Access control for non-terrestrial networks (NTNs)

Abstract

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for access control techniques for restricting access from a user equipment (UE) (102) to a non-terrestrial network (NTN). A network entity, such as a satellite 106B or a terrestrial base station 106A, communicates access control information (130) to the UE indicating that access to the NTN is barred based on a traffic type. There are various mechanisms for indicating barring, traffic type, and relationships with NTN. For example, a network entity may indicate barring via a non-access stratum (NAS), a radio resource control (RRC), or a system information message. In some examples, a network entity transmits a UE (User Equipment) Routing Policy (URSIP) with a Routing Policy (URSIP) rule that includes an indicator indicating barring and a traffic descriptor (TD) describing a type of barred traffic. The UE avoids accessing the NTN based on the access control information (160).

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 594,950, filed October 31, 2023, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 595,932, filed November 3, 2023, both entitled “ACCESS CONTROL FOR A NON-TERRESTRIAL NETWORK (NTN)”, both of which are assigned to the assignee of this application, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to wireless communications, and in some aspects to access control of non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), wherein the access control enables the wireless communication system to prohibit access from a user equipment (UE) to the NTN based on traffic type. Background Technology

[0004] This background description is provided for the purpose of presenting the general context of this disclosure. The work of the currently attributed inventors (to the extent described in this background section) and aspects of the specification that would not have been considered prior art at the time of filing are neither expressly nor impliedly acknowledged as prior art to this disclosure.

[0005] Wireless communication systems comprise one or more network entities (such as base stations) that enable communication by mobile communication devices (called user equipment (UE)). Each base station operates one or more cells to provide coverage for the UE. Recent developments in wireless communication technology include the use of non-terrestrial networks (NTN). NTN refers to a network or network segment that uses radio frequency (RF) resources on NTN nodes such as satellites, unmanned aerial vehicle systems (UAS), or high-altitude platforms (HAP). NTN nodes can include space-based vehicles (such as satellites) or air-based vehicles (such as UAS). For simplicity, the following discussion will refer to all such equipment as satellites. Satellite-based cellular systems may experience more congestion than terrestrial cellular systems because satellite cells typically serve more users and have lower capacity than cells in terrestrial cellular networks. Satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO) can have beam coverage diameters ranging from 100 km to 3500 km. For low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems, beam coverage diameters can range from 50 m to 1200 km. In contrast, terrestrial cellular systems typically have coverage diameters of 0.5 to 10 km. Due to their large coverage area, satellite beams / cells typically serve more users than terrestrial cells. Satellites can operate at altitudes ranging from approximately 36,000 km in GEO to 600 km in LEO. Because these distances are orders of magnitude larger than comparable distances for terrestrial cellular networks, the link capacity of satellite-based networks can be relatively low compared to terrestrial networks.

[0006] Current technologies for controlling satellite access are limited. For example, access control technologies can restrict access based on location area or time. However, they do not, for instance, differentiate between traffic types. As a result, current technologies restrict all or any traffic from the UE. A more granular approach to access control is desired. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The systems, methods, and apparatuses disclosed herein each have several innovative aspects, but no single innovative aspect is solely responsible for the desired properties disclosed herein.

[0008] One innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented as a method for wireless communication by a user equipment (UE), wherein the UE receives a message from a network entity indicating a prohibition of access to a non-terrestrial network (NTN) for a first traffic type. The UE uses this message to avoid access to the NTN for the first traffic type. In various example implementations, this message is a system information message, a radio resource control (RRC) message, or a non-access stratum (NAS) message. The message can use various combinations of radio access technology (RAT) type, access class (AC), connectivity capability field, or application identifier (ID) to indicate the prohibition of access.

[0009] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented as a method for wireless communication performed by a UE. The method includes the UE receiving at least a first UE Routing Policy (URSP) rule from a network entity, the first URSP rule including an indication for prohibiting access to the NTN for a first traffic type. The UE avoids access to the NTN for the first traffic type based on the first URSP rule.

[0010] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented as a method for wireless communication performed by a UE. The method includes the UE receiving access control information from a network entity. This access control information indicates a ban on an NTN based on traffic type. In some implementations, a first traffic type is banned, but a second traffic type is not banned. The method includes the UE accessing the NTN for the second traffic type based on the access control information. In some implementations, the method includes the UE avoiding access to the NTN for the first traffic type based on the access control information.

[0011] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented as a method for wireless communication performed by a network entity. The method includes: configuring access control information indicating a prohibition of NTN based on traffic type, and sending the access control information to the UE. The network entity can configure the access control information using either the messages mentioned above or URSP rules.

[0012] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented as an apparatus or system. In some implementations, the apparatus includes a communication unit and a processing system. The processing system is configured to control the communication unit to implement any of the methods described in this document. Other technical features will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following drawings, specification, and claims.

[0013] Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the following description. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the specification, drawings, and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0014] The same reference numerals and names in the various figures indicate the same elements. It should be noted that the relative dimensions in the figures may not be drawn to scale. To facilitate identification of any particular element or action being discussed, one or more of the highest significant digits in the reference numerals indicate the figure number in which that element was first introduced.

[0015] Figure 1 This is an example wireless communication system illustrating user equipment (UE) and two types of network entities (base station (BS) and non-terrestrial network (NTN) nodes), where access control information can restrict access to NTN nodes based on traffic type.

[0016] Figure 2 An example system information message including access control information is shown.

[0017] Figure 3 An example Radio Resource Control (RRC) message including access control information is shown.

[0018] Figure 4 An example UE routing policy (URSP) message including access control information is shown.

[0019] Figure 5 An example route selection descriptor (RSD) for a URSP rule is shown, where the RSD includes one or more validity conditions.

[0020] Figure 6 An example non-access stratum (NAS) message including access control information is shown.

[0021] Figure 7 A message passing diagram is shown illustrating access control based on prohibited system information of the Access Class (AC) in accordance with various aspects of this disclosure.

[0022] Figure 8 A message passing diagram is shown for access control using URSP rules to prohibit access in accordance with various aspects of this disclosure.

[0023] Figure 9 A message passing diagram is shown for access control using RRC messages to prohibit access according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0024] Figure 10 A message passing diagram is shown for access control using NAS messages to prohibit access according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0025] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of a UE using URSP rules for access control.

[0026] Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of a UE using messages such as system information messages, RRC messages, or NAS messages for access control.

[0027] Figure 13 This is a flowchart illustrating example operations of network entities performing access control according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0028] Figure 14 An example control plane protocol stack according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown.

[0029] Figure 15 This is a block diagram of an example wireless communication system that illustrates hardware features and communication interfaces. Detailed Implementation

[0030] For the purpose of describing the innovative aspects of this disclosure, the following description relates to certain implementations. However, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in many different ways. Some examples in this disclosure are based on wireless communication according to 3GPP wireless standards such as the 4th generation (4G) Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard and the 5th generation (5G) New Radio (NR) standard. However, the described implementations can be implemented in any device, system, or network capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals or other known signals according to any wireless communication standard, including any of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 or 802.16 wireless standards, for communication within wireless, cellular, or Internet of Things (IoT) networks, such as systems utilizing 4G, 5G, WiFi, or future radio technologies.

