Apparatus and method for communication

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution of access control in store-and-forward scenario. In the solution, during a connection establishment procedure with a network device, a terminal device performs a store-and-forward access check based on at least one of: first information comprising at least one first store-and-forward parameter, wherein the first information is maintained at a core network; or second information comprising at least one second store-and-forward parameter, wherein the second information is configured by the network device; and determines whether an access procedure of the terminal device is allowed based at least in part on a result of the execution of the store-and-forward access check.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to the field of communication technology, and more particularly to devices and methods for access control in store-and-forward scenarios. Background Technology

[0002] Store-and-forward satellite operations are used for latency-tolerant communication services. Specifically, store-and-forward operations are the operating mode of fifth-generation (5G) systems with satellite access, where the 5G system can provide some level of service, such as providing communication services to user equipment (UE) under satellite coverage, without simultaneously activating feeder link connections to the ground segment, when satellite connectivity is intermittently / temporarily unavailable. This is particularly relevant for latency-tolerant Internet of Things (IoT) services via the non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) space segment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Generally speaking, embodiments of this disclosure provide solutions for access control in store-and-forward scenarios.

[0004] In a first aspect, a terminal device is provided, comprising: a processor configured to cause the terminal device to:, during a connection establishment process with a network device, perform a store-and-forward access check based on at least one of: first information, including at least one first store-and-forward parameter, wherein the first information is maintained at a core network; or second information, including at least one second store-and-forward parameter, wherein the second information is configured by the network device; and determine, at least in part, whether the access process of the terminal device is permitted based on the execution result of the store-and-forward access check.

[0005] In a second aspect, a terminal device is provided, the terminal device comprising: a processor configured to cause the terminal device to: receive from a network device at least one access control parameter configured for the network device being operated in store-and-forward mode or a power supply link being unavailable; and, based on determining that the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode or the power supply link is unavailable, apply the at least one access control parameter during a connection establishment process with the network device.

[0006] In a third aspect, a terminal device is provided, the terminal device comprising: a processor configured to cause the terminal device to: receive a store-and-forward time configuration from the network device; and to start a second prohibition timer based at least in part on the store-and-forward time configuration, wherein if the second prohibition timer is running, access to the network device is restricted.

[0007] In a fourth aspect, a terminal device is provided, the terminal device comprising: a processor configured to cause the terminal device to: determine that the network device is not operating in store-and-forward mode or that the feeder link is available, wherein the terminal device has not yet been accessed by the network device; and determine a time offset during which the initiation of an access procedure is restricted.

[0008] In a fifth aspect, a network device is provided, the network device comprising: a processor configured to cause the network device to: send to an end device at least one of the following: first information including at least one first store-and-forward parameter, wherein the first information is maintained at a core network; or second information including at least one second store-and-forward parameter, wherein the second information is configured by the network device.

[0009] In a sixth aspect, a network device is provided, the network device comprising: a processor configured to cause the network device to: determine at least one access control parameter configured for situations where the network device is operated in store-and-forward mode or a feeder link is unavailable; and send the at least one access control parameter to an end device.

[0010] In a seventh aspect, a network device is provided, the network device comprising: a processor configured to cause the network device to: determine a store-and-forward time configuration used by a terminal device to initiate a second prohibition timer, wherein if the second prohibition timer is running, access to the network device is restricted; and send the store-and-forward time configuration to the terminal device.

[0011] In an eighth aspect, a communication method performed by a terminal device is provided. The method includes: during a connection establishment process with a network device, performing a store-and-forward access check based on at least one of: first information, including at least one first store-and-forward parameter, wherein the first information is maintained at the core network; or second information, including at least one second store-and-forward parameter, wherein the second information is configured by the network device; and determining whether the access process of the terminal device is permitted, at least in part based on the execution result of the store-and-forward access check.

[0012] In a ninth aspect, a communication method performed by a terminal device is provided. The method includes: receiving at least one access control parameter from a network device, the at least one access control parameter being configured for situations where the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode or the feeder link is unavailable; and applying the at least one access control parameter during a connection establishment process with the network device based on determining that the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode or the feeder link is unavailable.

[0013] In a tenth aspect, a communication method performed by a terminal device is provided. The method includes: receiving a store-and-forward time configuration from a network device; and starting a second prohibition timer based at least in part on the store-and-forward time configuration, wherein if the second prohibition timer is running, access to the network device is restricted.

