capability IDS until the UE radio capability ID becomes stale in the cache according to the cache policy).

[0025] When a network such as a core network node receives a UE radio capability ID from a UE, the network may compare the restart counter value provided by the UE (which is included in or provided together with the UE radio capability ID) with the most recent UCMF-provided restart counter value. The UE radio capability ID including the restart counter value may be received in a 5G system registration message or an attach (or tracking area update) message in 4G / LTE / EPS. If there is a mismatch between the restart counter value provided by the UE and the most recent UCMF-provided restart counter value, the UE radio capability ID received from the UE may not be used by the network (e.g., prohibited, etc.), except possibly for any available mapping of the UE radio capability ID (received from the UE) from its cache to UE capability information. The mismatch signals to the network node that the UE is using an invalid UE radio capability ID.

[0026] If a mismatch of the restart counter value is detected and / or the core network does not store the old invalid restart counter value of the UE radio capability ID provided by the UE in its cache of the UE radio capability ID to UE capability information mapping, the network may obtain UE capability information for the UE. To this end, the network may then request, receive, and / or obtain the UE's capability information (e.g., via a UE capability information query). However, if the core network caches the old invalid UE radio capability ID provided by the UE, the core network may use the new radio capability ID of these cached values that is mapped to the UE capability information (which corresponds to the old invalid UE radio capability ID received from the UE). In the query or cache scenario, once the core network has the current UE capability information set for the UE, the core network may request the UCMF to assign a new UE radio capability ID for the UE capability information set. The "new" here indicates that the UE radio capability ID is newer in time than the old invalid UE capability assigned by the UCMF after a UCMF restart and / or before a fault and / or recovery.

[0027] The network may map and cache a new UE radio capability ID of the UCMF associated with (e.g., including, mapped to, etc.) a new restart counter value to the UE capability information for the UE. The network may then indicate the new UE radio capability ID (which is associated with the new restart counter value) to the UE in a registration acceptance message in the 5G system or (where applicable) in an attachment acceptance or tracking area update acceptance message in EPS. Alternatively, the new UE radio capability ID (which is associated with the new restart counter value) may be conveyed to the UE in a UE configuration update message in the 5G system, a globally unique temporary identifier (GUTI) reallocation command message in EPS, and / or other types of non-access stratum signaling messages initiated from the core network and received by the UE in the 5G system and / or EPS. The UE may store the restart counter value assigned by the UCMF together with the UE radio capability ID (in cases where the restart counter value is not part of the UE radio capability ID itself) as part of a set of UE radio capability IDs for the PLMN. If the UE has other UE radio capability IDs of another UE capability set previously signaled by the UE and the other UE radio capability IDs are associated with an older UCMF restart counter value, the UE may maintain storing the UE radio capability IDs associated with the older UCMF restart counter value based on a local caching policy considering these as invalid values, which are associated with other potential UE radio configurations that the UE may signal in the future. The objectives of the operator may include minimizing the time to obtain UE capability information from the UE over the air interface, so that if these UE radio capability IDs related to other radio configurations are retained in the UE, these IDs may be signaled in the future, with the expectation that the network may also store these IDs and be able to interpret them. However, in the UE and the network, the invalid UE radio capability IDs (e.g., those associated with the old UCFM restart counter) may be removed from the cache / storage with a priority relative to the invalid UE radio capability IDs associated with the current UCMF restart counter. By repeating this process that occurs each time the UE indicates a UE radio capability ID that has a UCMF restart counter that is not current, or by the AMF / MME updating the UE that has an invalid UE radio capability ID in its UE context in the AMF / MME even before these UEs contact the AMF and MME via registration / mobility management or other non-access stratum signaling messages, the database of UE radio capability IDs of the UCMF (each of which is associated with related UE capability information) may be repopulated over time for the UE. And this may enable the trimming after a failure and recovery of the UCMF.

[0028] Before providing additional description regarding the restart counter value of the UCMF according to some example embodiments, reference is made to Figure 1ADescribes an example of a portion of a 5G wireless network 100. Figure 1A Depicts an example of network 100 according to some example embodiments. Network 100 may include 5G technology as well as other types of radio technologies.