[0031] This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for access control techniques to restrict access from a user equipment (UE) to a non-terrestrial network (NTN). A network entity (such as a satellite or terrestrial base station) communicates access control information to the UE to instruct that access to the NTN be prohibited based on traffic type. Various mechanisms exist for indicating the prohibition, traffic type, and relationship to the NTN. For example, the network entity may indicate the prohibition via a non-access stratum (NAS) message (such as a NAS registration accept, NAS registration reject, or NAS downlink transmission message). In other examples, the network entity may indicate the prohibition via a radio resource control (RRC) message or a system information message. In some examples, the network entity sends a URSP with a UE routing policy (URSP) rule indicating the prohibition.

[0032] In some aspects, network entities use Access Classes (ACs) for NTN (such as standardized ACs for NTN or carrier-defined ACs for NTN) to indicate traffic types. In some implementations, standardized ACs for NTN are predefined ACs that specify traffic types, traffic patterns, or traffic criteria that are prohibited from accessing the NTN. In some implementations, carrier-defined ACs for NTN include traffic descriptors indicating traffic types. Network entities can send messages indicating that access to the NTN is prohibited by the AC for NTN. The message may optionally indicate the period for which the prohibition is imposed or an indication that access is prohibited unless otherwise indicated in a subsequent message.

[0033] In some aspects, network entities use URSP rules, including Traffic Descriptors (TDs) and Routing Descriptors (RSDs), to indicate traffic types. The URSP rule may include an indicator that indicates traffic matching the URSP rule is prohibited from accessing the NTN. This indicator (which may be referred to as a prohibition indicator) may be included in a top-level field of the URSP rule, the TD, or the RSD. In some implementations, the URSP rule includes one or more validity conditions that inform the UE when the URSP rule applies. For example, in some implementations, the URSP rule includes a Radio Access Technology (RAT) type corresponding to the NTN, causing the UE to apply the URSP rule to the NTN based on the RAT type. In some implementations, the URSP rule indicates the AC (such as a standardized AC for the NTN or an operator-defined AC for the NTN) used to cause the UE to apply the URSP rule to traffic matching the AC.

[0034] Specific implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure can achieve one or more of the following potential advantages. Example wireless communication system operators can prohibit certain traffic types from accessing the NTN. Example wireless communication systems can control which traffic flows (e.g., applications and / or application types) can access the satellite-based cellular system. Some techniques in this disclosure enhance existing concepts from 3GPP standards to achieve access control at a finer-grained level. The techniques in this disclosure provide operators with the flexibility to prohibit specific traffic types based on the number of users, NTN cell capacity, Quality of Service (QoS), or other considerations. By restricting certain traffic types, operators can support an increased number of users per NTN cell. In some implementations, these techniques can limit or prohibit the use of satellite capacity for some applications, allowing the NTN to support higher QoS for other applications.

[0035] Figure 1This is an example wireless communication system 100 illustrating UE 102 and two types of network entities: a terrestrial network base station (BS 106A) and a non-terrestrial network (NTN) node (satellite 106B). BS 106A can be an enhanced base station (eNB) or a next-generation base station (gNB). The NTN node can be any type of space-based or air-based vehicle. For simplicity, the NTN node is referred to as satellite 106B in this disclosure. In some implementations, the NTN also includes other components that couple the space-based / air-based vehicle to the wireless communication system. For example, the NTN may include an NTN gateway that communicatively couples satellite 106B to a terrestrial base station (referred to as NTN BS). In some deployments, some operations of the NTN BS may be co-located on satellite 106B. BS 106A and NTN BS (or satellite 106B) are part of one or more radio access networks (RANs) communicatively coupled to the core network of the wireless communication system. In the 3GPP specification, the core network can be implemented as an Evolved Packet Core (EPC), a 5G core (5GC), or a 6G core. When a wireless communication system includes 5GC, the wireless communication system can be referred to as a 5G system (5GS). BS 106A and Satellite 106B can also be referred to as network entities. In this disclosure, network entity 106 can be either BS 106A or Satellite 106B.

[0036] UE 102 can operate in different connectivity states, such as connected, idle, or inactive. The Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state (referred to as RRC_CONNECTED) refers to a state in which UE 102 has an active radio connection with any network entity in network entity 106. The idle state (referred to as RRC_IDLE) refers to a state in which UE 102 has no active radio connection and is not configured with an RRC connection. The inactive state (referred to as RRC_INACTIVE) refers to a state in which UE 102 does not have an active radio connection but is configured with a suspended RRC connection.

[0037] One goal of 5G technology (and beyond) is to provide a unified framework for communication types such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), and massive machine-type communication (mMTC). 5G technology primarily relies on legacy terrestrial networks. The 3GPP organization has proposed extending 5G communication (and beyond) to NTN. NTN refers to a network or segment of a network that uses radio frequency (RF) resources on NTN nodes (such as satellites or space-based platforms). Space-based platforms can include balloons, airships, winged platforms such as aircraft or drones, etc. Space-based platforms can include geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites (sometimes also called geosynchronous orbit (GSO) satellites), low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites, or highly elliptical orbit (HEO) satellites, etc. In some implementations, NTN nodes form constellations. NTN nodes can belong to one of several types based on altitude, orbit, and beam coverage area size. In this disclosure, for the sake of brevity, all types of NTN nodes are referred to as satellite 106B, which is a type of network entity 106.

[0038] Prior to 5G, the 3GPP specification defined access classes to implement access control. The network could randomly assign each UE to one of 10 access classes (e.g., numerically numbered access classes such as AC0, AC1, ..., AC9). By signaling the prohibited access class number, the network could periodically or temporarily block all traffic from UEs assigned to a specific access class. In 5G (and later), 3GPP defined a Unified Access Control (UAC) mechanism. In the UAC mechanism, each UE is assigned one or more access identities. Simultaneously, different access classes (ACs) are associated with various services. When a UE attempts to access the network for any reason, the UE matches the service with an AC. 3GPP provides rules for controlling network access based on the UE's access identity and the AC used for traffic. The RAN can broadcast prohibition control information involving one or more ACs and one or more access identities. The UE can use the prohibition control information to determine whether an access attempt is prohibited or permitted.

[0039] Current User Account Control (UAC) mechanisms provide coarse-grained access control, which is insufficient for NTNs. For example, current UAC mechanisms operate at the UE level and lack traffic-level control. All data generated by the UE is either prohibited or allowed. NTN operators may want to allow some applications to generate limited data (e.g., messaging apps) and prohibit other applications from generating larger amounts of data (e.g., video or games). Similarly, satellite systems can support latency-tolerant applications but cannot adequately serve latency-sensitive applications. Moreover, depending on network load, satellite systems may want to allow or prohibit some or all of the traffic generated by the UE at certain times and locations. Currently, UAC mechanisms cannot dynamically configure which application or type of application can use a specific RAT (Registered Access Terminal) for satellite access and which cannot.