[0014] In an eleventh aspect, a communication method performed by a terminal device is provided. The method includes: determining that a network device is not operating in store-and-forward mode or that a feeder link is available, wherein the terminal device has not yet been connected to the network device; and determining a time offset during which the initiation of an access procedure is restricted.

[0015] In a twelfth aspect, a communication method performed by a network device is provided. The method includes sending to a terminal device at least one of the following: first information, including at least one first store-and-forward parameter, wherein the first information is maintained at a core network; or second information, including at least one second store-and-forward parameter, wherein the second information is configured by the network device.

[0016] In a thirteenth aspect, a communication method performed by a network device is provided. The method includes: determining at least one access control parameter configured for situations where the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode or a feeder link is unavailable; and sending the at least one access control parameter to a terminal device.

[0017] In a fourteenth aspect, a communication method performed by a network device is provided. The method includes: determining a store-and-forward time configuration for initiating a second prohibition timer by a terminal device, wherein access to the network device is restricted if the second prohibition timer is running; and sending the store-and-forward time configuration to the terminal device.

[0018] In a fifteenth aspect, a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon is provided, which, when executed on at least one processor, cause at least one processor to perform the method according to an eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, or fourteenth aspect.

[0019] Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The above and other objects, features and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from the accompanying drawings, which describe some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure in more detail, wherein: Figure 1 An example communication environment in which example embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented is shown; Figure 2A and Figure 2BExample use cases that can implement example embodiments of this disclosure are shown; Figure 3 The signaling flow of communications according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown; Figure 4 The signaling flow of communications according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown; Figure 5 The signaling flow of communications according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown; Figure 6A and Figure 6B The signaling flow of communications according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown; Figure 7A and Figure 7B Example use cases that can implement example embodiments of this disclosure are shown; Figure 8 Example use cases that can implement example embodiments of this disclosure are shown; Figure 9 A flowchart is shown illustrating a method implemented at a terminal device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 10 A flowchart is shown illustrating a method implemented at a terminal device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 11 A flowchart is shown illustrating a method implemented at a terminal device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 12 A flowchart is shown illustrating a method implemented at a network device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 13 A flowchart is shown illustrating a method implemented at a network device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 14 A flowchart is shown illustrating a method implemented at a network device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 15 Flowcharts illustrating methods implemented at a network device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure are shown; and Figure 16 A simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0021] In all the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and to help those skilled in the art understand and implement this disclosure, and do not imply any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The embodiments described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0023] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0024] As used herein, the term "terminal device" refers to any device with wireless or wired communication capabilities. Examples of terminal devices include, but are not limited to, user equipment (UE), personal computers, desktop computers, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, tablets, wearable devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC) devices, Internet of Everything (IoE) devices, machine-type communication (MTC) devices, devices on vehicles used for V2X communication (where X refers to pedestrians, vehicles, or infrastructure / networks), devices used for integrated access and backhaul (IAB), space vehicles or air vehicles in non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) including satellites and high-altitude platforms (HAPs) covering unmanned aerial vehicle systems (UAS), extended reality (XR) devices including different types of reality (such as augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR)), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) commonly referred to as drones (which are aircraft without any human pilots), devices on high-speed trains (HSTs), or image capture devices such as digital cameras, sensors, gaming devices, music storage and playback devices, or internet devices that enable wireless or wired internet access and browsing, etc. "Terminal equipment" can also have "multicast / broadcast" characteristics to support public safety and mission-critical applications, V2X applications, transparent IPv4 / IPv6 multicast delivery, IPTV, smart TV, radio services, software delivery over wireless, group communications, and IoT applications. It can also incorporate one or more Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs), such as in the case of multi-SIM. The term "terminal equipment" is used interchangeably with UE, mobile station, subscriber station, mobile terminal, user terminal, or wireless device.

[0025] The term "network device" refers to a device capable of providing or hosting a cell or coverage area that terminal devices can communicate with. Examples of network devices include, but are not limited to, NodeBs (or NBs), evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs or eNBs), next-generation NodeBs (gNBs), Transmitter-Receive Points (TRPs), Remote Radio Units (RRUs), Radio Heads (RHs), Remote Radio Heads (RRHs), IAB nodes, low-power nodes such as femtonodes, piconodes, and Reconfigurable Smart Surfaces (RIS). Furthermore, network devices may be able to provide certain characteristics of the core network. In this case, the network device may include some or all of the core network elements.