[0029] Network 100 may include one or more user equipments (UEs), such as UE 150A configured to be wirelessly coupled to at least one radio access network, such as a 5G radio access network (RAN) 152 served by a wireless access point, such as a 5G base station, an LTE base station (eNB), a wireless local area network access point, a home base station, and / or other types of wireless access points. When accessing the network, the UE may access the radio access network of the access network.

[0030] Network 100 may include a core network, which may include an access and mobility management function (AMF) 154, a session management function (SMF) 156, a user plane function (UPF) 158, a network exposure function (NEF) 166, an application function (AF) 182, etc. In Figure 1A the example, devices 152 to 164 may be associated with a visited public land mobile network (VPLMN) 166. The UPF may interface with a data network (DN) 196. The AMF 178 may interface with a user data management function (UDM) in a home public land mobile network (HPLMN) 170.

[0031] In Figure 1A the example, according to some example embodiments, the network includes a UCMF 199, which includes a counter 198 configured to provide a restart counter value. The UCMF may be a core network node, and the UCMF may also interface with the AMF154, the NEF 166, the AF 172, and / or other nodes.

[0032] Figure 1A Service interfaces such as N1, N2, N6, etc. are also depicted. The architecture, nodes (including the AMF, SMF, and other devices depicted in Figure 1A this description) and service interfaces may be defined according to standards such as 3GPP TS23.501, although other standards and proprietary interfaces may also be used.

[0033] Some nodes of network 100 may be implemented as dedicated physical devices, while other elements may be virtualized. For example, core network nodes such as the AMF, SMF, etc. may be hosted on a dedicated machine, or it may be hosted on a virtual machine (which executes on, for example, a computer or other type of physical data processor) and utilize other virtualized core network node functions to be dynamically instantiated. In addition, although Figure 1AA certain number of nodes are described (e.g., a single RAN, AMF, etc.), but other numbers of each node can also be implemented. And although Figure 1A a single access network and a single home network are depicted, but other numbers of access and / or home networks can also be included.

[0034] Figure 1B An example of the implementation of the EPS network 199 according to some example embodiments is depicted. Figure 1B A UCMF 199 is depicted, which interfaces to a service capability exposure function (SCEF) 188, an application function (AS) 172, and a mobility management entity (MME) 176. The network 199 also includes a UE 150A, an evolved UMTS terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) 174, a serving gateway (S-GW) 180, a packet gateway (PGW) 178, and a home subscriber server (HSS) 182.

[0035] Figure 2 An example of a process 200 used in conjunction with the restart counter value of the UCMF according to some example embodiments is depicted.

[0036] At 210, according to some example embodiments, the UCMF 199 can reset the restart counter 198 of the UCMF, which generates a new restart counter value to indicate that the UCMF has recovered after a failure. The failure and recovery can be a complete or partial failure related to hardware, software, data loss, or some other reason that causes the UCMF to need to be restarted (e.g., an interruption in UCMF operation or corruption of UE radio capability ID or mapping information). In Figure 2 the example, the previous old failure counter value "x" is incremented by 1 ("+1") to indicate the new restart counter value. Thus, a network node or UE can determine that a UE radio capability ID including the previous restart counter value of "x" represents a "failed" UE radio capability ID that should not be used. In some example embodiments, the restart counter value is stored in a persistent manner in the UCMF persistent memory such that the value of the restart counter value can be incremented when recovering after a failure.

[0037] At 220, according to some example embodiments, the UCMF 199 can notify another node (such as the AMF 154) of the new restart counter value. In response to resetting the counter at 210, the UCMF can notify the AMF of the new restart counter value by sending a message. Based on the present disclosure, it can be understood that any AMF (which can be in Figure 2The active method shown in [figure] receives the restart counter from the UCMF) may have contacted the UCMF at least once and may have obtained the first value of the UCMF restart counter for the UCMF at that time, and may also subscribe to these notifications from the UCMF (or this may be configured in the UCMF to be automatically subscribed at any time when the AMF first contacts the UCMF). Alternatively or additionally, a new value of the restart counter may be provided in a response message to a request from the UCMF (for example, a request to assign a new UE radio capability ID to the UE, or a request to resolve the UE radio capability ID provided by the UE in a registration request message to the AMF).

