Enhanced voice call setup with network slicing application

Abstract

A user equipment (UE) may launch an application on the user equipment (UE) that utilizes a network slice via a packet data network (PDN) connection with a first cellular network. The first cellular network may support network slicing and new radio based voice (VORR), and one or more cells of the first cellular network may support an Evolved Packet System (EPS) fallback procedure. The UE may receive or initiate a voice call with another UE, and adjust one or more capabilities of the UE such that the EPS fallback procedure is weakened. The UE may receive signaling from the first cellular network to establish a voice call as a VORR call via the first cellular network based at least in part on one or more adjusted capabilities of the UE, and a network slice may be maintained during the VORR call.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to wireless communication, and more particularly to apparatus, systems, and methods for establishing enhanced voice calls using network slicing applications. Related technical descriptions

[0002] The use of wireless communication systems is growing rapidly. In recent years, wireless devices, such as smartphones and tablets, have become increasingly complex and sophisticated. Wireless devices, such as smartphones, support technologies that, in addition to providing access to the internet, email, text messaging, and navigation using the Global Positioning System (GPS), can also operate complex applications that utilize these capabilities.

[0003] Some examples of wireless communication standards include UMTS (associated with air interfaces such as WCDMA or TD-SCDMA), LTE, LTE-A Advanced, HSPA, IEEE 802.11 (WLAN or Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), Bluetooth, etc.

[0004] Long Term Evolution (LTE) is the latest standard supported by most wireless network operators worldwide, providing mobile broadband data and high-speed internet access to their user base. LTE defines multiple downlink (DL) physical channels, classified as transport or control channels, to carry blocks of information received from Medium Access Control (MAC) and higher layers. LTE also defines the number of physical layer channels for the uplink (UL).

[0005] The next telecommunications standard proposed to surpass the current International Mobile Telecommunications Advanced (IMT-Advanced) standard is called 5G mobile network or 5G radio system, or simply 5G (for 5G New Radio, it is also called 5G-NR, or simply NR). Compared to the current LTE standard, 5G-NR offers higher capacity for higher density mobile broadband users, while supporting ultra-reliable and massive machine-type communication between devices, as well as lower latency and lower battery consumption. Furthermore, the 5G-NR standard allows for less restrictive UE scheduling compared to the current LTE standard. Therefore, ongoing development of 5G-NR is underway to take advantage of the potentially higher throughput at higher frequencies.

[0006] With the increasing demand for wireless communication systems and the emergence of new use cases for wireless communication, there is a need for continuous development of next-generation wireless communication technologies and standards. One such development approach may include network slicing, which allows network operators to create different “network slices” configured to address different wireless communication use cases and scenarios in a customized manner. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The implementation scheme relates to wireless communication, and more specifically to apparatus, systems, and methods for establishing enhanced voice calls using network slicing applications.

[0008] In some implementations, a user equipment (UE) can launch an application utilizing network slicing via a packet data network (PDN) connection to a first cellular network. The first cellular network may support network slicing and Voice over New Radio (VoNR), and one or more cells of the first cellular network may support an Evolved Packet System (EPS) backoff procedure associated with a transition to a second cellular network that does not support network slicing. The UE may receive or initiate a voice call with another UE and adjust one or more capabilities of the UE such that the EPS backoff procedure is weakened. The UE may receive signaling from the first cellular network to establish the voice call as a VoNR call via the first cellular network, at least in part based on one or more of the adjusted capabilities of the UE, and the network slice may be maintained during the VoNR call.

[0009] According to some implementations, as part of the UE capability sharing process between the UE and the first cellular network, the UE may further determine whether one or more feature flag equality conditions are met. Alternatively or additionally, the one or more capabilities may include the one or more feature flag equality conditions, including VoIMS=true, VoLTESupported=true, and VoNrSupported=true. In some implementations, the UE may adjust one or more capabilities by switching VoLTESupported=true to VoLTESupported=false, thereby weakening the EPS fallback process.

[0010] In some cases, the UE may provide a message via its user interface (UI) asking whether the user is willing to lose a network slice in order to establish a call. Alternatively, the UE may send a response to the message to the first cellular network, indicating whether the user is willing to lose a network slice in order to establish a call.

[0011] In some implementations, the UE may receive messages from the first cellular network that include inter-Radio Access Technology (IRAT) cell measurement and reporting configurations. Additionally, the message may include a request for the UE to perform measurements on one or more neighboring cells of the second cellular network.

[0012] According to some implementation schemes, the UE may, in response to the request, perform one or more measurements on one or more cells of the second cellular network and adjust the one or more measurements such that the EPS backoff process is weakened.

[0013] According to another embodiment, an apparatus may include at least one processor configured to cause a UE to: initiate an application utilizing network slicing via a packet data network (PDN) connection to a first cellular network. The first cellular network may support network slicing and Voice over New Radio (VoNR), and one or more cells of the first cellular network may support an Evolved Packet System (EPS) backoff procedure associated with a transition to a second cellular network that does not support network slicing. The at least one processor may be further configured to cause the UE to: receive from the first cellular network a request to perform measurements on one or more neighboring cells of the second cellular network. Additionally, the at least one processor may be further configured to cause the UE to: perform one or more measurements on one or more cells of the second cellular network, and receive or initiate a voice call with another UE. The at least one processor may be further configured to cause the UE to: adjust the one or more measurements of the UE such that the EPS backoff procedure is weakened; and receive signaling from the first cellular network to establish the voice call as a VoNR call via the first cellular network, at least in part based on one or more of the adjusted measurements of the UE. Additionally, according to some embodiments, network slicing may be maintained during the VoNR call.

[0014] In some implementations, a request to perform measurements on one or more neighboring cells of a second cellular network may include IRAT cell measurement and reporting configuration. Additionally, according to some implementations, the one or more measurements may be adjusted to be below a threshold. Alternatively, the at least one processor may also enable the UE to: adjust one or more capabilities of the UE such that the EPS backoff process is weakened. …

[0015] In some implementations, the at least one processor may be further configured to cause the UE to determine, as part of a UE capability sharing process with the first cellular network, whether one or more feature flags are equal. Additionally, the one or more capabilities may include the one or more feature flags, including VoIMS=True, VoLTESupported=True, and VoNrSupported=True. In some implementations, adjusting the one or more capabilities of the UE such that the EPS fallback process is weakened may include switching VoLTESupported=True to VoLTESupported=False.

[0016] According to some embodiments, a wireless device may include a wireless communication circuit and at least one processor coupled to the wireless communication circuit and configured to cause the wireless device to: initiate an application utilizing network slicing via a packet data network (PDN) connection to a first cellular network. Additionally, the first cellular network may support network slicing and Voice over New Radio (VoNR), and one or more cells of the first cellular network may support an evolved packet system (EPS) fallback procedure. The at least one processor may be further configured to cause the wireless device to: receive or initiate a voice call with another wireless device and perform an EPS fallback procedure. In some embodiments, the EPS fallback procedure may transition the wireless device from the first cellular network to a second cellular network that does not support network slicing. The at least one processor may be further configured to cause the wireless device to: receive signaling from the second cellular network to establish a voice call via the second cellular network. Furthermore, during a voice call, network slicing may not be utilized via a PDN connection to the first cellular network. The at least one processor may be further configured to enable the wireless device to: at least partially disconnect from the second cellular network based on a voice call while the application remains active, to reconnect to the first cellular network, and to restore access to network slices via a PDN connection to the first cellular network.

[0017] According to some implementation schemes, the application can run in the foreground of the UE. Additionally, VoNR can be disabled on the radio device, at least in part, based on the radio device being in Do Not Disturb (DND) mode.

[0018] In some implementations, the voice call is a Mobile Station Called (MT) call, and the at least one processor may be further configured to cause the radio device to send a rejection message to the network in response to receiving the MT call and at least in part based on the radio device being in DND mode. Additionally, the at least one processor is further configured to cause the radio device to enable VoNR on the UE. Furthermore, a re-switching to the first cellular network may be triggered based on VoNR being enabled on the UE and the application running in the foreground of the UE.

[0019] The techniques described herein can be implemented in and / or used with a variety of different types of devices, including but not limited to any one of the following computing devices: unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned controllers (UACs), base stations, access points, cellular phones, tablet computers, wearable computing devices, portable media players, automobiles and / or motor vehicles, and various other computing devices.

[0020] The present invention is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the subjects described in this document. Therefore, it should be understood that the above features are merely illustrative and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or substance of the subjects described herein in any way. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subjects described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0021] A better understanding of the subject matter can be obtained by considering the following detailed description of various embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0022] Figure 1 Examples of wireless communication systems based on some implementation schemes are shown;

[0023] Figure 2 Examples of base stations (BS) and access points communicating with user equipment (UE) devices according to some implementation schemes are illustrated;

[0024] Figure 3 Example block diagrams of UEs according to some implementation schemes are shown;

[0025] Figure 4 Example block diagrams of network elements according to some implementation schemes are shown;

[0026] Figure 5 Example block diagrams of cellular communication circuits according to some implementation schemes are shown;

[0027] Figure 6A An example of the connection between an EPC network, an LTE base station (eNB), and a 5G NR base station (gNB) is shown;

[0028] Figure 6B An example of a protocol stack for eNB and gNB is shown;

[0029] Figure 7 An example of a UE using network slicing for multiple PDU sessions is shown;

[0030] Figure 8 This is a communication flowchart illustrating an example method for avoiding unwanted or unnecessary EPS rollback processes according to some implementation schemes;

[0031] Figures 9a and 9b are portions of flowcharts illustrating example aspects of methods for avoiding unwanted or necessary EPS rollback processes according to some implementation schemes;

[0032] Figure 10 This is a communication flowchart illustrating an example method, according to some implementation schemes, for switching back to a slice-supporting network after performing an EPS rollback process; and

[0033] Figure 11 and Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating an example aspect of a method for reverting to a network supporting slices after performing an EPS rollback process, according to some implementation schemes.