[0026] Terminal devices or network devices can have artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning capabilities. It typically includes a model that has been trained from a large amount of data collected from a specific function and can be used to predict some information.

[0027] The terminal or network device can operate on several frequency ranges, such as FR1 (e.g., 450 MHz to 6000 MHz), FR2 (e.g., 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz), bands greater than 100 GHz, and megahertz (THz). It can also operate on licensed / unlicensed / shared spectrum. In multiple radio dual connectivity (MR-DC) applications, the terminal device can have more than one connection to the network device. The terminal or network device can operate in full-duplex, flexible-duplex, and cross-split-duplex modes.

[0028] The embodiments of this disclosure can be executed in test equipment, such as a signal generator, signal analyzer, spectrum analyzer, network analyzer, test terminal device, test network device, or channel simulator. In some embodiments, the terminal device can be connected to a first network device and a second network device. One of the first network device and the second network device can be a master node, and the other can be a slave node. The first network device and the second network device can use different Radio Access Technologies (RATs). In some embodiments, the first network device can be a first RAT device, and the second network device can be a second RAT device. In some embodiments, the first RAT device is an eNB, and the second RAT device is a gNB. Information related to different RATs can be sent from at least one of the first network device or the second network device to the terminal device. In some embodiments, first information can be sent from the first network device to the terminal device, and second information can be sent directly or via the first network device from the second network device to the terminal device. In some embodiments, information related to the configuration of the terminal device configured by the second network device can be sent via the first network device from the second network device. Information related to the reconfiguration of the terminal device configured by the second network device can be sent directly or via the first network device from the second network device to the terminal device.

[0029] As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “comprising” and its variations should be understood as open-ended terms meaning “including, but not limited to.” The term “based on” should be understood as “at least partially based on.” The terms “one embodiment” and “embodiment” should be understood as “at least one embodiment.” The term “another embodiment” should be understood as “at least one other embodiment.” The terms “first,” “second,” etc., can refer to different or the same objects. Further explicit and implicit definitions may be included below.

[0030] In some examples, values, processes, or devices are referred to as “best,” “lowest,” “highest,” “smallest,” “maximum,” etc. It should be understood that such descriptions are intended to indicate that a choice can be made among many functional alternatives used, and that such a choice does not need to be better, smaller, higher, or more preferred than other choices.

[0031] As used herein, the terms "resource," "transmission resource," "uplink resource," or "downlink resource" can refer to any resource used to perform communication, such as resources in the time domain, frequency domain, spatial domain, code domain, or any other resource used to implement communication. In the following, unless explicitly stated otherwise, resources in the frequency and time domains will be used as examples of transmission resources used to describe some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. Note that the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are equally applicable to other resources in other domains.

[0032] Store-and-forward operations enable latency-tolerant, non-real-time IoT non-terrestrial network (NTN) services in satellite-accessible areas without requiring NTN gateway infrastructure (e.g., offshore, remote areas). Along with support for discontinuous coverage, support for store-and-forward operations is key to facilitating cost-effective deployment of IoT NTN services and leveraging the following to achieve real-time operational services: sparse low Earth orbit (LEO) constellations and reduced terrestrial segment infrastructure. Furthermore, support for store-and-forward makes 3GPP IoT NTN solutions equivalent to other non-3GPP solutions designed for large-scale satellite IoT that already support store-and-forward services.

[0033] Store-and-forward satellite operations are used for latency-tolerant communication services. In the case of mobile terminals (MT) / mobile-initiated (MO), all IoT remote monitoring UEs periodically send information related to the area they are monitoring to the application server and sometimes receive new parameters from the application server. In most cases, the messages exchanged are latency-tolerant / non-real-time IoT messages.

[0034] In an inter-satellite scenario, a mobile IoT device can move from the coverage area of ​​one satellite to another. An NGSO satellite can fly away, and another satellite will enter and redirect to serve the static IoT device. In this case, the serving satellite can forward stored user plane data to the next serving satellite via an inter-satellite link, and the next serving satellite can help forward the data to the gateway. Simultaneously, if the feeder link of the next satellite also becomes unavailable, it will continue storage operations until its feeder link is restored. In this way, for each individual IoT device, only one satellite in the entire satellite system will be used for its data storage. Furthermore, mobile operators will find it easier to manage and maintain data, rather than dealing with separate data belonging to one device but distributed across different satellites.