[0040] Additionally, the current UAC mechanism cannot block access for extended periods or indefinitely. (Based on parameters) uac- BarringFactor and uac-BarringTime Probabilistically enforce blocking for each traffic category at the Access Layer (AS) layer. uac-BarringFactor Control the probability of allowing access attempts, and uac-BarringTime This indicates the average time it takes for an access attempt to be blocked. Traditionally, uac-BarringTime The maximum configurable value is 512 seconds. You may want to permanently block access attempts (for a specific access class) or configure uac-BarringTime to a value greater than 512 seconds.

[0041] Another access control mechanism is based on service area. The network can implement tracking areas with different Tracking Area Identities (TAIs). Each RAN (potentially with a different RAT type) may have different TAIs. The Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) in the core network can determine whether the UE is in a prohibited area based on the TAI. The AMF receives broadcast TAIs from the RAN (if a single TAI is broadcast) or all broadcast TAIs (if multiple TAIs are broadcast). The AMF provides service area restrictions to the UE, which consist of allowed or prohibited areas. If any broadcast TAI is not allowed, the UE and AMF consider the UE to be in a prohibited area. If at least one broadcast TAI is allowed, the UE and AMF consider the UE to be in an allowed area. This access control mechanism is based on mobility prohibited area information and service area restriction mechanisms. The AMF provides the UE with mobility prohibited area information defined by TAIs or service area restrictions, which consist of allowed or prohibited areas. If the UE detects a gNB broadcasting a System Information Block (SIB) message indicating a TAI within the UE's configured mobility prohibited area or service area restriction, the UE does not access the NTN. This access control mechanism may be too crude to accommodate the different types of traffic that are suitable for NTN access.

[0042] According to various aspects of this disclosure, network entity 106 (such as BS 106A or satellite 106B) can provide access control information 130 indicating a prohibition on NTN based on traffic type. For example, access control information 130 can be sent in messages 120A or 120B from any network entity within the network entity. This disclosure provides several types of messages and access control information to inform UE 102 about which traffic types are prohibited. UE 102 can use this access control information to avoid access to the 160 NTN node (satellite 106B).

[0043] UE 102 may have an application layer, a NAS layer, and an AS layer (such as an RRC layer, a Media Access Control (MAC) layer, and a Physical (PHY) layer). When UE 102 initiates an application, the application layer can request data communication services from the NAS layer. For example, the application layer can provide application attributes or related information to the NAS layer. For the UAC, the UE's NAS layer determines the AC for the data communication service based on application-related information. When a service request procedure for a service connection (transmission of a service request message or an extended service request message) begins, the NAS layer can enforce a block based on the AC. Alternatively, the NAS layer can notify the AS layer about the AC, and the AS layer can enforce a block based on the AC for the requested data communication service. In either scenario, no data communication service is requested, and the AS does not send the blocked transmission 162. UE 102 can avoid accessing satellite 106B by not sending the blocked transmission 162. This disclosure describes enhancements to the UAC mechanism for implementing traffic-level blocking for NTN access, such as references... Figure 2 and Figure 7 Those described. For example, an AC for NTN can indicate the types of traffic that are prohibited for NTN. An AC for NTN can be a standardized AC for NTN (such as those defined in 3GPP specifications) or an operator-defined AC for NTN that describes one or more types of traffic that are prohibited from entering NTN.

[0044] In some aspects of this disclosure, the AS layer of the UE can send a first message (not shown) and, in response to the first message, receive access control information 130 via a NAS message or an RRC message. Thereafter, the UE 102 avoids access 106B by not sending subsequent messages for the prohibited application or traffic type. This disclosure describes enhancements to NAS or RRC messages used to implement traffic-level prohibition for NTN access, such as references... Figure 3 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 Those described. For example, NAS or RRC messages can use AC for NTN, prohibition indicator, reason code, or other information indicating that the traffic type is prohibited to indicate prohibition.

[0045] In some aspects of this disclosure, URSP can be used to implement prohibition. URSP can have several URSP rules: the UE uses these URSP rules to select the route taken by user data traffic through the RAN and core network. URSP rules are typically implemented at the UE's NAS layer. The NAS layer can use one or more URSP rules to determine the allowed network nodes, interfaces, or paths based on various factors such as quality of service requirements, operator preferences, or network conditions. This disclosure describes enhancements to the UAC mechanism for implementing traffic-level prohibition for NTN access, such as references... Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 8 The URSP rules described herein. In some implementations, the URSP rule includes indications (such as flags or fields) that indicate the URSP rule is used to block traffic matching the URSP rule. Additionally, the URSP rule may include supplementary information, such as RAT type, validity conditions, or other information, to inform UE 102 that the URSP rule applies to NTN access considerations. When satellite 106B matches the RAT type of the URSP rule, the traffic type matches the traffic descriptor (TD) of the URSP rule, and the indication or flag indicates that the URSP rule is used to block access, UE 102 can avoid accessing the NTN.

[0046] Figure 2 An example system information message 220 including access control information is shown. In some implementations, system information message 220 is a system information broadcast (SIB), such as an SIB type 1 (SIB1) message, an SIB type 19 (SIB19) message for NTN, or a newly numbered SIB message. Network entities (such as...) Figure 1 The BS 106A or satellite 106B can transmit system information message 220 via a broadcast channel. In some implementations, system information message 220 can indicate a list of ACs that are prohibited from accessing the broadcast network entity. According to various aspects of this disclosure, system information message 220 can indicate a prohibition against AC 230 associated with the NTN. Figure 2 Two examples of AC 230 associated with NTN are shown below. AC 230 associated with NTN can be a standardized AC 232 for NTN (such as an AC with traffic types described in the standard specification) or an operator-defined AC 234 for NTN.

[0047] Currently, 3GPP defines as many as 64 ACs, as shown in Table 1. ACs numbered 0 to 10 have standardized meanings for various services but are not specific to satellite access. ACs numbered 10 to 31 are reserved for standardization. ACs numbered 32 to 63 can be used as operator-defined ACs.

[0048] Table 1. Access Categories

[0049] According to this disclosure, one or more new standardized ACs (possibly in the range of 10 to 31) can be defined in the specification to define traffic types that are typically prohibited for satellite access. The standardized AC 232 for NTN can be satellite access specific. In some implementations, the standardized AC 232 for NTN can also be used to prohibit the same traffic types on non-satellite access. As an example, the standardized AC 232 for NTN can be defined in the 3GPP specification as being associated with traffic from high-bandwidth applications such as streaming video, real-time gaming, etc. Potential technical advantages of defining a standardized AC 232 for NTN include: multiple network operators can use a common AC configuration; communication can be reduced by using standardized AC numbers to describe one or more traffic types; the implementation of AC 230 associated with NTN can be standardized; or any combination of these advantages.