[0034] While the features described herein may be readily modified and alternatively adapted, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings and described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the drawings and their detailed description are not intended to limit one to the specific forms disclosed, but rather to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the substance and scope of the subject matter as defined by the appended claims. Detailed Implementation

[0035] acronym

[0036] Various acronyms are used throughout this disclosure. Definitions of the most frequently used acronyms that may appear throughout this disclosure are provided below:

[0037] • 3GPP: Third Generation Partnership Project

[0038] •TS: Technical Specifications

[0039] •RAN: Radio Access Network

[0040] •RAT: Radio Access Technology

[0041] •UE: User Equipment

[0042] •RF: Radio Frequency

[0043] •BS: Base Station

[0044] •DL: Downlink

[0045] •UL: Uplink

[0046] •LTE: Long Term Evolution

[0047] •NR: New Radio

[0048] •5GS: 5G system

[0049] • 5GMM: 5GS Mobility Management

[0050] •5GC: 5G Core Network

[0051] •IE: Information Elements

[0052] •APN: Access Point Name

[0053] •NG-RAN: Next Generation Radio Access Network

[0054] •AMF: Core Access and Mobility Management Functions

[0055] •SMF: Session Management Function

[0056] •UPF: User-face functionality

[0057] •S-NSSAI: Auxiliary Information for Single Network Slice Selection

[0058] •SST: Slice / Service Type

[0059] •URSP: UE routing strategy

[0060] •SA: Independent

[0061] •PDN: Packet Data Network

[0062] •EPS: Evolved Group System

[0063] •NW: Network

[0064] •QoS: Quality of Service

[0065] • IP: Internet Protocol

[0066] • VoNR: Voice based on new radio

[0067] • VoLTE: Voice over LTE based on Long Term Evolution

[0068] • VoPS: Voice over Packet Switching

[0069] •VoIMS: Voice based on IP Multimedia Subsystem

[0070] •HARQ: Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request

[0071] •IRAT: Radio Access Technology

[0072] •RRC: Radio Resource Control

[0073] •MO: Mobile station calling

[0074] •MT: Mobile station being called

[0075] •UI: User Interface

[0076] •SIP: Session Initiation Protocol

[0077] •E-UTRA: Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access

[0078] •ENDC: E-UTRA – NR Dual Connectivity (EN-DC)

[0079] • URLLC: Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication

[0080] •PDU: Protocol Data Unit

[0081] the term

[0082] The following is a glossary of terms used in this disclosure:

[0083] Memory media—any of various types of nontransitory memory devices or storage devices. The term "memory media" is intended to include mounting media, such as CD-ROMs, floppy disks, or magnetic tape devices; computer system memory or random access memory, such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; non-volatile memory, such as flash memory; magnetic media, such as hard disk drives or optical storage devices; registers or other similar types of memory elements, etc. Memory media may also include other types of nontransitory memory or combinations thereof. Furthermore, memory media may reside in a first computer system executing a program, or may reside in a different second computer system connected to the first computer system via a network such as the Internet. In the latter example, the second computer system may provide program instructions to the first computer for execution. The term "memory media" may include two or more memory media residing in different locations in different computer systems connected via, for example, a network. Memory media may store program instructions (e.g., embodied in a computer program) that can be executed by one or more processors.

[0084] Carrier medium—such as memory media as described above, and physical transmission medium, such as buses, networks, and / or other physical transmission media for transmitting signals (such as electrical signals, electromagnetic signals, or digital signals).

[0085] Programmable hardware elements—including a variety of hardware devices comprising multiple programmable functional blocks connected via programmable interconnects. Examples include FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays), PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices), FPOAs (Field-Programmable Object Arrays), and CPLDs (Complex PLDs). Programmable functional blocks can range from fine-grained (combinational logic or lookup tables) to coarse-grained (arithmetic logic units or processor cores). Programmable hardware elements can also be referred to as “configurable logic units.”

[0086] Computer system (or computer) – any of various types of computing or processing systems, including personal computer systems (PCs), mainframe computer systems, workstations, network appliances, internet-connected appliances, personal digital assistants (PDAs), television systems, grid computing systems, or other devices or combinations thereof. In general, the term “computer system” can be broadly defined to encompass any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.

[0087] User equipment (UE) (or “UE device”) — any type of computer system device that is mobile or portable and performs wireless communication. Examples of UE devices include mobile phones or smartphones (e.g., iPhone). ™ Based on Android ™ Telephones), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS) ™ PlayStation Portable ™ Gameboy Advance ™ iPhone ™ ), laptops, wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches, smart glasses), PDAs, portable internet devices, music players, data storage devices, other handheld devices, automobiles and / or motor vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (e.g., drones), UAV controllers (UACs), etc. Generally speaking, the term "UE" or "UE device" can be broadly defined as encompassing any electronic, computing, and / or telecommunications equipment (or combination of equipment) that is easily transported by (or with) a user and is capable of wireless communication.

[0088] Base station – The term “base station” has the full range of its common meaning and includes at least a wireless communication station that is installed in a fixed location and used for communication as part of a wireless telephone system or radio system.

[0089] A processing element (or processor) – refers to a variety of elements or combinations of elements capable of performing the functions of a device, such as user equipment or cellular network equipment. A processing element may include, for example: a processor and associated memory, portions or circuitry of individual processor cores, an entire processor core, a processor array, circuitry such as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), programmable hardware elements such as a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), and any combination thereof.

[0090] A channel is a medium used to transmit information from a transmitter to a receiver. It should be noted that because the characteristics of the term "channel" can vary depending on the wireless protocol, the term "channel" as used herein can be considered to be used in a standardized manner consistent with the type of device to which the term is referenced. In some standards, channel width can be variable (e.g., depending on device capabilities, band conditions, etc.). For example, LTE can support scalable channel bandwidths from 1.4 MHz to 20 MHz. In contrast, WLAN channels can be 22 MHz wide, while Bluetooth channels can be 1 MHz wide. Other protocols and standards may include different definitions of channels. Furthermore, some standards may define and use multiple types of channels, for example, different channels for uplink or downlink and / or different channels for different purposes such as data, control information, etc.

[0091] Frequency band – The term “frequency band” has the full range of its general meaning and includes at least a segment of spectrum (e.g., radio frequency spectrum) in which channels are used or reserved for the same purpose.

[0092] Wi-Fi—The term “Wi-Fi” has the full range of its usual meaning and includes at least wireless communication networks, or RATs, which are provided by wireless LAN (WLAN) access points and through which connectivity to the Internet is provided. Most modern Wi-Fi networks (or WLAN networks) are based on the IEEE 802.11 standard and are marketed under the name “Wi-Fi.” Wi-Fi (WLAN) networks are different from cellular networks.

[0093] Automatically—means that an action or operation is performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by the computer system) or device (e.g., circuits, programmable hardware elements, ASICs, etc.) without requiring direct user input to specify or perform that action or operation. Therefore, the term "automatic" is the opposite of an operation performed or specified manually by a user, where the user provides input to directly perform the operation. An automatic process can be initiated by user-provided input, but the subsequent actions performed "automatically" are not specified by the user; that is, they are not performed "manually," where the user specifies each action to be performed. For example, a user filling out a form by selecting each field and providing input to specify information (e.g., by typing information, selecting a checkbox, radio selection, etc.) is considered manually filling out the form, even though the computer system must update the form in response to the user's actions. The form can be automatically filled out by a computer system, where the computer system (e.g., software executed on the computer system) analyzes the fields of the form and fills it out without any user input specifying answers for the fields. As indicated above, the user can invoke the automatic filling of the form but does not participate in the actual filling of the form (e.g., the user does not manually specify answers for the fields, but they are completed automatically). This manual provides various examples of operations that can be performed automatically in response to actions taken by the user.

[0094] Approximately – refers to a value that is nearly correct or precise. For example, approximately can mean a value within 1% to 10% of the precise (or expected) value. However, it should be noted that the actual threshold (or tolerance) can be application-dependent. For example, in some implementations, “approximately” may mean within 0.1% of some specified or expected value, while in various other implementations, the threshold may be, for example, 2%, 3%, 5%, etc., depending on the expectations or requirements of a particular application.

[0095] Concurrency refers to the parallel execution or implementation of tasks, processes, or programs in a manner that at least partially overlaps. For example, concurrency can be achieved using “strong” or strict parallelism, where tasks are executed in parallel (at least partially) on corresponding computing elements; or using “weak parallelism,” where tasks are executed in an interleaved manner (e.g., by time multiplexing of execution threads).

[0096] Various components can be described as being "configured" to perform one or more tasks. In this context, "configured" is a broad expression generally meaning "having a structure" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Therefore, a component can be configured to perform a task even when it is not currently performing one (e.g., a set of electrical conductors can be configured to electrically connect one module to another, even when the two modules are not connected). In some contexts, "configured" can be a broad expression generally meaning "having a circuit" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Therefore, a component can be configured to perform a task even when it is not currently powered on. Generally, the circuit forming the structure corresponding to "configured" can include hardware circuitry.

[0097] For ease of description, various components may be described as performing one or more tasks. Such descriptions should be interpreted as including the phrase "configured to". Statements describing a component as configured to perform one or more tasks are explicitly intended not to invoke the interpretation of 35 USC § 112(f) for that component.

[0098] Figure 1 and Figure 2 —Communication System

[0099] Figure 1 A simplified example wireless communication system according to some implementation schemes is illustrated. It should be noted that... Figure 1 System A is merely one example of a possible system, and the features of this disclosure can be implemented in any of a variety of systems as needed.

[0100] As shown in the figure, the example wireless communication system includes a base station 102A, which communicates with one or more user equipments 106A, 106B, etc., to user equipment 106N via a transmission medium. Each user equipment may be referred to herein as a "user equipment" (UE). Therefore, user equipment 106 is referred to as a UE or UE device.

[0101] Base station (BS) 102A may be a transceiver base station (BTS) or a cell site (“cellular base station”), and may include hardware that enables wireless communication with UE 106A to UE 106N.

[0102] The communication area (or coverage area) of a base station may be referred to as a "cell". Base station 102A and UE 106 can be configured to communicate via a transmission medium using any of various Radio Access Technologies (RATs), also known as wireless communication technologies or telecommunications standards, such as UMTS (associated with air interfaces such as WCDMA or TD-SCDMA), LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), 5G New Radio (5G NR), HSPA, 3GPP2, etc. Note that if base station 102A is implemented in an LTE context, it may alternatively be referred to as an "eNodeB" or "eNB". Note that if base station 102A is implemented in a 5G NR context, it may alternatively be referred to as a "gNodeB" or "gNB".