[0035] In the case of data transmission from IoT devices in remote areas, sensors mounted on animals send status information, such as the animal's movement, physiological condition, and surrounding environment, to satellites; and the satellites store the received animal status information and forward the information to the science center when the feeder link becomes available.

[0036] As used herein, the terms “UE expects,” “UE does not expect,” “terminal device expects,” and “terminal device does not expect” may imply a limitation on the configuration of a network device (also known as NW configuration). The terms “not expecting UE” and “not expecting terminal device” may imply a terminal implementation, also known as a UE implementation. In some embodiments, the terms “UE does not expect” and “not expecting UE” may be used equivalently. Furthermore, this statement also applies to network devices (i.e., NW).

[0037] As used herein, the term "store and forward access check" refers to the process of determining whether an access procedure is permitted by using one or more store and forward access parameters.

[0038] As used in this article, the term "access prohibition check" refers to the normal / routine / existing access check process. Access prohibition checks can also be referred to as EAB checks, unified access control, etc.

[0039] As used in this article, the term "connection establishment process" can refer to the connection establishment process, the connection resume process, or the connection recovery process.

[0040] In this disclosure, ●The following expressions can be used interchangeably: “feeder link unavailable”, “feeder link inactive”, “feeder link does not exist”, “network device is operating in store and forward mode”, “store and forward scenario”, “store and forward service”, “store and forward operation”, “store and forward mode”, and these expressions can sometimes be abbreviated as “store and forward (S1F)”; ●The terms “information,” “parameter,” “instruction,” and “configuration” are used interchangeably; ●The terms “access”, “access procedure”, “initial access”, “initiation of access procedure”, and “initiation of connection establishment” can be used interchangeably. ●The terms “access (process) to a cell” and “access (process) to a network device” can be used interchangeably; ●The terms “access is permitted” and “access is not prohibited” can be used interchangeably.

[0041] The principles and implementation methods of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0042] Example Environment Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an example communication environment 100 in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is shown. In the communication environment 100, multiple communication devices, including terminal device 110-1, network device 120-1, and core network device 130, can communicate with each other.

[0043] Optionally, the communication environment 100 may also include one or more other terminal devices (e.g., such as...). Figure 1 The terminal devices 110-2 and 110-3 shown) and one or more other network devices (e.g., such as...) Figure 1 Network device 120-2 shown.

[0044] For the purposes of discussion, terminal devices 110-1, 110-2, and 110-3 are collectively or individually referred to as terminal device 110, and network devices 120-1 and 120-2 are collectively or individually referred to as network device 120. As a specific example, terminal device 110-1 is an IoT device, the network device is a satellite, and the core network device is a part / interface of the core network (connected via a gateway).

[0045] Furthermore, network device 120 may be able to provide certain characteristics of the core network. In this case, network device 120 may include some or all of the core network elements.

[0046] In some embodiments, network device 120 may be a satellite that can be used as a base station (or a satellite deployed together with a base station), or a high-altitude platform station (HAPS), for example, an unmanned aerial vehicle used as a base station (or a UAV deployed together with a base station).

[0047] It should be understood that Figure 1 The number of devices and their connections shown are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply any limitation. Communication environment 100 may include any suitable number of devices configured to implement the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. Although not shown, it should be understood that one or more additional devices may be located in a cell, and one or more additional cells may be deployed in communication environment 100. Note that although shown as a network device, network device 120 may be another device besides a network device. Although illustrated as a terminal device, terminal device 110 may be another device besides a terminal device.

[0048] In the following description, for illustrative purposes, some example embodiments of terminal device 110 operating as a UE are described. Furthermore, network device 120 may operate as a base station, or network device 120 may have RAN node functionality and (multiple) partial core network functions. However, in some example embodiments, the operations described in connection with the terminal device may be implemented at the network device or other devices, and the operations described in connection with the network device may be implemented at the terminal device or other devices.