[0038] At 230, according to some example embodiments, a network node such as the AMF 154 may prohibit the use of one or more old, (multiple) invalid UE radio capability IDs and may store the new restart counter value received at 220. The AMF may receive the new restart counter value and determine (e.g., based on a comparison with what was stored prior to the UCMF's failure and recovery) that the UCMF has reset the counter 198 (e.g., due to a failure and recovery). In this way, the AMF may prohibit the use (e.g., erase, delete, flush, ignore, clear, mark or indicate non-use, mark or indicate ID invalidation, etc.) of some (if not all) of the old UE radio capability IDs associated with the old, invalid restart counter value of the UCMF (and / or any associated mapped UE capability information). For example, the AMF may delete these old UE radio capability IDs, or alternatively, cache these old UE radio capability IDs together with the mapped UE capability information that has an indication that they are invalid. Caching may allow the UE capability information to be re-assigned to new UE radio capability IDs, which may reduce the need to request the full set of their UE capability information from the UE via UE capability query messages. In Figure 2 the example, the new restart counter value is x + 1, while the stored restart counter is x, so there is a mismatch, and the AMF may then delete or cache any UE radio capability IDs included with or associated with the older stored restart counter of x due to invalidation. As described above, the AMF may store the new restart counter value received at 220.

[0039] At 240, according to some example embodiments, a network node such as the AMF 154 may send the new restart counter value to the RAN 152. For example, the AMF may send the new restart counter value of the UCMF (which is "x + 1" in this example) to the RAN as part of an AMF configuration update message in order to update the RAN with the new restart counter value of the UCMF.

[0040] At 250, according to some example embodiments, the RAN 152 may prohibit the use of one or more old and invalid UE radio capability IDs and may store the new restart counter value received at 240. As in the case of the AMF at 230, the RAN 152 may cache these old UE radio capability IDs together with the UE capability information mapped with an indication that they are invalid. In this way, if an old UE radio capability ID is needed in the RAN for a UE that is registered, connected, and continues to use the old value in its RAN context, the old UE radio capability ID can be retrieved from the cache. Returning to the previous example where the new restart counter value is x + 1 and the stored restart counter is x, the RAN may delete the restart counter value <x + 1 or one or more UE radio capability IDs associated with the restart counter value <x + 1, or, in the case where these IDs are still needed in the RAN for the UE that is still registered and connected, cache them as invalid values and keep using the old value in its RAN context. As described above, the RAN may store the new restart counter value x + 1 received at 220.

[0041] At 260, according to some example embodiments, the UE 150A may send a message including a UE radio capability ID to the network, and the UE radio capability ID further includes a restart counter value. For example, the UE 150A may send a registration request to the AMF 154. The registration request may include a UE radio capability ID that includes a restart counter value, which is x in the Figure 2 example. In response, the AMF may determine (e.g., based on a comparison with what was stored prior to the failure and recovery of the UCMF) that the UE has an invalid UE radio capability ID because the new restart counter is x + 1 in this example. When this is the case and / or the AMF no longer caches the invalid UE radio capability ID, the AMF may send a message to the RAN to obtain the UE's capability information.

[0042] At 270, according to some example embodiments, the AMF 154 may send a message (such as an initial context setup request message) to the RAN 152 to trigger the RAN to query the UE's capability information. For example, the initial context upgrade request may include an indication, such as no UE radio capability ID and / or no capability. When received at the RAN, this indication may trigger the RAN to trigger a UE capability query process to obtain information about the UE's capabilities.

[0043] At 280, according to some example embodiments, a UE capability query occurs. For example, the RAN 152 may send a UE capability query message to the UE 150A. This message represents a network request for the UE to provide UE capability information, and in particular the network of the UE including RAN capability information. In response to the UE capability query message, the UE may utilize the UE capability information to respond to the RAN.

[0044] At 290, according to some example embodiments, the RAN 152 may provide UE capability information including the radio capabilities of the UE to the AMF 154 via the N2 interface.