[0103] As shown in the figure, base station 102A can also be configured to communicate with network 100 (e.g., in various possibilities, the core network of a cellular service provider, telecommunications networks such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), and / or the Internet). Therefore, base station 102A facilitates communication between user equipments and / or between user equipments and network 100. Specifically, cellular base station 102A can provide UE 106 with various telecommunications capabilities, such as voice, SMS, and / or data services.

[0104] Base station 102A and other similar base stations (such as base stations 102B, ..., 102N) operating under the same or different cellular communication standards can therefore be provided as a network of cells that can provide continuous or nearly continuous overlapping services to UEs 106A-106N and similar devices over a geographical area via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0105] Therefore, although base station 102A can act as such Figure 1 The illustrated UEs 106A-106N are "serving cells," but each UE 106 may also be able to receive signals (and possibly within its communication range) from one or more other cells (which may be provided by base stations 102B-102N and / or any other base stations), which may be referred to as "neighboring cells." Such cells may also facilitate communication between user equipments and / or between user equipments and network 100. These cells may include "macro" cells, "micro" cells, "pecimen" cells, and / or any other cells of various other granularities providing a service area size. For example, Figure 1 The illustrated base stations 102A-102B may be macro cells, while base station 102N may be a micro cell. Other configurations are also possible.

[0106] In some implementations, base station 102A may be a next-generation base station, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station or a “gNB”. In some implementations, the gNB may be connected to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or to an NR core (NRC) network. Furthermore, a gNB cell may include one or more transition and receive points (TRPs). Additionally, a UE capable of operating according to 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0107] It should be noted that UE 106 may be able to communicate using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using wireless networking (e.g., Wi-Fi) and / or peer-to-peer wireless communication protocols (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi peer-to-peer, etc.) other than at least one cellular communication protocol (e.g., UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-A, 5G NR, HSPA, 3GPP2, etc.). If desired, UE 106 may also be configured, or alternatively, to communicate using one or more Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS, such as GPS or GLONASS), one or more mobile television broadcasting standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H or DVB-H) and / or any other wireless communication protocol. Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including more than two wireless communication standards) are also possible.

[0108] Figure 2 User equipment 106 (e.g., one of devices 106A to 106N) communicating with base station 102 and access point 112 according to some embodiments is illustrated. UE 106 can be a device with cellular and non-cellular communication capabilities (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, etc.), such as a mobile phone, handheld device, computer or tablet computer, or virtually any type of wireless device.

[0109] UE 106 may include a processor configured to execute program instructions stored in memory. UE 106 may execute any method implementation of the method embodiments described herein by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively or additionally, UE 106 may include programmable hardware elements, such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) configured to execute any method implementation of the method embodiments described herein or any portion thereof.

[0110] UE 106 may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols or technologies. In some embodiments, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using, for example, LTE / LTE-Advanced, or 5G NR using a single shared radio component and / or LTE, LTE-Advanced, or 5G NR using a single shared radio component. The shared radio component may be coupled to a single antenna or to multiple antennas (e.g., for MIMO) for performing wireless communication. Generally, the radio component may include any combination of baseband processors, analog RF signal processing circuitry (e.g., including filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc.) or digital processing circuitry (e.g., for digital modulation and other digital processing). Similarly, the radio component may use the aforementioned hardware to implement one or more receive chains and transmit chains. For example, UE 106 may share one or more portions of the receive chain and / or transmit chain among multiple wireless communication technologies (such as those discussed above).

[0111] In some implementations, UE 106 may include independent transmit and / or receive chains (e.g., including independent antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol configured to communicate therewith. As another possibility, UE 106 may include one or more radio components shared among multiple wireless communication protocols, as well as one or more radio components uniquely used by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, UE 106 may include shared radio components for communicating using either LTE or 5G NR (or LTE or 1xRTT), and separate radio components for communicating using each of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Other configurations are also possible.

[0112] Figure 3 — UE block diagram

[0113] Figure 3 A simplified block diagram of a communication device 106 according to some implementation schemes is shown. Note that... Figure 3The block diagram of the communication device is merely one example of possible communication devices. According to the implementation, communication device 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop computer, notebook computer, or portable computing device), a tablet computer, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a UAV controller (UAC), and / or a combination of devices, as well as other devices. As shown, communication device 106 may include a set of components 300 configured to perform core functions. For example, this set of components may be implemented as a system-on-a-chip (SOC), which may include portions for various purposes. Alternatively, the set of components 300 may be implemented as separate components or groups of components for various purposes. The set of components 300 may be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to various other circuitry of communication device 106.

[0114] For example, communication device 106 may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash memory 310), input / output interfaces such as connector I / F 320 (e.g., for connection to a computer system; docking station; charging station; input devices such as microphone, camera, keyboard; output devices such as speaker; etc.), a display 360 that can be integrated with or external to the communication device 106, cellular communication circuitry 330 such as for 5G NR, LTE, etc., and short- to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 (e.g., Bluetooth). ™ (and WLAN circuitry). In some embodiments, communication device 106 may include wired communication circuitry (not shown), such as, for example, a network interface card for Ethernet.

[0115] Cellular communication circuitry 330 may be coupled (e.g., communicatively grounded; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as antennas 335 and 336 shown. Short-to-medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 may also be coupled (e.g., communicatively grounded; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as antennas 337 and 338 shown. Alternatively, short-to-medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 may also be coupled (e.g., communicatively grounded; directly or indirectly) to antennas 335 and 336 as a supplement or alternative to (e.g., communicatively grounded; directly or indirectly) coupled to antennas 337 and 338. Short-to-medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 and / or cellular communication circuitry 330 may include multiple receive chains and / or multiple transmit chains for receiving and / or transmitting multiple spatial streams, such as in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) configuration.

[0116] In some embodiments, as further described below, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include dedicated receive chains for multiple RATs (including and / or coupled to (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) dedicated processors and / or radio components) (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR). Furthermore, in some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include a single transmit chain that can be switched between radio components dedicated to a particular RAT. For example, a first radio component may be dedicated to a first RAT, such as LTE, and may communicate with a dedicated receive chain and a transmit chain shared with additional radio components, such as a second radio component that may be dedicated to a second RAT (e.g., 5G NR) and may communicate with a dedicated receive chain and a shared transmit chain.

[0117] The communication device 106 may also include one or more user interface elements and / or be configured to be used with one or more user interface elements. The user interface elements may include any of a variety of elements, such as a display 360 (which may be a touch screen display), a keyboard (which may be a separate keyboard or may be implemented as part of the touch screen display), a mouse, a microphone and / or a speaker, one or more cameras, one or more buttons, and / or any of a variety of other elements capable of providing information to the user and / or receiving or interpreting user input.

[0118] The communication device 106 may also include one or more smart cards 345 with SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) functionality, such as one or more UICC (Universal Integrated Circuit Card) 345. It should be noted that the term "SIM" or "SIM entity" is intended to include any of various types of SIM implementations or SIM functions, such as one or more UICC cards 345, one or more eUICCs, one or more eSIMs, removable or embedded, etc. In some embodiments, the UE 106 may include, as needed, a combination of removable smart cards and fixed / non-removable smart cards (such as one or more eUICC cards implementing eSIM functionality). For example, the UE 106 may include two embedded SIMs, two removable SIMs, or a combination of one embedded SIM and one removable SIM. Various other SIM configurations are also envisioned.

[0119] In some implementations, UE 106 may include two or more SIMs. Including two or more SIMs in UE 106 allows UE 106 to support two different phone numbers and allows UE 106 to communicate on two or more corresponding networks. For example, the first SIM may support a first RAT such as LTE, and the second SIM 106 may support a second RAT such as 5G NR. Other specific implementations and RATs are also possible. In some implementations, when UE 106 includes two SIMs, UE 106 may support Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDA) functionality. DSDA functionality allows UE 106 to connect to two networks simultaneously (and use two different RATs), or allows two connections supported by two different SIMs using the same or different RATs to be maintained simultaneously on the same or different networks. DSDA functionality also allows UE 106 to receive voice calls or data traffic simultaneously on either phone number. In some implementations, voice calls may be packet-switched communications. In other words, voice calls can be received using LTE-based Voice (VoLTE) technology and / or NR-based Voice (VoNR) technology. In some implementations, UE 106 may support Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS) functionality. DSDS functionality allows either of the two SIMs in UE 106 to remain in standby while awaiting a voice call and / or data connection. In DSDS, when a call / data connection is established on one SIM, the other SIM is no longer active. In some implementations, DSDx functionality (DSDA or DSDS functionality) can be implemented using a single SIM (e.g., eUICC) that performs multiple SIM applications for different carriers and / or RATs.

[0120] As shown in the figure, the SOC 300 may include a processor 302 and a display circuit 304. The processor executes program instructions of the communication device 106, and the display circuit performs graphics processing and provides display signals to the display 360. The processor 302 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 340, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor 302 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 306, read-only memory (ROM) 350, NAND flash memory 310); and / or coupled to other circuitry or devices, such as the display circuitry 304, short-to-mid-range wireless communication circuitry 329, cellular communication circuitry 330, connector I / F 320, and / or the display 360. The MMU 340 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some embodiments, the MMU 340 may be included as part of the processor 302.

[0121] As noted above, communication device 106 can be configured to communicate using wireless and / or wired communication circuitry. Communication device 106 can be configured to perform any of the various methods further described herein.

[0122] As described herein, communication device 106 may include hardware and software components for implementing the features of communication device 106 described herein to transmit slice-related information to a network. For example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium), processor 302 of communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein. Alternatively (or in addition), processor 302 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), in conjunction with one or more of other components 300, 304, 306, 310, 320, 329, 330, 340, 345, 350, 360, processor 302 of communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein.

[0123] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 302 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processor 302 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 302. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 302.