[0049] In some example embodiments, if terminal device 110 is a terminal device and network device 120 is a network device, the link from network device 120 to terminal device 110 is referred to as a downlink (DL), and the link from terminal device 110 to network device 120 is referred to as an uplink (UL). In the DL, network device 120 is a transmitting (TX) device (or transmitter), and terminal device 110 is a receiving (RX) device (or receiver). In the UL, terminal device 110 is a TX device (or transmitter), and network device 120 is an RX device (or receiver).

[0050] exist Figure 1 In this configuration, more than one timer can be maintained for access control. Example timers are described below. One example timer is timer T302, which receives a response when Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection establishment is performed. RRCConnectionReject (RRC connection refused) or received including waitTime (Waiting time) RRCConnectionRelease (RRC connection released), timer T302 starts, in response to entering the RRC_CONNECTED (connected) state, cell reselection, and receiving... RRCEarlyDataComplete (RRC early data completion), received for uplink early data transmission (EDT) RRCConnectionRelease Received uplink resources (PUR) for uplink. RRCConnectionRelease Or received for Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) / 5G Core (5GC) RRCConnectionReject The message indicates that timer T302 has stopped. Additionally, a notification can be sent to the upper layer to disable mitigation.

[0051] Another example timer is timer T303. Access can be disabled during RRC connection establishment for a mobile-initiated call. This is in response to entering the RRC_CONNECTED state, cell reselection, or receiving... RRCEarlyDataComplete Or for use with UL-EDT RRCConnectionRelease Or use PUR for UP transmission RRCConnectionRelease Timer T303 stops. Additionally, it can notify the upper layer to disable mitigation.

[0052] Another example timer is timer T305. Access is disabled during RRC connection establishment while performing signaling for mobile initiation. This is in response to entering the RRC_CONNECTED state, cell reselection, or receiving a signal for UL-EDT. RRCEarlyDataComplete or RRCConnectionRelease Or use PUR for UP transmission RRCConnectionRelease Timer T305 stops. Additionally, it can notify the upper layer to disable mitigation.

[0053] Another example timer is timer T306. Access is disabled during RRC connection establishment performed for mobile-initiated circuit-switched (CS) fallback. This is in response to entering the RRC_CONNECTED state, cell reselection, or receiving a signal for UL-EDT. RRCEarlyDataComplete or RRCConnectionRelease Or use PUR for UP transmission RRCConnectionRelease Timer T306 stops. Additionally, it can notify the upper layer to disable mitigation.

[0054] Another example timer is timer T308. Access is denied due to ACCDC when RRC connection establishment is performed according to application-specific congestion control (ACDC) for data communications. This is in response to entering the RRC_CONNECTED state, cell reselection, or receiving a signal for UL-EDT. RRCEarlyDataComplete or RRCConnectionRelease Or use PUR for UP transmission RRCConnectionRelease Timer T308 stops. Additionally, the upper layer can be notified of the disabling and mitigation measures for ACDC.

[0055] During operation, if timer T302 or "Tbarring" is running during access prohibition checks, access to the cell is considered prohibited.

[0056] if SystemInformationBlockType2 (System Information Block Type 2) includes "AC Disallow Parameters": ● This is valid for UE use if the UE has one or more Access Categories (ACs) stored on the Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) with values ​​in the range 11...15. Access Categories 12, 13, and 14 are valid only for use in the home country, and ACs 11 and 15 are valid only for use in the home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) / Equivalent HPLMN (EHPLMN).

[0057] ● For at least one of these valid access categories, the "AC prohibition parameter" includes... ac- BarringForSpecialAC The corresponding bit in is set to zero They believe that access to the community has not been prohibited; ●Otherwise, if the establishment of the RRC connection utilizes mpsPriorityIndication The result of redirection release (in New Radio (NR) or Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) terrestrial radio access networks E-UTRAN); and ●If the "AC Disable Parameters" contain ac-BarringForSpecialAC The corresponding bit for any of the access categories 12, 13, or 14 is set to zero They believe that access to the community has not been prohibited; ●Otherwise, draw random numbers that are uniformly distributed within the following range: rand 0≤ rand <1; if " rand "Lower than those included in the 'AC Prohibition Parameters'" ac-BarringFactor The indicated value: indicates that access to the cell is not prohibited; otherwise: indicates that access to the cell is prohibited.

[0058] Otherwise, it is assumed that access to the community has not been prohibited.