[0050] Alternatively or additionally, operators may define concurrent signaling operator-defined ACs (possibly in the range of 32 to 63) to describe traffic prohibited from satellite access. Operator-defined ACs may include one or more standards to describe the traffic type. For example, an operator-defined AC may include one or more traffic descriptors (such as those defined in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 24.526) to indicate: Application descriptor Internet Protocol (IP) descriptor Domain descriptors (such as fully qualified domain names (FQDNs)) Non-IP descriptor Data Network Name (DNN) Type Connection capability type Security parameter index type Other methods may exist for defining the traffic types associated with the AC 230 associated with the NTN. In some implementations, the AC 230 associated with the NTN may indicate one or more connectivity capability types, such as IMS traffic, Internet, IoT and machine-to-machine traffic, on-demand downlink streaming, on-demand uplink streaming, vehicle communication, real-time interactive traffic, unified communications traffic, background traffic, location-based traffic, critical communications, etc. Potential technical advantages of using the operator-defined AC 234 for the NTN include: each network operator can customize the traffic types that are prohibited from accessing the NTN; the AC can be dynamically changed based on the current operating conditions of the NTN; more complex traffic matching criteria can be configured for the operator-defined AC 234 for the NTN; or any combination of these advantages.

[0051] Network entities can send system information message 220, which indicates the AC 230 associated with the NTN (either the standardized AC 232 for the NTN or the operator-defined AC 234 for the NTN, or both). UEs using satellite access are not permitted to access the specified connectivity capabilities for traffic matching the AC 230 associated with the NTN. Therefore, UEs avoid accessing the NTN for traffic matching the AC 230 associated with the NTN.

[0052] In some aspects, system information message 220 also includes access parameters 240 (such as prohibition information). Access parameters 240 may indicate the duration of the prohibition (such as during...). uac-BarringTime (In the field). In some implementations, uac- BarringTime This is populated with values ​​indicating the duration for which the prohibition is applied. One or more values ​​can indicate a duration exceeding 512 seconds. In some implementations, uac-BarringTime The access parameter 240 may be filled with a value or flag indicating an indefinite period or infinity, causing access attempts to this AC to be permanently blocked, or until a subsequent system information message 220 indicates otherwise. In addition to, or instead of, the blocking duration, access parameter 240 may also include other criteria or parameters associated with the AC 230 associated with the NTN. A potential technical advantage of including access parameter 240 is that network entities can provide more granular control over when or how to apply the AC 230 associated with the NTN to determine access control.

[0053] Figure 3An example RRC message 320 including access control information is shown. Examples of RRC messages 320 include RRC rejection messages, RRC completion messages, RRC configuration messages, and others. In some implementations, the network entity sends RRC message 320 in response to an RRC request message from the UE. Alternatively or additionally, the network entity may send RRC message 320 whenever it expects to change the access control information.

[0054] In some implementations, RRC message 320 includes an indication based on the AC associated with the NTN—such as a reference. Figure 2 The AC prohibited field 330 describes the standardized access category or operator-defined access category. Alternatively or additionally, the RRC message 320 may include a reason code or other flag 334 indicating that access is prohibited. In some implementations, 3GPP specifications for RRC (such as 3GPP TS 38.331) may specify a list of satellite-specific access categories that are prohibited from accessing the satellite cell.

[0055] Figure 4 An example UE routing policy (URSP) 420 including access control information is shown. URSP 420 may include one or more URSP rules. Each URSP rule includes a traffic descriptor 434 and a routing descriptor 436. URSP rules may also optionally include URSP rule appending indications 432. According to various aspects of this disclosure, one URSP rule (shown as URSP rule 422) may include a prohibition indication 430. Prohibition indication 430 may be included in any part of URSP rule 422, such as in URSP rule appending indication 432, traffic descriptor 434, or routing descriptor 436.

[0056] Traffic descriptor (TD) 434 may include a variable number (at least one) of traffic descriptor components. Each traffic descriptor component may indicate information about the type of traffic that matches the URSP rule. For example, a TD may indicate things such as IP address, protocol header, port or port range, QoS label, connectivity, MAC address, and other examples.

[0057] In some implementations, TD 434 may use a connectivity capability value to refer to the traffic type. A connectivity capability value can refer to one of a set of predefined traffic categories, such as those indicated in Table 2. Each row can be associated with a different value. Table 2 is provided as an example, and it is possible to look up other traffic categories and implementations within the table.

[0058] Table 2. Connectivity Capacity (Traffic Category)

[0059] Returning to the discussion of prohibition instruction 430, various implementations of URSP rule 422 can include instructions in different locations. Prohibition instruction 430 can also be referred to as an information element (IE) or field of URSP rule appended instruction 432, traffic descriptor 434, or routing descriptor 436. Prohibition instruction 430 can also be referred to as an "AccessNotAllowed" IE or an "AllowAccess" IE. In some implementations, prohibition instruction 430 can be a mandatory binary IE, which can be... real or Fake If AccessNotAllowed is set to real If the traffic generation access attempt matches the corresponding traffic descriptor, then such an attempt is not allowed. In some implementations, the prohibition indication 430 is an optional IE, where if the IE includes a defined valid value, then the traffic generation access attempt matches the corresponding traffic descriptor is not allowed. Tables 3 and 4 show examples of URSP rule 422 with the prohibition indication 430.

[0060] Table 3. Prohibition indication 430 included as a top-level field in URSP rules.

[0061]

[0062] The potential technical advantage of including prohibition indication 430 in top-level fields (such as URSP rule appended indication 432) is that the implementation of the prohibition indication can be easily added to the URSP rules in the standard specification.

[0063] Table 4. Prohibition Indications Including Traffic Descriptors (TD) 430

[0064] A potential technical advantage of including a prohibition indication 430 in the traffic descriptor 434 is that the indication can be linked to a specific connectivity capability value or traffic descriptor component.

[0065] In some implementations, URSP rule 422 may also indicate RAT type 440. For example, RAT type 440 may be a value from 3GPP TS 29.214 (Table E.2-1), shown in Table 5 below.

[0066] Table 5. RAT Types

[0067] When RAT type 440 is included in URSP rule 422, the UE can determine that URSP rule 422 applies when considering access to a RAN matching the RAT type. For example, satellite 106B might be a 3GPP New Radio (NR) LEO NTN matching the RAT type "NR-LEO". If RAT type 440 of URSP rule 422 is "NR-LEO" and prohibition indication 430 indicates that URSP rule 422 is used for prohibition, then UE 102 will avoid access to satellite 106B for any traffic matching traffic descriptor 434. In various implementations, RAT type 440 is included in URSP rule appending indication 432, traffic descriptor 434, or routing descriptor 436. A potential technical advantage of including RAT type 440 in URSP rule 422 is that it can limit the scope of URSP rule 422 to one or more RATs matching RAT type 440.

[0068] Figure 5 Example route selection descriptor 436 is shown, in which the RSD includes one or more validity conditions 540 in a URSP rule. Route selection descriptor 436 will be included in, for example, reference... Figure 4 The URSP rule described in URSP rule 422. For example, regarding... Figure 4 As described, the routing descriptor 436 may include a prohibition indication 430. In Figure 5 In this context, route descriptor 436 also includes validity condition 540 to restrict when route descriptor 436 is valid. For example, validity condition 540 may indicate one or more ACs (such as reference ACs) to be valid. Figure 2 The AC 230 described in relation to NTN (such as references) Figure 4 (Described) RAT type 440 or both. Table 6 shows an example format for routing descriptor 436. Validity criteria may include one or more validity conditions, such as time window or location criteria. According to various aspects of this disclosure, validity criteria include access and RAT type criteria (such as RAT type 440) and / or permitted access class criteria (such as AC 230 associated with NTN).