[0124] Furthermore, as described herein, the cellular communication circuit 330 and the short-to-mid-range wireless communication circuit 329 may each include one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in the cellular communication circuit 330, and similarly, one or more processing elements may be included in the short-to-mid-range wireless communication circuit 329. Therefore, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuit 330. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuit 330. Similarly, the short-to-mid-range wireless communication circuit 329 may include one or more ICs configured to perform the functions of the short-to-mid-range wireless communication circuit 329. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the short-to-mid-range wireless communication circuit 329.

[0125] Figure 4 —Example block diagram of a network element

[0126] Figure 4Example block diagrams of network element 400 according to some implementation schemes are illustrated. According to some implementation schemes, network element 400 may implement one or more logical functions / entities of the cellular core network, such as a Mobility Management Entity (MME), Serving Gateway (S-GW), etc. Alternatively, network element 400 may implement a Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) entity. It should be noted that... Figure 4 Network element 400 is merely one example of a possible network element 400. As shown, core network element 400 may include processor 404 capable of executing program instructions for core network element 400. Processor 404 may also be coupled to memory management unit (MMU) 440, which may be configured to receive addresses from processor 404 and translate these addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 460 and read-only memory (ROM) 450); or coupled to other circuitry or devices.

[0127] Network element 400 may include at least one network port 470. Network port 470 may be configured to be coupled to one or more base stations and / or other cellular network entities and / or devices. Network element 400 may communicate with base stations (e.g., eNBs) and / or other network entities / devices by means of any of a variety of communication protocols and / or interfaces.

[0128] As further described herein, network element 400 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting specific implementations of the features described herein. The processor 404 of the core network element 400 may be configured to implement or support some or all of the specific implementations of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium). Alternatively, processor 404 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), or a combination thereof.

[0129] Figure 5 Block diagram of cellular communication circuit

[0130] Figure 5 Simplified block diagrams of cellular communication circuits according to some implementation schemes are shown. Note that... Figure 5 The block diagram of the cellular communication circuit is merely one example of a possible cellular communication circuit. According to the implementation, the cellular communication circuit 330 may be included in a communication device (such as the communication device 106 described above). As noted above, among other devices, the communication device 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop computer, notebook computer, or portable computing device), a tablet computer, and / or a combination of these devices.

[0131] Cellular communication circuit 330 may (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) be coupled to one or more antennas, such as ( Figure 3 Antennas 335a-335b and 336 are shown in the diagram. In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include dedicated receive chains for various RATs (including and / or coupled to (e.g., communicative ground; directly or indirectly) dedicated processors and / or radio components) (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR). For example, as... Figure 5 As shown, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include a modem 510 and a modem 520. The modem 510 may be configured for communication according to a first RAT (e.g., such as LTE or LTE-A), and the modem 520 may be configured for communication according to a second RAT (e.g., such as 5G NR).

[0132] As shown, modem 510 may include one or more processors 512 and memory 516 communicating with processors 512. Modem 510 may communicate with radio frequency (RF) front end 530. RF front end 530 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, RF front end 530 may include receiver circuitry (RX) 532 and transmitter circuitry (TX) 534. In some embodiments, receiver circuitry 532 may communicate with downlink (DL) front end 550, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via antenna 335a.

[0133] Similarly, modem 520 may include one or more processors 522 and memory 526 communicating with processor 522. Modem 520 may communicate with RF front end 540. RF front end 540 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, RF front end 540 may include receiving circuitry 542 and transmitting circuitry 544. In some embodiments, receiving circuitry 542 may communicate with DL front end 560, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via antenna 335b.

[0134] In some implementations, switch 570 can couple transmitting circuitry 534 to uplink (UL) front-end 572. Additionally, switch 570 can couple transmitting circuitry 544 to UL front-end 572. UL front-end 572 may include circuitry for transmitting radio signals via antenna 336. Therefore, when cellular communication circuitry 330 receives an instruction to transmit according to a first RAT (e.g., supported by modem 510), switch 570 can be switched to a first state allowing modem 510 to transmit signals according to the first RAT (e.g., via a transmission chain including transmitting circuitry 534 and UL front-end 572). Similarly, when cellular communication circuitry 330 receives an instruction to transmit according to a second RAT (e.g., supported by modem 520), switch 570 can be switched to a second state allowing modem 520 to transmit signals according to the second RAT (e.g., via a transmission chain including transmitting circuitry 544 and UL front-end 572).

[0135] In some implementations, cellular communication circuit 330 may be configured to perform a method for the network to notify the user equipment (UE) whether the network slice requested by the UE is subject to quotas as further described herein.

[0136] As described herein, modem 510 may include hardware and software components for implementing any of the various other techniques described herein. For example, processor 512 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or in addition), processor 512 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), processor 512 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein by combining one or more of other components 530, 532, 534, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336.

[0137] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 512 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processor 512 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 512. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 512.

[0138] As described herein, modem 520 may include hardware and software components for implementing any of the various other techniques described herein. For example, processor 522 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or in addition), processor 522 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), processor 522 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein by combining one or more of other components 540, 542, 544, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336.

[0139] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 522 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processor 522 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 522. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 522.

[0140] 5G NR architecture with LTE

[0141] In some specific implementations, fifth-generation (5G) wireless communication will initially be deployed concurrently with current wireless communication standards (e.g., LTE). For example, dual connectivity between LTE and the new 5G radio (5G NR or NR) has been designated as part of the initial deployment of NR. Therefore, as... Figures 6A to 6B As illustrated, the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network 600 can continue to communicate with the current LTE base station (e.g., eNB 602). Furthermore, eNB 602 can communicate with the 5G NR base station (e.g., gNB 604) and can transfer data between the EPC network 600 and gNB 604. Therefore, the EPC network 600 can be used (or reused), and gNB 604 can serve as additional capacity for the UE, for example, to provide increased downlink throughput for the UE. In other words, LTE can be used for control plane signaling, and NR can be used for user plane signaling. Therefore, LTE can be used to establish connections to the network, and NR can be used for data services.

[0142] Figure 6BThe proposed protocol stacks for eNB 602 and gNB 604 are illustrated. As shown, eNB 602 may include a Media Access Control (MAC) layer 632 that interfaces with Radio Link Control (RLC) layers 622a-622b. RLC layer 622a may also interface with Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer 612a, and RLC layer 622b may interface with PDCP layer 612b. Similar to the dual connectivity specified in Advanced LTE Release 12, PDCP layer 612a may interface with EPC network 600 via Primary Cell Group (MCG) bearer, while PDCP layer 612b may interface with EPC network 600 via decoupling bearer.

[0143] Additionally, as shown in the figure, gNB 604 may include a MAC layer 634 that interfacing with RLC layers 624a-624b. RLC layer 624a may interfacing with the PDCP layer 612b of eNB 602 via the X2 interface for information exchange and / or coordination (e.g., UE scheduling) between eNB 602 and gNB 604. Furthermore, RLC layer 624b may interfacing with PDCP layer 614. Similar to the dual connectivity specified in Advanced LTE Release 12, PDCP layer 614 may interfacing with EPC network 600 via a secondary cell group (SCG) bearer. Therefore, eNB 602 may be considered a primary node (MeNB), and gNB 604 may be considered a secondary node (SgNB). In some cases, the UE may operate to maintain connectivity with both the MeNB and the SgNB. In such cases, the MeNB can be used to maintain the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection with the EPC, while the SgNB can be used for capacity (e.g., additional downlink and / or uplink throughput).

[0144] Network slicing

[0145] Network slicing technology is currently under active development and is likely to play a significant role in fifth-generation (“5G”) cellular communication technology. Network slicing is a concept introduced in 5G that allows cellular network operators to create customized networks to provide solutions for different market scenarios with varying requirements, such as functional, performance, and isolation requirements. For example, a cellular network can offer multiple network slices, where each slice may include a set of network functions (NFs) selected to provide certain telecommunications services and network capabilities, along with the resources to run these NFs. Global and regional organizations such as Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN), 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), 5G Public-Private Partnership (5GPPP), 4G Americas, the 5G Forum, and International Mobile Telecommunications 2020 (IMT-2020) have documented potential use cases and requirements for network slicing.

[0146] Among possible network slicing solutions, both Radio Access Network (RAN) slicing and Core Network (CN) slicing are possible and are currently being studied by the 3GPP RAN Working Group (WG) and the 3GPP Services and Systems (SA) Working Group, respectively. Network slicing is currently specified in Section 5.15 of 3GPP TS 23.501 and Section 4.6 of 3GPP TS 24.501. When employing network slicing, operators can deploy network slices that vary in the features they support or provide the exact same features but are used for different groups of UEs.

[0147] The following discussion generally applies to any wireless communication system employing a first cellular network that does support network slicing and a second cellular network that does not. For convenience, the second cellular network that does not support network slicing will be referred to as a 4G network, and the first cellular network that does support network slicing will be referred to as a 5G network. However, the methods described below can be applied to any type of network or any different generation of network.

[0148] Figure 7 An example system is illustrated, in which a UE communicates with a cellular network system implementing network slicing (e.g., a 5G network). As shown, the UE communicates wirelessly with a cellular base station. The base station is then coupled to the cellular network. As shown, the cellular network may include core access and mobility management functions (AMFs). The AMFs may be coupled to different session management functions (SMFs) and user plane functions. As shown, session management function 1 (SMF1) and user plane function 1 (UPF1) may form a first slice (slice 1) and may have a corresponding first S-NSSAI (Individual Network Slice Selection Auxiliary Information) (also referred to as a "slice ID"). In this example, slice 1 is designated to perform video streaming. Session management function 2 (SMF2) and user plane function 2 (UPF2) may form a second slice (slice 2) and may have a corresponding second S-NSSAI. In this example, slice 2 is designated to perform ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC).

[0149] like Figure 7 As shown, a single UE can be simultaneously served by more than one network slice (e.g., Figure 7 (Slice 1 and Slice 2) services. In this example, the AMF serving the UE is shared across all network slices. Figure 7 It also illustrates that multiple PDU sessions can share the same slice.