[0045] At 299, according to some example embodiments, the UE may be assigned a new UE radio capability ID. The assigned new UE radio capability ID may be mapped to the UE capability information signaled at 290 or the UE capability obtained from the cache (e.g., UE capability information that is still valid but mapped to an old expired UE radio capability ID). Since the AMF has the current UE capability information, the AMF may request the UCMF to provide the UE radio capability ID of the UE capability information, such as the radio capabilities of the UE. When the UCMF returns this value to the AMF, the AMF provides this new UE radio capability ID value to the UE in the registration acceptance message (associated with a new UCMF restart counter, which in this example is "x + 1"). Alternatively, the UE radio capability ID (including the new UCMF restart counter value or together with the new UCMF restart counter value) may be transmitted to the UE in a UE configuration update message in the 5G system or other types of non-access stratum signaling messages initiated from the core network and received by the UE in the 5GS. In addition, the AMF may provide this new value of the UE radio capability ID (including the new UCMF restart counter value or together with the new UCMF restart counter value, which in this example is "x + 1") to the RAN in a UE context update or initial context establishment request context message as specified in 3GPP TS 23.501 and 3GPP TS 38.413. When the UE receives the UE radio capability ID (which may be associated with a new UCMF restart counter), the UE may retain (which may be subject to a cache policy that may consider these as expired IDs) its other UE radio capability IDs stored for the PLMN for other radio configurations with older restart counter values, so that when the UE changes the radio configuration, the UE can still indicate these to the network in case the network has also cached the expired values (the intention here is to minimize the need to trigger the UE capability query 280).

[0046] Figure 3 An example of a process 300 for handling the restart counter value of the UCMF according to some example embodiments is depicted.

[0047] At 302, according to some example embodiments, a network node such as AMF 154 may receive a message including a restart counter value from UCMF 199. A network node such as AMF may determine that when it receives a UCMF message including a restart counter value, the UCMF has recovered from a failure or some other type of event that requires deletion of older UE radio capability IDs or marking them as invalid in its cache.

[0048] According to some example embodiments, in response to receiving the restart counter value, a network node such as AMF 154 may, at 304, prohibit the use of one or more old UE radio capability IDs (e.g., delete, mark them as invalid, and / or keep them in the cache). Additionally, according to some example embodiments, the network node may, at 306, store the new restart counter value received at 230 as described above.

[0049] According to some example embodiments, a network node such as AMF 154 may, at 308, send the new restart counter value of the UCMF to other nodes such as RAN 152. For example, the AMF may send the new restart counter value of the UCMF as part of an AMF configuration update to the RAN (or other nodes including the UE).

[0050] At 310, according to some example embodiments, a network node such as AMF 154 may receive a registration request including a restart counter value. For example, the AMF may receive a UE radio capability ID including a restart counter value with a value of x. In this way, the AMF may determine (e.g., based on a mismatch or comparison with what was stored before the UCMF failure and recovery) that the UE has an invalid UE radio capability ID because in this example the new restart counter is x + 1. When it is determined that the UE capability is invalid based on the restart counter value as described above, this may trigger the AMF to send a message to RAN 152 at 312 to obtain the UE's capability information. However, if the AMF stores the invalid UE radio capability ID value (associated with the received invalid restart counter value) and the UE radio capability information mapped to that ID in the cache, the AMF may not need to trigger obtaining the radio capability from the UE, but rather the AMF may use the cached UE capability information (e.g., radio capability).

[0051] At 314, if a network node such as AMF 154 has triggered UE capability acquisition at 312, it can receive UE capability information including the UE's radio capabilities via the N2 interface. At 316, a network node such as AMF 154 can assign a new UE radio capability ID to the UE, as described above at 299. The assignment can include requesting the UCMF to provide a UE radio capability ID corresponding to the current set of UE capabilities (e.g., the UE's radio capabilities) and sending it to the UE, for example, in a registration acceptance message. Alternatively, a new UCMF restart counter value or a UE radio capability ID associated with the new UCMF restart counter value can be transmitted in a UE configuration update message in the 5G system or other types of non-access stratum signaling messages initiated from the core network and received by the UE in the 5G system. If the UE receives a UE radio capability ID with a new restart counter, the UE can prohibit the use of the corresponding UE radio capability ID with the old UCMF restart counter. However, in cases where it is understood that the UE caching policy can consider any other UE radio capability IDs of other UE radio configurations with the old restart counter as invalid IDs, when the UE changes the radio configuration and the network caches these old values (thus avoiding the need to trigger UE capability acquisition from the AMF), any other UE radio capability IDs of other UE radio configurations with the old restart counter need to be signaled, the UE can still retain any other UE radio capability IDs of other UE radio configurations with the old restart counter.