[0069] Table 6. Routing Descriptor Format

[0070] A potential technical advantage of including validity condition 540 in routing descriptor 436 is that URSP rule 422 can be configured to apply to traffic matching an AC 230 associated with the NTN (such as a standardized AC or an operator-defined AC), to a RAN matching a RAT type standard, or both. For traffic or network entities that do not match validity condition 540, URSP rule 422 can be ignored, and other URSP rules (not shown) can be used to determine the routing or access control of the traffic.

[0071] Figure 6 Example NAS message 620, which includes access control information, is shown. When a UE accesses a wireless communication system, the UE establishes a radio connection to a network entity and then sends NAS messages to the core network via that radio connection. Elements of the core network (such as the AMF) cooperate with the UE's NAS layer to implement the NAS protocol. NAS messages can be used for network registration, service management, or NAS layer configuration. NAS message 620 can be a NAS registration accept message, a NAS registration reject message, a NAS configuration message, or a downlink NAS transport message, among other examples.

[0072] In some aspects of this disclosure, the NAS message 620 from the core network (via network entities) to the UE may include a prohibition indication 430. The prohibition indication 430 may be any of the examples described in this disclosure, such as a flag or field indicating access category prohibition, a traffic descriptor and prohibition indication, a routing descriptor indicating RAT type and prohibition, and other examples. Additionally or alternatively, the NAS message 620 may include prohibition information 640. For example, prohibition information 640 may include any combination of fields indicating RAT type 642, AC 644 associated with NTN, connectivity capability field 646, or application ID 648.

[0073] As an example, NAS message 620 can indicate a prohibition in association with a combination of RAT type and traffic type. In some implementations, the RAT type is a value indicating an option from a lookup table such as Table 5. Traffic types can be configured using AC or traffic descriptors (such as those defined for URSP messages). Alternatively or additionally, traffic types can be configured using a connectivity field with values ​​associated with rows in Table 2. Alternatively or additionally, traffic types can be configured using one or more application identifiers (IDs) 648 corresponding to a specific application.

[0074] In some implementations, NAS message 620 can configure an operator-defined AC (such as operator-defined AC 234 for NTN) using a traffic descriptor and an indication that the operator-defined AC is associated with a specific RAT type, TAI, or NTN. Depending on the format of NAS message 620, the operator-defined AC may be an implicit indication that traffic matching the AC is prohibited from entering the NTN.

[0075] Figure 7 A message flow diagram 700 is shown for access control based on AC prohibition system information, according to the usage instructions of various aspects of this disclosure. Message flow diagram 700 illustrates messages and operations of UE 102, network entity 106 (such as satellite 106B), and core network 108 (such as AMF or other entities in the core network).

[0076] In some implementations, the operator can configure the AC associated with the NTN (such as an operator-defined AC) via message 712. In some implementations, the AC associated with the NTN can be predefined (such as a standardized AC for the NTN), allowing message 712 to be omitted. When network entity 106 wishes to block access for traffic matching an AC, network entity 106 can send system information 720 indicating the block to UE 102. For example, system information 720 can be SIB1, SIB19, or a new type of SIB. System information 720 can include values ​​relating to the AC that network entity 106 wishes to block access to network entity 106 or another network entity (e.g., blocking access to satellite 106B when network entity 106 is terrestrial base station 106A).

[0077] When UE 102, using satellite access, attempts to access 5GS for an application, UE 102 performs an access control check. For example, UE 102 checks system information 720 for indications of a prohibited AC. If system information 720 indicates a prohibition for an AC matching the traffic type of the application, the UE stops accessing the 5G network using network entity 106. Therefore, UE 102 avoids (760) accessing the NTN for traffic types matching the ACs indicated as prohibited by system information 720.

[0078] In some implementations, UE 102 first checks whether system information 720 indicates a standardized AC for NTN and applies a block for traffic that matches a standardized AC for NTN. If the applied traffic type does not match a standardized AC for NTN, or if system information 720 does not indicate a standardized AC for NTN, UE 102 continues to check for any operator-defined ACs indicated in system information 720. If the applied traffic type matches an operator-defined AC that is indicated as blocked in system information 720, UE 102 avoids (760) accessing network entity 106 for that traffic.

[0079] Figure 8 A message flow diagram 800 illustrating access control using URSP rules for denial according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. Core network 108 may signal URSP rule 820 to UE 102. URSP rule 820 may be included in the URSP communicated by core network 108 to UE 102 using NAS messaging. URSP rule 820 may be any of the URSP rules and options described in this disclosure, such as those referenced... Figure 4 and Figure 5 Those described.

[0080] When UE 102 initiates an application, the application layer of UE 102 requests data communication services from the NAS layer of UE 102. At the NAS layer of UE 102, UE 102 can determine whether the traffic of this application matches any URSP rules in the URSP rules. Figure 8 In the example, the application's traffic type matches URSP rule 820, and URSP rule 820 includes a prohibition indication for any traffic that matches URSP rule 820. Based on URSP rule 820, the UE's NAS layer blocks the traffic for this application and avoids (860) access to network entity 106 (such as satellite 106B) for traffic types that match URSP rule 820.

[0081] Figure 9 A message passing diagram illustrating access control using RRC messages for denial according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. (See reference...) Figure 7 In some implementations, core network 108 configures operator-defined ACs via message 712. Alternatively, UE 102 and network entity 106 may be aware of standardized ACs, including standardized ACs for NTN. Network entity 106 (such as satellite 106B) may send an RRC message 920 relating to an AC (such as an operator-defined AC for NTN or a standardized AC) with an indication that the AC is disabled.

[0082] In some implementations, RRC message 920 can be a message from network entity 106 to UE 102 in response to an earlier RRC message 918. For example, RRC message 918 can be an RRC request message for establishing a connection to a data service of a wireless communication system, and RRC message 920 can be an RRC rejection message indicating that the request has been rejected, with a reason code or prohibition information involving a prohibited AC. RRC message 920 can be a reference Figure 3 An example of an RRC message 320.

[0083] Upon receiving RRC message 920, UE 102 prevents further access attempts to 106 and avoids (960) access to network entity 106 (such as satellite 106B) for traffic that matches the prohibition information in RRC message 920.

[0084] Figure 10 A message flow diagram 1000 is shown illustrating access control using NAS message 1020 for denied access according to various aspects of this disclosure. NAS message 1020 can be referenced. Figure 6 Example of NAS message 620 described. For example, NAS message 1020 may include any combination of prohibition information, RAT type, prohibited AC for NTN, application ID, connectivity capabilities, or other fields.

[0085] In some implementations, NAS message 1020 is a response to uplink NAS message 1018. For example, uplink NAS message 1018 may be a NAS registration message or a service request message. NAS message 1020 may be a NAS registration accept message, a NAS registration reject message, a NAS configuration message, or a downlink NAS transport message, among other examples. As an example, NAS message 1020 may be an attachment accept message, and may include a list of access categories and (optionally) associated RAT types, such as satellite access, in the information elements of NAS message 1020 to indicate access control information. Alternatively, if the UE's access type and RAT type are not allowed, NAS message 1020 may be an attachment reject message including a traffic descriptor and (optionally) a list of associated RAT types to indicate access control information. NAS message 1020 may include a rejection reason code to indicate that the rejection is based on access control information. Optionally, NAS message 1020 may also include a backoff timer based on the UE's access type and RAT type.