[0150] Network slicing and UE routing policy (URSP) may not be supported in 4G networks. However, during PDN connection establishment in a 4G network, the network can assign an S-NSSAI associated with the 4G PDN connection. The allocation of the S-NSSAI can be based on a combination of Session Management Function (SMF), Packet Data Network Gateway Control Plane Function (PGW-C) address, and Access Point Name (APN). An Access Point Name (APN) is essentially the type of gateway or anchor point to which the UE is attached to obtain access to at least a portion of the core network used for its data services. The network can then transmit the assigned S-NSSAI to the UE in an Information Element (IE). For example, the assigned S-NSSAI can be transmitted in the Protocol Configuration Options (PCO) Information Element (IE) of the Activate Default EPS Bearer Context Request message or in an extended PCO IE.

[0151] When the UE is operating in a 4G network, this S-NSSAI is not currently used. However, when the UE moves from a 4G network to a 5G network, the UE may include one or more S-NSSAIs received from the 4G network as the requested NSSAI in its registration request message. The UE may also set the S-NSSAI for the corresponding PDU session to the value previously received in the PCO IE as described above. If the SMF+PGW-C supports more than one S-NSSAI and the APN is valid for more than one S-NSSAI, the SMF+PGW-C should only select the S-NSSAI mapped to the UE's subscribed S-NSSAI.

[0152] After a UE migrates from a 4G network to a 5G network via Inter-Range Att (IRAT), the 5G network PDU session should be linked to the correct S-NSSAI (e.g., if the PDU session is linked to the default slice instead of a dedicated slice). Currently, the network can use the APN to determine the S-NSSAI that will be used when a UE transitions from a 4G network to a 5G network.

[0153] In some cases, the UE can be configured to provide slice-related information to the 4G network, thereby assisting the 4G network in providing the correct slice ID information to the UE when the UE is camped on the 4G network. More specifically, utilizing this improved slice-related information from the UE, the 4G network can then be able to include the correct S-NSSAI in the protocol configuration option IE or extended protocol configuration option IE in the Activate Default EPS Bearer Context Request message transmitted to the UE. In other words, this enables the 4G network to provide the correct slice ID information (correct S-NSSAI) to the UE when the UE is camped on the 4G network.

[0154] Therefore, when a UE transitions from a 4G network to a 5G network, this allows both the UE and the network to link the 5G PDU session to the appropriate (or "correct") slice. It's important to note that the PDU session can be linked to the correct slice in both the UE and the 5G network without any signaling between them. Conversely, when the UE camps on a 4G network, both the UE and the 5G network rely on and utilize the previously agreed S-NSSAI. This enables the 5G network to link the 5G PDU session to the correct S-NSSAI, thus providing an improved user experience in the 5G network. The terms "appropriate slice" or "correct slice" refer to the type of slice best suited to serve the application currently running on the UE and is the subject of the current 5G PDU session.

[0155] Enhanced voice call establishment using network slicing applications

[0156] With the proliferation of mobile games and applications that may require URLLC or other different needs, network slicing provides users with enhanced experiences through customized networks that offer specific telecommunications services, network capabilities, and resources to run these games or applications more efficiently. However, in some cases, these experiences may be interrupted or degraded due to voice calls initiated or received by wireless devices.

[0157] For example, according to some implementations, if a UE connects to a New Radio (NR) Standalone (SA) cell that supports both network slicing and NR-based Voice over NR (VoNR), the UE can further establish a slice PDN connection with the network for use by one or more of the UE's applications. In other words, the UE can establish a PDN connection using one of the slices being provided by its current serving cell (e.g., cell A).

[0158] Based on previous implementations, if a UE triggers or receives a mobile station originating (MO) or mobile station called (MT) voice call, cell A can establish a voice call in one of its LTE neighboring cells and trigger an Evolution of Packet Systems (EPS) fallback to LTE. In some cases, the decision of the serving cell to establish a call via the EPS fallback process (instead of via VoNR) may be because the network believes that the UE will have better voice service quality (QoS) on its neighboring LTE cells with overlapping coverage.

[0159] However, this EPS backoff for establishing voice calls on adjacent LTE cells can be detrimental to the UE's perceived QoS, especially when the UE is using NW slices. For example, since NW slices are a feature of 5G networks, if EPS backoff is triggered, the UE's ability to utilize NW slices will be lost or eliminated. Therefore, the UE's perceived QoS may be significantly degraded for data previously transmitted via NW slices. For instance, in a scenario where a user plays mobile games via a game slice, moving the user's game slice to a non-slice PDN will drastically reduce its perceived QoS.

[0160] Furthermore, the slightly lower signal quality of NR compared to LTE can be offset by better VoNR-related radio resource management (RRM) techniques used when making voice calls on NR cells. For example, NR cells can utilize more efficient semi-persistent scheduling and hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) schemes for VoNR compared to those in LTE. Therefore, because the UE simply triggers EPS backoff according to network instructions, the UE loses its active slice and the user experience degrades. Therefore, improvements related to enhanced voice call establishment utilizing network slicing applications are expected.

[0161] According to some implementations, it may be beneficial to collect data from NR cells that not only support VoNR but also use or support the EPS backoff process. Such data collection can be done through crowdsourcing and on-device (e.g., using voice call history as an example). In some implementations, data can be pushed back to the device via offline push via over-the-air (OTA) updates. Alternatively, data can be pushed back to the device via online push, where the UE knows its location and queries all cells (and their configurations) belonging to the geographic block where the UE is currently located.

[0162] According to some implementation schemes, the UE can then use the pushed data to proactively set or adjust one or more of its UE capabilities so that its sliced ​​connection is not interrupted during the EPS backoff process. Alternatively, and before triggering the EPS backoff, the NR cell can request (through Radio Access Technology (RAT) inter-cell measurement and reporting configuration) the UE to perform LTE neighboring cell measurements. Therefore, when the UE receives this measurement request, it can proactively prune or adjust such measurements or reports based on the pushed data to ensure that the UE does not move or transition to LTE via the EPS backoff process. Thus, voice calls can then be established via NR based on the pruned LTE measurements.

[0163] The aforementioned techniques for adjusting UE capabilities and / or LTE cell measurements can help reduce the likelihood of losing active slices solely due to incoming / outgoing voice calls. Furthermore, these techniques can also help reduce the probability of voice call setup failures. According to some implementations, these techniques may not be applicable to emergency calls (e.g., they may be skipped or ignored) because these emergency calls will likely have a higher priority than anything else the UE might be performing. Therefore, for emergency calls, the UE may follow the NW instructions used to establish these emergency calls. Additionally, such implementations can be detected via monitoring tests to verify whether the UE changes its packet-switched voice (VoPS) related capabilities and LTE IRAT measurement reports based on whether a slice is to be used, is being used, is not being used, or will not be used.

[0164] Figure 8 —Example methods for avoiding unwanted or unnecessary EPS rollback processes

[0165] Figure 8 This is a communication flowchart illustrating an example method for avoiding unwanted or unnecessary EPS rollback processes according to some implementation schemes. Figure 8 The aspects of the method can be implemented by a user equipment (e.g., UE 106) communicating with one or more network nodes or base stations (such as BS 102) as illustrated and described with respect to the figures, or more generally, in conjunction with any of the computer systems or devices shown in the figures, as well as other circuits, systems, devices, elements or components and other devices shown in the figures, as needed. For example, one or more processors (or processing elements) of the UE (e.g., processor 302, baseband processor, processor associated with communication circuitry, etc., and various possibilities) can cause the UE to perform some or all of the method elements illustrated. Additionally, one or more processors (or processing elements) of the BS (e.g., processor 402, baseband processor, processor associated with communication circuitry, etc.) can cause the BS to perform some or all of the method elements illustrated. It should be noted that although at least some elements of the method have been described in a manner involving the use of communication technologies and / or features associated with 3GPP specification documents, this description is not intended to limit the disclosure, and aspects of the method can be used in any suitable wireless communication system as needed. In various implementation schemes, some elements of the method shown may be executed simultaneously in a different order than shown, may be replaced by other method elements, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be executed as needed. As shown in the figure, the method can operate as follows.

[0166] In 802, according to some implementations, the UE can launch an application utilizing network slicing via a packet data network (PDN) connection to a first cellular network. This first cellular network may support network slicing and Voice over New Radio (VoNR), and one or more cells of the first cellular network may support an Evolved Packet System (EPS) fallback procedure associated with a transition to a second cellular network that does not support network slicing. More specifically, the UE can launch an application utilizing network slicing via a PDN connection to the first cellular network.

[0167] In some implementations, applications may utilize network slicing to perform URLLC. For example, some gaming applications may benefit from very fast connections associated with low ping (e.g., 50ms or less to reach the Internet Protocol (IP) network host used by the gaming application). In some implementations, the primary cellular network may be a fifth-generation (5G) network.

[0168] According to some implementations, the UE can determine whether one or more cells support the EPS backoff procedure. For example, the UE can make this determination using a dataset of NR cells that not only support VoNR but also use or support the EPS backoff procedure. In some implementations, the data may have previously been provided to the UE via offline push via over-the-air (OTA) updates. Alternatively, the data may have been pushed back to the UE via online push, where the UE knows its location and queries all cells (and their configurations) belonging to the geographic block where the UE is currently located. Therefore, according to some implementations, cells in the network can indicate whether they support the EPS backoff procedure in response to the query. In some implementations, the EPS backoff procedure may be associated with a transition to a second cellular network that does not support network slicing. For example, according to some implementations, the second cellular network may be a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network.

[0169] In 804, according to some implementations, the UE may receive a request from the first cellular network to perform neighboring cell measurements. More specifically, the UE may receive an optional request from the first cellular network (for performing neighboring LTE cell measurements) based on the network's determination that the UE will experience a higher QoS voice call on an LTE cell. In some implementations, this request may include inter-Radio Access Technology (IRAT) cell measurement and reporting configuration.

[0170] In 806, according to some implementations, a UE can receive or initiate a voice call with another UE. For example, a UE can initiate a Mobile Station Initiating (MO) call to another UE or receive a Mobile Station Called (MT) call from another UE. In some implementations, before sending voice services between the UE and another UE, the UE can communicate with the network to perform a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) establishment procedure.