[0052] Figure 4 Another example of a process 400 for handling the restart counter value of the UCMF is depicted in accordance with some example embodiments.

[0053] At 405, in accordance with some example embodiments, UE 150A can send a registration request including a restart counter value towards AMF 154.

[0054] In accordance with some example embodiments, when the restart counter value sent by the UE is invalid and the AMF does not cache the UE radio capability ID value including the invalid UCMF restart counter or associated with the invalid UCMF restart counter sent by the UE, the UE can receive a request to provide UE capability information from the network at 410. For example, UE 150A can receive a UE capability query message from RAN 152, which triggers the UE to respond by providing the current UE capability information of the UE including radio capabilities to the network (e.g., RAN, AMF, etc.) at 412.

[0055] And when the restart counter value is invalid, at 415, the UE may receive, in a registration acceptance message from the AMF (or in a UE configuration update message in the 5G system, or in some other non-access stratum signaling message initiated by the core network in the 5G system and received by the UE), another UE radio capability ID that is mapped to the UE capability information provided at 412. For example, as described above at 210, the other UE radio capability ID may include a new UE radio capability ID that includes a new restart counter generated after recovery or associated with the new restart counter. At 420, the UE may store the new UE radio capability ID (which includes the new restart counter) that is mapped to the UE capability information, and erase the corresponding old UE radio capability ID value. As described above, the UE may retain other UE radio capability IDs for other UE radio configurations with old restart counter values.

[0056] In some exemplary embodiments, when the AMF detects an invalid UE radio capability ID value in the UE context (stored by the AMF for a registered UE), the AMF may use a UE configuration update message in the 5G system (5GS) or a GUTI reallocation command message in EPS, and / or some other type of non-access stratum signaling message initiated by the core network in the 5GS and / or EPS and received by the UE, to proactively update the UE with the new UE radio capability ID without waiting for the next UE registration.

[0057] Figure 5 A block diagram of a network node 500 is depicted in accordance with some example embodiments. The network node 500 may be configured to provide one or more network-side functions, such as a base station (e.g., RAN 152), AMF 154, UCMF 199, and / or other network nodes.

[0058] According to some example embodiments, network node 500 may include a network interface 502, a processor 520, and a memory 504. The network interface 502 may include a wired and / or wireless transceiver to enable access to other nodes, including base stations, devices 152 to 180, the Internet, and / or other nodes. The memory 504 may include volatile and / or non-volatile memory including program code which, when executed by at least one processor 520, provides in particular the processes disclosed herein with respect to the network node (see, for example, processes 200, 300, etc.). For example, the network node may be configured to receive at least a message from a user equipment capability management function including a first restart counter value indicating a restart of the user equipment capability management function. In response to receiving the first restart counter value, the network node may also prohibit one or more old user equipment capability identifiers associated with a second restart counter value, the second restart counter value being associated with the state of the user equipment capability management function prior to the restart. The network node may also send the first restart counter value indicating the restart of the user equipment capability management function. The network node may also be configured to provide one or more of the following operations. When the network node receives a registration request including a user equipment capability identifier associated with a second restart counter value, and / or when checking one or more user equipment capability identifiers stored for a registered user equipment, the network node may compare the second restart counter value with the first restart counter value to determine whether the second restart counter value matches the first restart counter value. A message may be sent to the radio access network to trigger the acquisition of user equipment capability information for the user equipment. The message may be sent when the network node does not include in its cache a user equipment capability identifier associated with the second restart counter value. A new user equipment capability identifier associated with user equipment capability information including at least one radio capability may be assigned to the user equipment, where the new user equipment capability identifier may be associated with the first restart counter value. The assigned new user equipment capability identifier may be sent to the user equipment in a registration acceptance message, a configuration update message, a globally unique temporary identifier reassignment command message, and / or a non-access stratum signaling message. The new user equipment capability identifier and / or the first restart counter value may be sent to the radio access network so that the radio access network can prohibit the use of one or more old user equipment capability identifiers associated with the second restart counter value. The user equipment capability identifier and / or the first restart counter associated with the first restart counter value may be stored. The new user equipment capability identifier and / or the first restart counter value may be sent to the radio access network via an N2 interface or an S1 interface message. Context information including an old user equipment radio capability identifier associated with the second restart counter value may be sent towards one or more user equipment. The first restart counter value indicating the restart of the user equipment capability management function may be sent to the radio access network.