[0086] Based on the received NAS message 1020 indicating a prohibition, UE 102 avoids (1060) accessing network entity 106 (satellite 106B) for any traffic matching the traffic type involved in the NAS message 1020. If the NAS message 1020 includes a RAT type, UE 102 can determine that network entity 106 matches that RAT type and avoid accessing network entity 106. However, if network entity 106 does not match the RAT type (such as in the case where network entity 106 is BS 106A and the RAT type is satellite type), UE 102 can continue to access network entity 106.

[0087] Figure 11 This is a flowchart 1100 illustrating an example operation of a UE using URSP rules for access control. Figure 11 Example operations can be implemented in a UE (such as UE 102 described herein). In box 1130, the UE receives at least a first URSP rule from a network entity (such as satellite 106B), which includes an indication to prohibit access to a non-terrestrial network (NTN) for a first traffic type. The first URSP rule may be a reference... Figure 4 An example of URSP rule 422 is described. In some implementations, the first URSP rule includes a route selection descriptor, such as a reference... Figure 5 The routing descriptor 436 is described. In box 1160, the UE avoids access to the NTN for the first traffic type based on the first URSP rule.

[0088] Figure 12 This is a flowchart 1200 illustrating an example operation of a UE using messages such as system information messages, RRC messages, or NAS messages for access control. Figure 12 Example operations can be implemented in a UE (such as UE 102 described herein). In block 1230, the UE receives a message from a network entity indicating that access to the NTN is blocked for a first traffic type. For example, the message can be any of the example system information messages (220, 720), URSP messages (420, 820), RRC messages (320, 920), or NAS messages (620, 1020) described in this disclosure. The message can indicate that the first traffic type is blocked in the NTN (such as a cell of satellite 106B or any type of NTN node). In block 1260, the UE avoids access to the NTN for the first traffic type based on the message.

[0089] Figure 13 This is a flowchart 1300 illustrating example operations of network entities performing access control according to various aspects of this disclosure. Figure 13Example operations can be implemented in network entities such as network entity 106, BS 106A, or satellite 106B described herein. In block 1320, the network entity configures access control information indicating a prohibition of NTN based on traffic type. In block 1322, the network entity sends access control information to the UE. Alternatively or additionally, the network entity may broadcast access control information, such as via system information messages. The network entity may use one or more of the various example messages described in this disclosure (such as any one of example system information messages (220, 720), URSP messages (420, 820), RRC messages (320, 920), or NAS messages (620, 1020)) to send access control information.

[0090] Figure 14 An example control plane protocol stack 1400 according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. Figure 14 The control plane protocol stack 1400 shown illustrates various protocol layers of UE 102, satellite 106B, NTN gateway 1404, NTN BS 1406, and core network 108 (such as AMF in a 5G core network). The “NR-Uu” interface refers to the interface between UE 102 and NTN BS 1406 (via satellite 106B and NTN gateway 1404). In some implementations, aspects of NTN BS 1406 may be implemented on satellite 106B. The “NG-C” interface refers to the interface between NTN BS 1406 and core network 108.

[0091] In the control plane, UE 102 includes a NAS layer, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer, a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, a MAC layer, and a PHY layer. The RRC layer implements the RRC protocol and can send or receive RRC messages, such as those described in this disclosure. NTN BS 1406 (and Satellite 106B) also have an RRC layer. The NR-Uu interface (between the RRC layers of UE 102 and NTN BS 1406 or Satellite 106B) is part of the access layer (AS) of the control plane. Conversely, the NAS protocol is implemented between the NAS layer of UE 102 and the NAS layer of entities in the core network 108.

[0092] Figure 15 This is a block diagram illustrating the hardware features and communication interface of an example wireless communication system 1500. The depicted hardware configuration may omit certain components frequently implemented in such electronic devices, such as displays, peripherals, power supplies, etc. The example wireless communication system 1500 includes components similar to those in the reference... Figure 1 The same elements described, including references Figure 14The description includes UE 102, BS 106A, satellite 106B, core network 108, and NTN BS 1406. UE 102 can support at least 5G NR (or simply "NR") or E-UTRA air interface to communicate with BS 106A or satellite 106B. RAN network entities (such as BS 106A and satellite 106B) are connected to core network 108 via interfaces (e.g., S1 or NG interfaces). Network entities (such as BS 106A or NTN BS 1406) can be connected to other base stations via interfaces used to interconnect NG RAN nodes (e.g., X2 or Xn interfaces).

[0093] The core network 108 can be an evolved packet core (EPC) and / or a 5G core (5GC). Among other components, the EPC may include a Serving Gateway (SGW), a Mobility Management Entity (MME), and a Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW). The SGW is generally configured to transmit user plane packets related to audio calls, video calls, internet traffic, etc., and the MME is configured to manage authentication, registration, paging, and other related functions. The PGW provides connectivity from the UE to one or more external packet data networks (e.g., internet networks and / or internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) networks). The 5GC includes User Plane Functions (UPF) and Access and Mobility Management Functions (AMF), and / or Session Management Functions (SMF). Generally, the UPF is configured to transmit user plane packets related to audio calls, video calls, internet traffic, etc., the AMF is configured to manage authentication, registration, paging, and other related functions, and the SMF is configured to manage PDU sessions.

[0094] The base station BS 106A is equipped with processing hardware 1506, which may include a receiver 1507B configured to receive data in the uplink direction. The processing hardware 1506 may also include a transmitter 1507A configured to transmit data in the downlink direction. The processing hardware may further be one or more general-purpose processors 1507C (e.g., CPUs) and a non-transitory computer-readable storage unit 1507D storing instructions executed by the one or more general-purpose processors. Additionally or alternatively, the processing hardware 1506 may include dedicated processing units. The processor 1507C includes, for example, one or more central processing units, graphics processing units (GPUs), or other application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). The CRM 1507D may include any suitable memory or storage device that can be used to store device data of the TN BS 106A, such as random access memory (RAM), static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), non-volatile RAM (NVRAM), read-only memory (ROM), or flash memory.

[0095] Satellite 106B may include processing hardware 1508, such as transmitter 1509A, receiver 1509B, processor 1509C, and CRM 1509D (similar to components 2506, 1507A, 1507B, 1507C, and 1507D of TN BS 106A). Satellite 106B may include components (not shown) that are generally similar to the processing hardware 1506.