[0171] In 808, according to some implementations, the UE may adjust at least one of one or more UE capabilities or cell measurements. More specifically, the UE may change at least one of its capabilities, or perform and subsequently change cell measurements of neighboring LTE cells, thereby weakening the EPS backoff process. According to some implementations, in response to an optional measurement request in 804, the UE may perform one or more measurements of one or more cells in a second cellular network and adjust the one or more measurements, thereby weakening the EPS backoff process.

[0172] In some implementations, as part of the UE capability sharing process between the UE and the first cellular network, the UE may further determine whether one or more feature flag equivalences are satisfied. Alternatively or additionally, the one or more capabilities may include the one or more feature flag equivalences, including VoIMS=True, VoLTESupported=True, and VoNrSupported=True. In some implementations, the UE may adjust one or more of its capabilities by switching VoLTESupported=True to VoLTESupported=False, thereby weakening the EPS fallback process. In some cases, the UE may provide a message via its user interface (UI) asking whether the user is willing to lose a network slice to establish a call. Additionally, the UE may send a response to the message to the first cellular network indicating whether the user is willing to lose a network slice to establish a call.

[0173] In 810, according to some embodiments, the UE can then receive signaling from the first cellular network to establish the voice call as a VoNR call. More specifically, the UE can receive signaling from the first cellular network to establish the voice call as a VoNR call via the first cellular network, at least in part based on one or more adjusted capabilities of the UE, and the network slice can be maintained during the VoNR call. For example, if its capabilities have been adjusted to indicate that the EPS backoff process is weakened, as a preferred option, the UE can then use the VoNR capabilities of the first cell to establish the voice call. In some embodiments, the signaling may include a Packet Data Unit (PDU) session modification command received from the network. Furthermore, before exchanging voice communications (e.g., SIP services) between the UE and the first cellular network, the UE may additionally send a PDU session modification complete message to the first cellular network (in response to the PDU modification command). Thus, according to some embodiments, a VoNR call can be established once PDU session modification communication has been transmitted between the network and the UE.

[0174] Figure 9A and Figure 9B —Flowchart: A method for avoiding unwanted EPS rollback processes

[0175] Figure 9A and Figure 9B This is a portion of a flowchart illustrating an example aspect of a method for avoiding unwanted or necessary EPS rollback processes according to some implementation schemes. More specifically, Figure 9A and Figure 9B Examples are given based on some implementation schemes and Figure 8 The methods and related aspects.

[0176] Figure 9A and Figure 9B The aspects of the method can be implemented by a user equipment (e.g., UE 106) communicating with one or more network nodes or base stations (such as BS 102) as illustrated and described with respect to the figures, or more generally, in conjunction with any of the computer systems or devices shown in the figures, as well as other circuits, systems, devices, elements or components and other devices shown in the figures, as needed. For example, one or more processors (or processing elements) of the UE (e.g., processor 302, baseband processor, processor associated with communication circuitry, etc., and various possibilities) can cause the UE to perform some or all of the method elements illustrated. Additionally, one or more processors (or processing elements) of the BS (e.g., processor 402, baseband processor, processor associated with communication circuitry, etc.) can cause the BS to perform some or all of the method elements illustrated. It should be noted that although at least some elements of the method have been described in a manner involving the use of communication technologies and / or features associated with 3GPP specification documents, this description is not intended to limit the disclosure, and aspects of the method can be used in any suitable wireless communication system as needed. In various implementation schemes, some elements of the method shown may be executed simultaneously in a different order than shown, may be replaced by other method elements, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be executed as needed. As shown in the figure, the method can operate as follows.

[0177] In 902a, according to some embodiments, a UE can establish a slice-enabled connection (e.g., a PDN connection) on an NR cell (e.g., cell A). In some embodiments, establishing a slice-enabled connection may include requesting and subsequently receiving Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling network to establish the connection. For example, signaling between the UE and the first cellular network may include a PDU session establishment request and acceptance signaling. Alternatively or additionally, before establishing a slice-enabled connection, the UE may receive a PDU session modification command from the network and send a PDU session modification completion message to the first cellular network (in response to the PDU modification command). Therefore, according to some embodiments, once PDU session establishment and modification communication has been transmitted between the network and the UE, a PDN connection (e.g., a slice-enabled connection) between the UE and the first cellular network can be established.

[0178] As an alternative, in 904a, cell A may not support VoNR voice calls, so the UE can proceed to 906a to determine whether cell A supports VoIMS and / or VoLTE. In other words, the UE can confirm or verify whether VoIMS=true and VoLTESupported=true. Once the UE has determined that these criteria are true, the UE can proceed to 908a and establish a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection with cell A.

[0179] However, if cell A does not support VoNR, as in 910a, the UE can proceed to determine whether cell A supports and / or uses the EPS backoff procedure. For example, if cell A does not use or support the EPS backoff procedure, the UE can proceed to 914a to determine whether cell A supports VoIMS, VoLTE, and / or VoNR. In other words, the UE can confirm or verify whether VoIMS=true, VoLTESupported=true, and / or VoNrSupported=true. Once the UE determines that these criteria are true, the UE can proceed to 916a and establish an RRC connection with cell A. According to some implementations, VoIMS=true, VoLTESupported=true, and VoNrSupported=true can be characteristic flags via UE capability sharing process control between the UE and the network.

[0180] Alternatively, if cell A does indeed support VoNR, as in 918a, the UE can continue to adjust one or more of its UE capabilities. For example, the UE can adjust or change one of its capabilities so that VoIMS=true, VoLTESupported=false, and VoNrSupported=true. In other words, the UE can change its capability indication so that it indicates the UE does not support voice calls over LTE. Therefore, once the UE has adjusted the appropriate UE capability indication, the UE can proceed to 922a to establish an RRC connection with cell A. Furthermore, if an RRC connection has already been established with cell A, the UE can continue to... Figure 9B Point I.

[0181] Figure 9B Examples Figure 9A A continuation of the flowchart. For example, from Figure 9A Starting from point I (from) Figure 9A (Continuing from point I), the UE can proceed to step 902b, in which the UE receives or initiates a non-emergency voice call. Therefore, the UE can receive Inter-Radio Access Technology (IRAT) cell measurement and reporting configuration via a request from an NR cell (e.g., cell A). In some implementations, this request may instruct the UE to perform LTE neighboring cell measurements.

[0182] Then, if the LTE neighbor cell measurement corresponds to a cell without good QoS (e.g., QoS below a threshold), the UE can proceed to 906b to determine whether the LTE cell supports VoIMS, VoLTE, and / or VoNR. In other words, the UE can confirm or verify whether VoIMS=true, VoLTESupported=true, and / or VoNRSupported=true. According to some implementations, once the UE has determined that these criteria are true, the UE can proceed to 908b and establish a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection with the LTE cell. Additionally, at 910b, for MO calls, the UE can redial the call if necessary, and / or for MT calls, the UE can provide or share positive user availability with the caller.

[0183] Alternatively, as in 912b, if the LTE neighbor cell measurements correspond to cells that do indeed have good QoS (e.g., QoS above a threshold), the UE may proceed to 914b to trim, adjust, or change the measurements performed on the LTE cells. For example, according to some implementations, the UE may adjust the measurements of one or more LTE neighbor cells to be below a threshold and further correspond to non-ideal QoS. Additionally or alternatively, the UE may change or adjust the measurements it reports to the network (e.g., cell A).

[0184] In some implementations, and at 916b, the user may be willing to forgo slice benefits in order to establish a voice call. For example, the user may receive a message from the CallKit UI asking whether they are willing to forgo or lose slice benefits in order to establish a voice call. According to some implementations, if the UE's user is unwilling to forgo slice benefits in order to establish a voice call, as in 918b, the UE can proceed to 920b, in which step the VoNR call is successfully established.

[0185] Alternatively, if the UE user is willing to forgo slicing benefits to establish a voice call, as in 922b, the network can establish the call without VoNR, and the UE can proceed from 916b to 924b to determine whether the LTE cell supports VoIMS, VoLTE, and / or VoNR. In other words, the UE can confirm or verify whether VoIMS=true, VoLTESupported=true, and / or VoNRSupported=true. According to some implementations, once the UE has determined that these criteria are true, the UE can proceed to 926b and re-establish the RRC connection with the LTE cell. Furthermore, at 928b, for MO calls, the UE can redial the call if necessary, and / or for MT calls, the UE can provide or share positive user availability with the caller.

[0186] Figure 10 —A method for efficiently transitioning back to NR after EPS rollback.

[0187] Figure 10 This is a communication flowchart illustrating an example method, according to some implementation schemes, for switching back to a slice-supporting network after performing an EPS rollback process.

[0188] Figure 10The aspects of the method can be implemented by a user equipment (e.g., UE 106) communicating with one or more network nodes or base stations (such as BS 102) as illustrated and described with respect to the figures, or more generally, in conjunction with any of the computer systems or devices shown in the figures, as well as other circuits, systems, devices, elements or components and other devices shown in the figures, as needed. For example, one or more processors (or processing elements) of the UE (e.g., processor 302, baseband processor, processor associated with communication circuitry, etc., and various possibilities) can cause the UE to perform some or all of the method elements illustrated. Additionally, one or more processors (or processing elements) of the BS (e.g., processor 402, baseband processor, processor associated with communication circuitry, etc.) can cause the BS to perform some or all of the method elements illustrated. It should be noted that although at least some elements of the method have been described in a manner involving the use of communication technologies and / or features associated with 3GPP specification documents, this description is not intended to limit the disclosure, and aspects of the method can be used in any suitable wireless communication system as needed. In various implementation schemes, some elements of the method shown may be executed simultaneously in a different order than shown, may be replaced by other method elements, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be executed as needed. As shown in the figure, the method can operate as follows.

[0189] At 1002, according to some implementations, the UE can launch an application on the user equipment (UE). More specifically, the UE can launch an application utilizing network slicing via a packet data network (PDN) connection to a first cellular network. This first cellular network may support network slicing and Voice over New Radio (VoNR), and one or more cells of the first cellular network may support the Evolved Packet System (EPS) backoff process associated with a transition to a second cellular network that does not support network slicing. In other words, the UE can launch an application utilizing network slicing via a PDN connection to the first cellular network. In some implementations, the application may utilize network slicing to perform URLLC. For example, some gaming applications may benefit from very fast connections associated with low ping. In some implementations, the first cellular network may be a fifth-generation (5G) network, and the second cellular network may be a fourth-generation (4G) network (e.g., LTE).