[0059] Figure 6 FIG. illustrates a block diagram of apparatus 10 in accordance with some example embodiments.

[0060] Apparatus 10 may represent a user equipment, such as user equipments 150A to 150C. Apparatus 10 or portions thereof may be implemented in other network nodes including a base station / WLAN access point and other network nodes (e.g., equipments 152 to 184).

[0061] Apparatus 10 may include at least one antenna 12 that communicates with a transmitter 14 and a receiver 16. Alternatively, the transmit and receive antennas may be separate. Apparatus 10 may also include a processor 20 that is configured to provide signals to and receive signals from the transmitter and receiver, respectively, and control the functions of the apparatus. Processor 20 may be configured to control the functions of the transmitter and receiver by causing control signaling to the transmitter and receiver via electrical conductors. Similarly, processor 20 may be configured to cause control signaling to control other elements of apparatus 10 by via electrical leads that connect processor 20 to other elements such as a display or a memory. For example, processor 20 may be implemented in various ways, including circuitry, at least one processing core, one or more microprocessors with an accompanying digital signal processor, one or more processors without an accompanying digital signal processor, one or more coprocessors, one or more multi-core processors, one or more controllers, processing circuitry, one or more computers, various other processing elements including integrated circuits (e.g., application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc.), or some combination thereof. Thus, although illustrated as a single processor in Figure 6 , in some example embodiments, processor 20 may include multiple processors or processing cores.

[0062] Apparatus 10 is capable of operating using one or more air interface standards, communication protocols, modulation types, access types, etc. Signals transmitted and received by processor 20 may include signaling information according to an air interface standard of an applicable cellular system, and / or any number of different wired or wireless networking technologies including, but not limited to, Wi-Fi, wireless local area network (WLAN) technologies such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, 802.16, 802.3, ADSL, DOCSIS, etc. In addition, these signals may include voice data, user-generated data, user-requested data, etc.

[0063] For example, the device 10 and / or the cellular modem therein can operate according to various first-generation (1G) communication protocols, second-generation (2G or 2.5G) communication protocols, third-generation (3G) communication protocols, fourth-generation (4G) communication protocols, fifth-generation (5G) communication protocols, Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) communication protocols (such as, for example, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), etc.). For example, the device 10 can operate according to 2G wireless communication protocols such as IS-136, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), IS-95, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), etc. Additionally, for example, the device 10 can operate according to 2.5G wireless communication protocols such as General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), etc. Additionally, for example, the device 10 can operate according to 3G wireless communication protocols such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Code Division Multiple Access 2000 (CDMA2000), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA), etc. The device 10 can additionally be capable of operating according to 3.9G wireless communication protocols such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), etc. Additionally, for example, the device 10 can operate according to 4G wireless communication protocols such as Advanced LTE, 5G, etc., and similar wireless communication protocols that may be developed subsequently.

[0064] It can be understood that the processor 20 can include circuitry for implementing the audio / video and logic functions of the device 10. For example, the processor 20 can include a digital signal processor device, a microprocessor device, an analog-to-digital converter, a digital-to-analog converter, etc. The control and signal processing functions of the device 10 can be distributed among these devices according to their respective capabilities. The processor 20 can additionally include an internal voice coder (VC) 20a, an internal data modem (DM) 20b, etc. Additionally, the processor 20 can include functions for operating one or more software programs that can be stored in the memory. Generally, the processor 20 and the stored software instructions can be configured to cause the device 10 to perform actions. For example, the processor 20 can operate connection programs such as a web browser. The connectivity process can allow the device 10 to send and receive web content such as location-based content according to protocols such as Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.