[0096] UE 102 is equipped with processing hardware 1502, which may include one or more general-purpose processors such as a CPU and a non-transitory computer-readable memory 1503D storing machine-readable instructions executable on the one or more general-purpose processors, and / or dedicated processing units. Processing hardware 1502 may also include a transmitter 1503A configured to transmit data in the downlink direction. The processing hardware may further include a receiver 1503B configured to receive data in the uplink direction. In an example implementation, processing hardware 1502 includes a processor 1503C to process data that UE 102 will transmit in the uplink direction, or to process data received by UE 102 in the downlink direction. Processor 1503C may include, for example, one or more central processing units, graphics processing units (GPUs), or other application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). For illustration, processor 1503C may include an application processor (AP) used by UE 102 to execute an operating system and various user-level software applications, and one or more processors utilized by a modem or baseband processor. The computer-readable medium / memory (CRM) 1503D may include any suitable memory or storage device, such as random access memory (RAM), static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), non-volatile RAM (NVRAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD), or other high-capacity storage devices, which may be used to store one or more executable software instruction sets and associated data that manipulate one or more processors 1503C and other components of the processing hardware 1502 to perform the various functions described herein and attributed to UE 102. The executable software instruction sets include, for example, an operating system (OS) and various drivers (not shown) and various software applications (not shown), which may be executed by the processor 1503C to implement user plane communication, control plane signaling, and user interaction with UE 102. For example, the processor 1503C may implement the application layer, NAS layer, and AS layer, as referenced in the [reference] section. Figure 1 As described.

[0097] The following descriptions can be applied to the descriptions above.

[0098] Generally, a description of one of the above figures can be applied to another. The examples, implementations, and methods described above can be combined if there is no conflict. The events or boxes described above can be optional or omitted. For example, the events or boxes with dashed lines in the figures can be optional. In some implementations, "message" is used and can be replaced with "information element (IE)" and vice versa. In some implementations, "IE" is used and can be replaced with "field" and vice versa. In some implementations, "configurations" or "configuration parameters" can be used instead of "configuration" and vice versa. In some implementations, "some" means "one or more". In some implementations, "at least one" means "one or more".

[0099] The user device in which the technologies of this disclosure are implemented (e.g., UE 102) can be any suitable device capable of wireless communication, such as a smartphone, tablet computer, laptop computer, mobile game console, point-of-sale (POS) terminal, health monitoring device, drone, camera, media streaming dongle or other personal media device, wearable device (such as a smartwatch), wireless hotspot, femtocell, or broadband router. Furthermore, in some cases, the user device can be embedded in an electronic system (such as the main unit of a vehicle or an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS)). Even further, the user device can operate as an Internet of Things (IoT) device or a mobile Internet device (MID). Depending on the type, the user device may include one or more general-purpose processors, computer-readable storage, a user interface, one or more network interfaces, one or more sensors, etc.

[0100] Some embodiments described in this disclosure include logic or multiple components or modules. A module can be a software module (e.g., code or machine-readable instructions stored on a non-transitory machine-readable medium) or a hardware module. A hardware module is a tangible unit capable of performing certain operations and can be configured or arranged in a certain way. A hardware module may include a dedicated circuit system or logic (e.g., as a dedicated processor, such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), digital signal processor (DSP), etc.) permanently configured to perform certain operations. A hardware module may also include programmable logic or a circuit system (e.g., contained within a general-purpose processor or other programmable processor) that is temporarily configured by software to perform certain operations. The decision to implement a hardware module in a dedicated and permanently configured circuit system or in a temporarily configured circuit system (e.g., configured by software) may be driven by cost and time considerations.

[0101] When implemented in software, these technologies can be provided as part of an operating system, a library used by multiple applications, or a specific software application. The software can be executed by one or more general-purpose processors or one or more dedicated processors.

[0102] Upon reading this disclosure, those skilled in the art will understand additional and alternative structural and functional designs for handling mobility between base stations using the principles disclosed herein. Therefore, while specific embodiments and applications have been shown and described, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are not limited to the precise constructions and components disclosed herein. Various modifications, alterations, and variations that will be apparent to those skilled in the art may be made to the arrangement, operation, and details of the methods and apparatus disclosed herein.

[0103] Figures 1 to 15 The operations described herein are examples intended to aid in understanding exemplary implementations and should not be used to limit potential implementations or the scope of the claims. Some implementations may perform additional operations, fewer operations, operations in parallel or in a different order, and some operations in different ways.

[0104] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented as a computer-readable medium having instructions stored therein that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform any of the aforementioned functionalities.

[0105] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented as a system having components for achieving any of the aforementioned functionalities.

[0106] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented as an apparatus having one or more processors configured to perform one or more operations from any of the methods described above.

[0107] As used herein, the terms “component” and “module” are intended to be broadly interpreted as hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. As used herein, a processor is implemented in hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. As used herein, the phrase “based on” is intended to be broadly interpreted as meaning “at least partially based on”.

[0108] As used in this article, a phrase referring to a list of items separated by "or" means any combination of those items, including a single member. For example, "a, b, or c" is intended to cover the following possibilities: only a, only b, only c, a combination of a and b, a combination of a and c, a combination of b and c, and a combination of a, b, and c.

[0109] In this disclosure, the expression “X / Y” can include the meaning of any of the following: “X or Y”, or “X and Y”, or “X and / or Y”. The expression “(A) B” or “B (A)” can include the concept of “B only”. The expression “(A) B” or “B (A)” can include the concept of “A+B” or “B+A”.

[0110] In this disclosure, the term "can" indicates capability, or alternatively, a possible implementation option. The term "may" indicates permission, or a possible implementation option.

[0111] This article describes several aspects in conjunction with thresholds. As used in this article, meeting a threshold can mean that the value is greater than the threshold, greater than or equal to the threshold, less than the threshold, less than or equal to the threshold, equal to the threshold, or not equal to the threshold.

[0112] The various illustrative components, logic, logic blocks, modules, circuits, operations, and algorithmic processes described in conjunction with the implementations disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, firmware, software, or a combination of hardware, firmware, or software, including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents. The interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software has been generally described in terms of functionality and illustrated in the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and processes described above. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware, firmware, or software depends on the specific application and design constraints imposed on the system as a whole.

[0113] Hardware and data processing apparatuses for implementing the various illustrative components, logic, logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented or executed using general-purpose single-chip or multi-chip processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or other programmable logic devices (PLDs), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, or any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. In some implementations, specific processes, operations, and methods can be performed by a circuit system specific to a given function.

[0114] As described above, some aspects of the subject matter described herein can be implemented as software. For example, the various functions of the components disclosed herein, or the various blocks or steps of the methods, operations, processes, or algorithms disclosed herein, can be implemented as one or more modules of one or more computer programs. Such computer programs may include non-transitory processor-executable instructions or computer-executable instructions encoded on one or more tangible processor-readable or computer-readable storage media for execution by, or control of, the operation of, a data processing apparatus including the devices described herein. By way of example, and not limitation, such storage media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store program code in the form of instructions or data structures. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of storage media.

[0115] As used herein, the terms “user device,” “user equipment” (e.g., UE 110), “wireless communication device,” “mobile communication device,” “communication device,” or “mobile device” refer to any or all of the following: cellular phone, smartphone, portable computing device, personal or mobile multimedia player, laptop computer, tablet computer, smartbook, Internet of Things (IoT) device, handheld computer, wireless email receiver, cellular phone with multimedia Internet support, wireless game controller, display subsystem, driver assistance system, vehicle controller, vehicle system controller, vehicle communication system, infotainment system, vehicle telematics system or subsystem, vehicle display system or subsystem, vehicle data controller, point-of-sale (POS) terminal, health monitoring device, drone, camera, media streaming dongle or other personal media device, wearable device (such as a smartwatch), wireless hotspot, femtocell, broadband router, or other type of router, as well as similar electronic devices including programmable processors and memories and circuitry systems configured to perform the operations described herein. Furthermore, in some cases, the user device may be embedded in an electronic system (such as the main unit of a vehicle or an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS)). Furthermore, mobile internet devices (MIDs). Depending on the type, a user device may include one or more general-purpose processors, computer-readable storage, a user interface, one or more network interfaces, one or more sensors, etc.