[0190] According to some implementation schemes, the application can run in the foreground of the UE. Additionally, according to some implementation schemes, VoNR can be disabled on the UE at least in part based on the UE being in Do Not Disturb (DND) mode.

[0191] In some implementations, the UE may determine whether one or more cells support the EPS backoff procedure. For example, the UE may make this determination using a dataset of NR cells that not only support VoNR but also use or support the EPS backoff procedure. In some implementations, the data may have previously been provided to the UE via OTA updates, either offline or online (where the UE knows its location and queries one or more cells (and their configurations) belonging to the geographic block where the UE is currently located). Furthermore, according to some implementations, cells in the network may indicate to the UE whether they support the EPS backoff procedure in response to queries.

[0192] At position 1004, according to some implementations, the UE can receive or initiate voice calls. For example, the UE can initiate an MO call to another UE or receive an MT call from another UE. In some implementations, the UE can communicate with the network to perform a SIP establishment procedure before sending voice services between the UE and another UE.

[0193] In some implementations, the voice call may be a Mobile Station Called (MT) call, and the UE may send a rejection message to the network in response to receiving an MT call, at least in part based on the UE being in DND mode. Additionally, according to some implementations, the UE may be able to enable VoNR on the UE.

[0194] At point 1006, according to some implementation schemes, the UE can perform an EPS fallback procedure. In other words, the UE can switch from a first cellular network (e.g., 5G) corresponding to an operator that does support VoNR and network slicing to a second cellular network (e.g., LTE) that does not support network slicing or VoNR. Alternatively, the UE can perform an EPS fallback procedure in response to VoNR not being enabled or supported at the UE. For example, VoNR can be disabled on the UE if the operator has not enabled VoNR or if the UE's user has disabled VoNR.

[0195] At point 1008, the UE can establish a voice call with a second network (e.g., NW2). More specifically, according to some embodiments, the UE can receive signaling from the second cellular network to establish the voice call as a VoLTE call. For example, if an EPS backoff procedure has already been performed at point 1006, the UE can then use the VoLTE capability of the second cellular network to establish the voice call. In some embodiments, this signaling may include SIP signaling for establishing the VoLTE call and RRC connection reconfiguration signaling between the UE and the second cellular network. Thus, once the appropriate SIP and RRC communication has been transmitted between the network and the UE, the VoLTE call can be established. In other words, at point 1008, the UE can receive signaling from the second cellular network to establish a voice call via the second cellular network. Additionally, according to some embodiments, network slicing may not be utilized via a PDN connection to the first cellular network during the voice call.

[0196] At 1010, according to some embodiments, the UE can re-establish a connection with the first cellular network (e.g., NW1). More specifically, when a voice call on NW2 is disconnected or terminated, the UE can re-establish its connection with the NR network supporting NW slicing (e.g., NW1). For example, the UE can then request and subsequently receive non-access stratum (NAS) signaling from the first cellular network to re-establish or establish a new PDU session with the first cellular network. According to some embodiments, the signaling between the UE and the first cellular network may include PDU session establishment request and acceptance signaling. Alternatively or additionally, before network slicing can be restored, the UE can receive a PDU session modification command and send a PDU session modification complete message to the first cellular network (in response to the PDU modification command). Therefore, according to some embodiments, once PDU session modification communication has been transmitted between the network and the UE, the PDN connection between the UE and the first cellular network can be re-established. In other words, in 1010, the UE can re-switch to the first cellular network, at least in part, based on the disconnection of a voice call from the second cellular network while the application remains active. Furthermore, according to some implementations, the re-switch to the first cellular network can be triggered based on VoNR being enabled on the UE and the application running in the foreground of the UE.

[0197] At point 1012, according to some implementation schemes, the UE can restore the use of network slices for applications. In other words, the UE can restore the use of network slices via a PDN connection to the first cellular network.

[0198] Figure 11 and Figure 12 —Flowchart: A method for efficiently transitioning back to NR after an EPS rollback

[0199] As a promising way to improve the overall user experience, the number of 5G use cases involving the evolution of network slices by utilizing dedicated slices is increasing. For example, users can use slice subscriptions to have a better user experience when using applications that can transfer data via dedicated slices (e.g., a gaming application, as an example). However, in some cases, applications running on the UE and also using dedicated slices may encounter MT / MO calls triggered at the UE.

[0200] Since VoNR is not a prerequisite for network slicing, operators can enable dedicated slices without enabling VoNR. Therefore, when a user is using an application utilizing network slicing, the device can fall back to LTE if the operator has not enabled VoNR or if the user has disabled VoNR. Furthermore, the UE can remain on LTE even after an MO or MT call ends. Therefore, even if an MO / MT voice call has ended, the user may not be able to use network slices for applications that might be executing or running in the foreground of the UE. Therefore, it may be beneficial to describe methods for efficiently transitioning the UE back to a network-slicing-enabled cell (e.g., an NR cell) after performing an EPS fallback procedure.

[0201] For example, enabling VoNR can be beneficial when a network slicing-enabled application is running in the foreground of the UE. Therefore, if the UE falls back to LTE due to receiving or initiating a voice call, and if the network slicing application is in the foreground, a triggering event can force the UE back to NR after the voice call ends, regardless of other specific implementation details of the triggering event.

[0202] Figures 11 to 12The aspects of the method can be implemented by a user equipment (e.g., UE 106) communicating with one or more network nodes or base stations (such as BS 102) as illustrated and described with respect to the figures, or more generally, in conjunction with any of the computer systems or devices shown in the figures, as well as other circuits, systems, devices, elements or components and other devices shown in the figures, as needed. For example, one or more processors (or processing elements) of the UE (e.g., processor 302, baseband processor, processor associated with communication circuitry, etc., and various possibilities) can cause the UE to perform some or all of the method elements illustrated. Additionally, one or more processors (or processing elements) of the BS (e.g., processor 402, baseband processor, processor associated with communication circuitry, etc.) can cause the BS to perform some or all of the method elements illustrated. It should be noted that although at least some elements of the method have been described in a manner involving the use of communication technologies and / or features associated with 3GPP specification documents, this description is not intended to limit the disclosure, and aspects of the method can be used in any suitable wireless communication system as needed. In various implementation schemes, some elements of the method shown may be executed simultaneously in a different order than shown, may be replaced by other method elements, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be executed as needed. As shown in the figure, the method can operate as follows.

[0203] Figure 11 and Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating an example aspect of a method for efficiently transitioning back to NR after an EPS rollback, according to some implementation schemes. More specifically, Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating how, according to some implementation schemes, an efficient transition back to an NR cell occurs after an EPS backoff process has been performed in response to an MT / MO voice call.

[0204] For example, at 1102, according to some implementations, the UE can camp on a cell in SA mode and can further utilize network slices via the sliced ​​PDN. Furthermore, at 1104, the UE can receive (e.g., MT) or initiate (MO) voice calls. According to some implementations, if VoNR is enabled, as in 1118, the UE can proceed to 1120, in which the voice call is established as a VoNR call; and the applications running on the UE can continue to utilize network slices via the sliced ​​PDN.

[0205] However, according to some implementations, if VoNR is not enabled, such as in 1106, the UE can proceed to 1108, where the UE can perform an EPS backoff procedure to establish an LTE-based voice call. Additionally, since LTE does not support network slicing, applications can interrupt their use of network slices via the sliced ​​PDN when connected to an LTE network. Furthermore, once the call ends or the connection is lost, such as in 1110, the UE can remain on the LTE call until an event or trigger occurs or is received that switches the UE back to an NR cell.

[0206] In some current or previous implementations, there may be multiple options for triggering the UE to return to the NR cell after a voice call is completed on LTE. For example, and as illustrated in 1114, the following may all be triggers associated with the UE's transition from an LTE cell back to an NR cell: throughput less than a threshold (e.g., 2 megabytes (MB)); Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) NR Dual Connectivity (ENDC) not configured; a timer threshold being met; or if the UE moves to idle mode. Therefore, if one of these trigger conditions is met, the UE can proceed to 1112, in which the UE moves back to SA mode on the NR cell, and its network slicing-enabled applications can resume utilization of the network slice via the slice PDN.

[0207] However, according to some implementations, as an alternative to the one described in 1116, if the operator supports VoNR but VoNR is disabled on the UE, VoNR may be enabled when the sliced ​​application is in the foreground. For example, if the application has visible activity, if the activity is started or paused, if the application has a foreground service, and / or if another foreground application connects to the application (e.g., by binding to one of its services or by utilizing one of its content providers), the application may be considered to be operating in the foreground of the UE. However, if none of these conditions are true, the application may be considered to be operating in the background of the UE. Therefore, according to some implementations, if at least one of these conditions is true or satisfied, that at least one condition may be used as a trigger (e.g., at a time corresponding to the satisfaction of one or more of the above conditions) to allow the UE to proceed to 1112, in which the UE moves back to SA mode (e.g., switches back to an NR cell) and the application running on the UE can resume utilization of the network slice via the sliced ​​PDN.

[0208] Therefore, according to some implementations, by enabling VoNR and triggering a forced return to SA mode once the voice call is disconnected on LTE and the slice application is in the foreground, the UE can remain on LTE only for the time required to complete the voice call. Thus, this enhanced method for switching back to NR after performing the EPS fallback procedure minimizes the time spent on networks that do not support network slices, and therefore provides an efficient means of returning to a network that ultimately corresponds to an improved user experience and supports network slices.

[0209] Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating an example aspect of efficiently switching back to an NR cell after an EPS backoff process has been performed in response to the UE being in Do Not Disturb (DND) mode, according to some implementation schemes. DND mode can correspond to a mode in which MT calls can be redirected to voicemail so as not to disturb the user.

[0210] For example, in 1202, according to some implementations, the UE may camp on a cell in SA mode and execute applications on a dedicated slice (e.g., via utilizing a slice PDN). Furthermore, in 1204, the user may have DND enabled and may receive MT calls (e.g., the UE may receive a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) invitation message for MT calls). In this case, if VoNR is enabled, as in 1222, then in 1224, the UE may further send a SIP response to the network on an NR cell.