[0065] Device 10 may also include a user interface that includes, for example, headphones or speakers 24, a ringer 22, a microphone 26, a display 28, a user input interface, etc., which may be operably coupled to the processor 20. As described above, the display 28 may include a touch-sensitive display where the user can touch and / or gesture to make selections, enter values, etc. The processor 20 may also include user interface circuitry configured to control at least some functions of one or more elements of the user interface, such as the speakers 24, the ringer 22, the microphone 26, the display 28, etc. The processor 20 and / or the user interface circuitry including the processor 20 may be configured to control one or more functions of one or more elements of the user interface via computer program instructions (such as software and / or firmware) stored in a memory accessible by the processor 20 (such as volatile memory 40, non-volatile memory 42, etc.). Device 10 may include a battery for powering various circuits associated with the mobile terminal, such as a circuit that provides mechanical vibration as a detectable output. The user input interface may include devices that allow the device 20 to receive data, such as a keypad 30 (which may be a virtual keypad presented on the display 28 or an externally coupled keypad) and / or other input devices.

[0066] As Figure 6 shown, device 10 may also include one or more mechanisms for sharing and / or obtaining data. For example, device 10 may include a short-range radio frequency (RF) transceiver and / or interrogator 64 and thus may share data with and / or obtain data from an electronic device according to RF technology. Device 10 may include other short-range transceivers, such as an infrared (IR) transceiver 66, a Bluetooth™ (BT) transceiver 68 operating using Bluetooth TM wireless technology, a wireless universal serial bus (USB) transceiver 70, a Bluetooth TM low energy transceiver, a ZigBee transceiver, an ANT transceiver, a cellular device-to-device transceiver, a wireless local area link transceiver, and / or any other short-range radio technology. Device 10, and particularly the short-range transceiver, is capable of sending data to and / or receiving data from an electronic device in the vicinity of the device (such as within, for example, 10 meters). Device 10 including a Wi-Fi or wireless local area networking modem is also capable of sending and / or receiving data from an electronic device according to various wireless networking technologies, including 6LoWpan, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi low power, WLAN technologies such as IEEE 802.11 technologies, IEEE 802.15 technologies, IEEE 802.16 technologies, etc.

[0067] Device 10 may include a memory (such as a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) 38, Removable User Identity Module (R-UIM), eUICC, UICC, etc.), which may store information elements related to a mobile subscriber. In addition to the SIM, device 10 may include other removable and / or fixed memories. Device 10 may include a volatile memory 40 and / or a non-volatile memory 42. For example, the volatile memory 40 may include a Random Access Memory (RAM), which includes dynamic and / or static RAM, on-chip or off-chip cache memory, etc. The non-volatile memory 42, which may be embedded and / or removable, may include, for example, Read Only Memory, Flash Memory, magnetic storage devices such as hard disks, floppy disk drives, magnetic tapes, optical disk drives and / or media, Non-Volatile Random Access Memory (NVRAM), etc. Similar to the volatile memory 40, the non-volatile memory 42 may include a cache area for temporarily storing data. At least a portion of the volatile and / or non-volatile memory may be embedded in the processor 20. The memory may store one or more software programs, instructions, multiple pieces of information, data, etc., which may be used by the device to perform the operations disclosed herein, such as receiving a first user equipment capability identifier associated with a first restart counter value indicating a restart of a user equipment capability management function; associating the first user equipment capability identifier with at least one user equipment capability; and storing the first restart counter value and / or the first user equipment capability identifier associated with at least one user equipment capability. Alternatively or additionally, the device may be configured to cause the operations disclosed herein regarding a base station / WLAN access point and a network node including the UE.

[0068] The memory may include an identifier capable of uniquely identifying device 10, such as an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) code. The memory may include an identifier capable of uniquely identifying device 10, such as an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) code. In an example embodiment, the processor 20 may be configured using computer code stored in the memory 40 and / or 42 to provide the operations regarding the UE disclosed herein, such as receiving a first user equipment capability identifier associated with a first restart counter value indicating a restart of a user equipment capability management function; associating the first user equipment capability identifier with at least one user equipment capability; and storing the first restart counter value and / or the first user equipment capability identifier associated with at least one user equipment capability.

[0069] Some of the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented using software, hardware, application logic, or a combination of software, hardware, and application logic. The software, application logic, and / or hardware may reside, for example, in memory 40, control device 20, or electronic components. In some example embodiments, the application logic, software, or instruction set is maintained on any one of a variety of conventional computer-readable media. In the context of this document, "computer-readable media" may be any non-transitory medium that can contain, store, transmit, propagate, or transport instructions for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer or data processor circuit. In the example shown in Figure 6 a computer-readable medium may include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which may be any medium that can contain or store instructions for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer.