[0116] Various modifications to the implementations described in this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other implementations without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the claims are not intended to be limited to the implementations shown herein, but are given the widest scope consistent with this disclosure, the principles disclosed herein, and the novel features.

[0117] Additionally, the various features described in this specification in the context of individual implementations may also be implemented in combination within a single implementation. Conversely, the various features described in the context of a single implementation may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple implementations. Thus, although features may be described above as functioning in a particular combination and even initially claimed in this way, in some cases one or more features from the claimed combination may be removed from that combination, and the claimed combination may involve sub-combinations or variations of sub-combinations.

[0118] Similarly, although operations are depicted in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, this should not be construed as requiring such operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in sequential order, or requiring all illustrated operations to be performed to achieve the desired result. Furthermore, the drawings may schematically depict one or more example processes in the form of a flowchart or table. However, other operations not depicted may be incorporated into the schematically shown example processes. For example, one or more additional operations may be performed before, after, simultaneously with, or between any of the illustrated operations. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of the various system components in the implementations described above should not be construed as requiring such separation in all implementations, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products. Additionally, other implementations are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions set forth in the claims may be performed in a different order and still achieve the desired result.

[0119] The foregoing disclosure provides illustrations and descriptions, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the aspects to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations can be made based on the foregoing disclosure, or modifications and variations can be derived from practice in these aspects. Although aspects of this disclosure have been described with reference to various examples, any combination of aspects from any example is also within the scope of this disclosure. The examples in this disclosure are provided for illustrative purposes only.

[0120] Appendix A

[0121] Appendix A includes additional examples discussing the shortcomings of the current access control mechanism and recommendations for overcoming these shortcomings—such as enhancements to the access control mechanism for UEs using satellite RAT.

[0122] When considering RANs (gNB / eNB) mounted on NGSO satellites, the nature of the communication characteristics between UEs on the ground and gNBs / eNBs mounted on satellites in the air can lead to some limitations on the services that can be applied.

[0123] Given the required QoS configuration, long latency and varying jitter can limit the provision of latency-sensitive services, such as streaming video, for UEs using satellite access. Therefore, UEs using satellite access may not be able to obtain the required QoS for some services.

[0124] For NTN, satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO) can have beam coverage diameters ranging from 100 km to 3500 km. For low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems, beam coverage diameters can range from 50 m to 1000 km (Ref: 3GPP TR 38.821). In contrast, TN typically has coverage diameters of 0.5 to 10 km. Due to their large coverage areas, satellite beams / cells serve more users than TN cells. The altitude range of satellite operation can range from approximately 36,000 km in GEO to 600 km in LEO. Because these distances are several orders of magnitude larger than comparable distances for TN, the link capacity for NTN is relatively low compared to TN. Therefore, NTN with gNB / eNB mounted on satellites may experience more congestion than TN with gNB / eNB on the ground, as NTN cells often serve more users and have lower capacity than TN cells.

[0125] Currently, in 3GPP TS 23.501 [5] Clause 5.4.11.8, the access control mechanism is based on Mobility Prohibited Area Information (TAI) and Service Area Restriction (SAR) mechanisms. The AMF provides the UE with Mobility Prohibited Area Information (TAI) defined by SIBs or Service Area Restrictions, which consist of permitted or prohibited areas. If the UE detects a gNB broadcast indicating an SIB within a TIB or Service Area Restriction configured for the UE, the UE does not use satellite access. This restriction is too stringent to accommodate traffic that could be suitable for satellite access.

[0126] For RANs mounted on NGSO satellites, the nature of the communication characteristics between terrestrial UEs and the airborne RAN can lead to certain limitations on the services that can be applied. The access control mechanisms in this disclosure overcome the aforementioned drawbacks and provide more sophisticated access control mechanisms than those currently available in 3GPP specifications. Any access control mechanism (or combinations thereof) described herein allows 5GS to determine which services / traffic flows (e.g., applications and / or application types) can enable a UE using satellite access to access the RAN mounted on an NGSO satellite.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE) (102), comprising: Receive at least a first UE routing policy URSP rule (422) from network entity (106), the first URSP rule including access control information for prohibiting access to non-terrestrial network NTN based on a first traffic type; as well as Based on the first URSP rule, avoid access to the NTN for the first traffic type.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein, The first URSP rule includes at least one of the following: The URSP rule additional indicator field (432) associated with the first URSP rule, The traffic descriptor TD field (434), or Router descriptor RSD field (436).

3. The method as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first URSP rule includes a field (430) for indicating whether the first URSP rule is used to allow or deny the access.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The first URSP rule includes at least one validity condition (540), and wherein the at least one validity condition indicates the radio access technology RAT type (440) that matches the NTN.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The first URSP rule includes at least one validity condition associated with the routing descriptor RSD field (436), and wherein the at least one validity condition indicates that the first URSP rule corresponds to the access class AC (230) for the NTN.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The AC (230) used for the NTN is one of the following: Standardized AC (232) of RAT type specific to the NTN, or The operator-defined AC (234) of the RAT type specific to the NTN.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, Receiving the first URSP rule includes: Receive from the network entity a UE policy message (420) containing one or more URSP rules including the first URSP rule, wherein the access control information includes an indication (430) that the first URSP rule (422) is used to deny access.

8. The method of any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: Launch the application for the first traffic type; Match the first traffic type with the first URSP rule; as well as The application is blocked from accessing the NTN based on the first URSP rule.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The access control information indicates that access is prohibited for an indefinite period of time, or until a subsequent URSP rule indicates that access is permitted.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The access control information, associated with at least one of the connectivity capability field, AC, or application identifier ID, indicates the radio access technology (RAT) type of the NTN.

11. The method of any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising: The first UE routing policy URSP rule is received via at least one of the following: Non-access tier NAS registration to receive messages NAS registration rejection message NAS configuration message, or Downlink NAS transmission messages.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein, The access control information indicates a ban on the NTN based on traffic type, wherein the first traffic type is banned and the second traffic type is not banned.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: Based on the access control information, access the NTN for the second traffic type; as well as Based on the access control information, access to the NTN is avoided for the first traffic type.

14. A method for wireless communication performed by a network entity, the method comprising: Configure access control information (130) for prohibiting non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) based on traffic type; as well as Access control information (120A, 120B) is sent to the UE via the User Equipment Routing Policy (URSP) rules.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, Sending the access control information includes sending the URSP rule via at least one of the following: Non-access tier NAS registration to receive messages NAS registration rejection message NAS configuration message, or Downlink NAS transmission messages.

16. An apparatus comprising: Communication unit; as well as A processing system configured to control the communication unit to implement any of the methods claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15.

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