[0211] Alternatively, in 1206, according to some implementations, if the operator has not enabled or supports VoNR and if an MT call SIP invitation message is received, the UE may respond with a “183 Session Progress” SIP message before checking whether Do Not Disturb is enabled.

[0212] In 1208, according to some implementation schemes, the UE may transmit a 183 Session Progress SIP message to the network. For example, since VoNR is not enabled, the UE may indicate to the network via a 183 Session Progress SIP message that VoNR is not enabled.

[0213] Alternatively, and as an active measure exemplified in 1216, according to some implementations, the UE may send a 403 Reject message to the network to indicate that the network should not redirect the UE to LTE. For example, according to some implementations, as an alternative to sending a 183 Session Progress SIP message to the network in 1208, the UE may instead send a 403 Reject message to the network to avoid the EPS backoff process to LTE. For example, according to some implementations, the 403 Reject message may indicate that the EPS backoff process is prohibited.

[0214] In scenarios where the UE does not transmit a 403 Reject message, in 1210, even if DND is enabled and the UE is not interested in receiving calls (e.g., via user-indicated preferences), the network can still initiate a 5G to LTE transition or redirection (e.g., via an EPS fallback procedure). Furthermore, in 1212, according to some implementations, the UE can check its DND status (e.g., whether DND is enabled and / or rules associated with said status) and reject the call with a 486 SIP message (e.g., "Call rejected by user"), potentially redirecting the call to voicemail. In other words, when in DND mode and when the slice application is in the foreground, the UE can forward received calls to voicemail.

[0215] In scenarios where the network redirects the UE to LTE (as in 1210), there may be multiple options for triggering the UE to return to the NR cell after switching to LTE and rejecting voice calls. For example, and as illustrated in 1218, the following may all be triggers associated with the UE switching back to the NR cell from the LTE cell: throughput less than a threshold (e.g., approximately 2MB); ENDC not configured; timer threshold met; or if the UE moves to idle mode. Therefore, if one of these trigger conditions is met, the UE can proceed to 1214, in which the UE moves back to SA mode on the NR cell, and its network slicing-enabled applications can resume utilization of the network slice via the slice PDN.

[0216] Therefore, according to some implementations, if at least one of these conditions is true or is satisfied, the at least one condition can be used as a trigger (e.g., at a time corresponding to the satisfaction of one or more of the above conditions) to allow the UE to continue to step 1214, in which the UE moves back to SA mode (e.g., switches back to NR cell) and the application running on the UE can resume utilization of the network slice via the slice PDN.

[0217] However, in some implementations where the UE falls back to LTE, a fast or efficient return to NR may not be possible because the call is not connected (e.g., due to DND being enabled) and the network may not be able to quickly redirect the UE to SA. Therefore, according to some implementations, the UE may be stuck in LTE due to this RRC connection. Therefore, it may be beneficial to describe a method for more efficiently switching the UE back to NR when DND is enabled, an MT voice call is received, and an EPS fallback to LTE is performed.

[0218] For example, and as illustrated in 1220, according to some implementations, if the operator supports VoNR but VoNR is disabled on the UE, VoNR may still be enabled when the slice application is in the foreground. Furthermore, the UE may be provided with the option to forward all incoming calls to the voicemail inbox. Therefore, according to some implementations, this can trigger a forced return to SA mode after a voice call is disconnected and if the slice application is still in the foreground. Thus, when the UE falls back to LTE due to a received voice call and after the voice call ends (e.g., disconnected), a forced return to NR may be possible if the slice application is running in the foreground of the UE, regardless of the previous specific implementation or standard.

[0219] Therefore, according to some implementations, by enabling VoNR and triggering a forced return to SA mode when the slice application is in the foreground and a voice call has been rejected and forwarded to voicemail, the UE can remain on LTE only for the time required to complete the rejection and forwarding. Thus, this enhanced method for switching back to NR after performing the EPS fallback process and call rejection / voicemail forwarding minimizes the time spent on networks that do not support network slicing. Therefore, this provides an efficient means of returning to a network that ultimately corresponds to an improved user experience and supports network slicing.

[0220] As is widely recognized, the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and measures that are generally accepted to meet or exceed industry or governmental requirements for protecting user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

[0221] Embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in any of a variety of forms. For example, some embodiments can be implemented as a computer-implemented method, a computer-readable storage medium, or a computer system. Other embodiments can be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. Other embodiments can be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs.

[0222] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be configured to store program instructions and / or data, wherein, if executed by a computer system, the program instructions cause the computer system to perform a method, such as any method embodiment of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of method embodiments described herein, or any subset or combination of any such subset of any method embodiments described herein.

[0223] In some implementations, the device (e.g., UE 106) may be configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and a memory medium, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions, and the processor is configured to read from and execute the program instructions from the memory medium, wherein the program instructions are executable to implement any of the various method implementations described herein (or any combination of method implementations described herein, or any subset of any of the method implementations described herein, or any combination of such subsets). The device may be implemented in any of the various forms.

[0224] By interpreting each message / signal X received by the user equipment (UE) in the downlink as a message / signal X sent by the base station, and interpreting each message / signal Y sent by the UE in the uplink as a message / signal Y received by the base station, any of the methods described herein for operating the UE can serve as the basis for a corresponding method for operating the base station.

[0225] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully understood. It is intended that the following claims be construed as encompassing all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. A method comprising: starting an application on a user equipment (UE), wherein the application utilizes a network slice via a packet data network (PDN) connection with a first cellular network, wherein the first cellular network supports network slicing and voice over new radio (VoNR), and wherein one or more cells of the first cellular network support an evolved packet system (EPS) fallback procedure; receiving or initiating a voice call with another UE; adjusting one or more capabilities of the UE such that the EPS fallback procedure is weakened, wherein the EPS fallback procedure is associated with a transition to a second cellular network that does not support network slicing; and receiving signaling from the first cellular network to establish the voice call as a VoNR call via the first cellular network based at least in part on the one or more adjusted capabilities of the UE, wherein the network slice is maintained during the VoNR call.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining whether one or more feature flag equalities are satisfied as part of a UE capability sharing procedure between the UE and the first cellular network, wherein the one or more capabilities include the one or more feature flag equalities, the one or more feature flag equalities including VoIMS = true, VoLTESupported = true, and VoNrSupported = true.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein adjusting the one or more capabilities of the UE such that the EPS fallback procedure is weakened comprises: switching VoLTESupported = true to VoLTESupported = false.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing a message via a user interface (UI) of the UE that asks a user of the UE whether the user is willing to lose the network slice in order to establish the call.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising: sending a response to the message to the first cellular network, the response indicating whether the user is willing to lose the network slice in order to establish the call.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a message from the first cellular network that includes an inter radio access technology (IRAT) cell measurement and reporting configuration.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the message includes a request for the UE to perform measurements of one or more neighboring cells of the second cellular network.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising: performing one or more measurements of one or more cells of the second cellular network in response to the request; and adjusting the one or more measurements such that the EPS fallback procedure is weakened.

9. A processor comprising: a memory that stores instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: launching an application on a user equipment (UE), wherein the application utilizes a network slice via a packet data network (PDN) connection with a first cellular network, wherein the first cellular network supports network slicing and voice over new radio (VoNR), and wherein one or more cells of the first cellular network support an evolved packet system (EPS) fallback procedure; receiving, from the first cellular network, a request to perform measurements of one or more neighboring cells of a second cellular network that does not support network slicing; performing one or more measurements of one or more cells of the second cellular network; receiving or initiating a voice call with another UE; adjusting the one or more measurements of the UE such that an EPS fallback procedure is weakened, wherein the EPS fallback procedure is associated with a transition to the second cellular network; and receiving signaling from the first cellular network to establish the voice call as a VoNR call via the first cellular network based at least in part on the one or more adjusted measurements of the UE, wherein the network slice is maintained during the VoNR call.

10. The processor of claim 9, wherein the request to perform measurements of one or more neighboring cells of the second cellular network comprises an inter radio access technology (IRAT) cell measurement and reporting configuration.

11. The processor of claim 9, wherein the one or more measurements are adjusted to be below a threshold.

12. The processor of claim 9, wherein the instructions are further executable to cause the processor to: adjust one or more capabilities of the UE such that an EPS fallback procedure is weakened.

13. The processor of claim 12, wherein the instructions are further executable to cause the processor to: determine whether one or more feature flag equalities are satisfied as part of a UE capability sharing procedure between the UE and the first cellular network, wherein the one or more capabilities comprise the one or more feature flag equalities, the one or more feature flag equalities comprising VoIMS = true, VoLTESupported = true, and VoNrSupported = true.

14. The processor of claim 13, wherein adjusting the one or more capabilities of the UE such that an EPS fallback procedure is weakened comprises: switch VoLTESupported = true to VoLTESupported = false.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a wireless device to: launch an application on the wireless device, wherein the application utilizes a network slice via a packet data network (PDN) connection with a first cellular network, wherein the first cellular network supports network slicing and voice over new radio (VoNR), and wherein one or more cells of the first cellular network support an evolved packet system (EPS) fallback procedure; receive or initiate a voice call with another wireless device; performing an EPS fallback procedure, wherein the EPS fallback procedure transitions the wireless device from the first cellular network to a second cellular network that does not support network slicing; receiving signaling from the second cellular network to establish the voice call via the second cellular network, wherein during the voice call, the network slice is not utilized via the PDN connection with the first cellular network; re-transitioning to the first cellular network based at least in part on the voice call being disconnected from the second cellular network and the application remaining launched; and resuming utilization of the network slice via the PDN connection with the first cellular network.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the application is executing in a foreground of the wireless device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein VoNR is disabled on the wireless device based at least in part on the wireless device being in a do-not-disturb (DND) mode.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the voice call is a mobile terminated (MT) call, and wherein the instructions are further executable to cause the wireless device to: send a reject message to the network in response to receiving the MT call and based at least in part on the wireless device being in a DND mode.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions are further executable to cause the wireless device to: enable VoNR on the wireless device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the re-transition to the first cellular network is triggered based on VoNR being enabled on the wireless device and the application running in a foreground of the wireless device.

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