[0070] Without in any way limiting the scope, interpretation, or application of the claims that follow, the technical effect of one or more example embodiments disclosed herein may be improved signaling.

[0071] Depending on the desired configuration, the subject matter described herein may be implemented in a system, apparatus, method, and / or article of manufacture. For example, a base station and a user equipment (or one or more components thereof) and / or the processes described herein may be implemented using one or more of the following operations: a processor that executes program code, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), an embedded processor, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and / or a combination thereof. These various implementations may include implementations in one or more computer programs that are executable and / or interpretable on a programmable system, the programmable system including at least one programmable processor, which may be special purpose or general purpose, coupled to receive data and instructions from, and to send data and instructions to, a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device. These computer programs (also referred to as programs, software, software applications, applications, components, program code, or code) include machine instructions for a programmable processor and may be implemented in a high-level procedural and / or object-oriented programming language and / or in assembly / machine language. As used herein, the term "computer-readable medium" refers to any computer program product, machine-readable medium, computer-readable storage medium, device, and / or apparatus (such as a disk, optical disk, memory, programmable logic device (PLD)) for providing machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor, including a machine-readable medium that receives instructions. Similarly, a system that may include a processor and a memory coupled to the processor is also described herein. The memory may include one or more programs that cause the processor to perform one or more of the operations described herein.

[0072] Although some variations have been described in detail above, other modifications or additions are possible. In particular, other features and / or variations may be provided in addition to the features and / or variations set forth herein. Further, the above implementations may be directed to various combinations and sub-combinations of the disclosed features and / or combinations and sub-combinations of several other features disclosed above. Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.

[0073] If desired, the different functions discussed herein may be performed in a different order and / or simultaneously with each other. Further, if desired, one or more of the above functions may be optional or may be combined. Although aspects of some embodiments are set forth in the independent claims, other aspects of some embodiments include other combinations of features from the described embodiments and / or dependent claims with the features of the independent claims, rather than only the combinations expressly stated in the claims. It should also be noted herein that although exemplary embodiments have been described above, these descriptions should not be considered limiting in nature. On the contrary, several variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of some embodiments as defined in the appended claims. Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. The term "based on" includes "at least based on". Unless otherwise stated, use of "for example" means "such as for example".

Claims

1. A device, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory, including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the device to at least: receive a message from a user equipment capability management function, the message including a first restart counter value indicating a restart of the user equipment capability management function; in response to receiving the first restart counter value, prohibit one or more old user equipment capability identifiers associated with a second restart counter value, the second restart counter value being associated with a pre-restart state of the user equipment capability management function; and send the first restart counter value indicating the restart of the user equipment capability management function.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is further caused to at least store the first restart counter value.

3. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the device is further caused to at least: when the device receives a registration request including a user equipment capability identifier associated with the second restart counter value, and / or when checking one or more user equipment capability identifiers stored for a registered user equipment, compare the second restart counter value with the first restart counter value to determine whether the second restart counter value matches the first restart counter value.

4. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the device is further caused to at least: send a message to the radio access network to trigger acquisition of user equipment capability information for a user equipment.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the message is sent when the device does not include in its cache a user equipment capability identifier associated with the second restart counter value.

6. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the device is further caused to at least: assign to the user equipment a new user equipment capability identifier associated with the user equipment capability information including at least one radio capability, wherein the new user equipment capability identifier is associated with the first restart counter value.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the assigned new user equipment capability identifier is sent to the user equipment in a registration acceptance message, a configuration update message, a globally unique temporary identifier reallocation command message, and / or a non-access stratum signaling message.

8. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the device is further caused to at least: send the new user equipment capability identifier and / or the first restart counter value to the radio access network so that the radio access network can prohibit the use of the one or more old user equipment capability identifiers associated with the second restart counter value, and / or the device is further caused to at least: store the user equipment capability identifier and / or the first restart counter associated with the first restart counter value.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the apparatus is further caused to at least: send the new user equipment capability identifier and / or the first restart counter value to a radio access network via an N2 interface or an S1 interface message.

10. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the apparatus is further caused to at least: send context information towards one or more user equipments, the context information including the old user equipment radio capability identifier associated with the second restart counter value.

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