[0059] If access to the cell is disabled, and neither timer T302 nor "Tbarring" is running: draw a random number uniformly distributed within the following range. rand 0≤ rand <1; Use the parameters included in "AC Forbidden Parameters" ac- BarringTime Start the timer "Tbarring". The timer value is calculated as follows: "Tbarring" = (0.7 + 0.6) * rand ) * ac-BarringTime .

[0060] In operation, under the extended access prohibition check, if SystemInformationBlockType14 is present and if eab-PerRSRP is included, the UE should: ●If received from higher levels establishmentCause (Reason for creation) was set to exclude urgent Values ​​other than those mentioned above; and ● This is valid for UE use if the UE does not have an access class with a value in the range 11…15 stored in the USIM: if eab-PerRSRP Set as Threshold 0 When under enhanced coverage, access to the cell is considered prohibited; Otherwise, if eab-PerRSRP Set to threshold 1: If the measured reference signal received power (RSRP) is less than 1. rsrp-ThresholdsPrachInfoList The first entry in the table indicates that access to the cell is prohibited; otherwise, it indicates that only resources configured for the first coverage enhancement (CE) level indication are available. Otherwise, if eab-PerRSRP Set as Threshold 2 If the measured RSRP is less than rsrp- ThresholdsPrachInfoList The second entry in the code indicates that access to the cell is prohibited; otherwise, it indicates that only the resources specified for the first and second CE levels are configured. Otherwise, if eab-PerRSRP Set as Threshold 3 If the measured RSRP is less than rsrp- ThresholdsPrachInfoList The third entry in the table indicates that access to the cell is prohibited; otherwise, it indicates that only resources specified for the first, second, and third CE levels are configured.

[0061] If it exists SystemInformationBlockType14 And if due to including eab-PerRSRP and eab- Param Access to the community was not prohibited: ●If eab-Common Included eab-Param middle: If UE belongs to eab-Common Included eab-Category The UE category indicated in the text; and For an access class of a UE, such as one stored in a USIM and having values ​​in the range 0…9… eab-Common Included eab-BarringBitmap The corresponding bit in the value is set to one: this indicates that access to the cell is prohibited. Otherwise: it is assumed that access to the cell is not prohibited due to EAB; ●Otherwise ( eab-PerPLMN-List Included eab-Param middle): exist eab-PerPLMN-List Select the entry that corresponds to the PLMN selected by the upper layer; If the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) is included eab-Config If the UE belongs to eab-Config Included eab-Category The UE category indicated in the USIM; and if the access category is such as that of a UE stored in the USIM and having a value in the range 0...9, it is included in... eab-Config In eab-BarringBitmap The corresponding bit in the value is set to one: access to the cell is considered prohibited; otherwise: access to the cell is considered not prohibited due to EAB. Otherwise: It is assumed that access to the cell is not prohibited due to EAB.

[0062] If it does not exist SystemInformationBlockType14 If so, it is assumed that access to the cell is not prohibited due to EAB.

[0063] In the case of access prohibition checks, if one or more access identifiers are indicated to be equal to 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 14, or 15, and if for at least one of these access identifiers, the "UAC prohibition parameter" is included... uac- BarringForAccessIdentity The corresponding bit in is set to zero The system considers the access attempt to be permissible.

[0064] otherwise, ●If the RRC connection is established using mpsPriorityIndication The result of redirection and release (in NR or E-UTRAN); and ● If the bit corresponding to access identifier 1 in uac-BarringForAccessIdentity contained in the “UAC Barring Parameters” is set to zero: the access attempt is considered permitted; ● Otherwise, if Access Identifier 3 is indicated: Draw a random number “rand” uniformly distributed within the following range: 0 ≤ rand < 1; if “rand” is lower than the value indicated by uac-BarringFactorForAI3 included in “UAC Barring Parameters”: the access attempt is considered allowed; otherwise: the access attempt is considered prohibited; otherwise: Draw a random number “rand” uniformly distributed within the following range: 0 ≤ rand < 1; if “rand” is lower than the value indicated by uac-BarringFactor included in “UAC Barring Parameters”: the access attempt is considered allowed; otherwise: the access attempt is considered prohibited; If the access attempt is deemed forbidden: ●Draw a uniformly distributed area 0≤ rand A random number "rand" in the range <1; ● Use the parameters included in "UAC Prohibition Parameters" uac-BarringTime The timer value starts timer T309 for the access category. The timer value is calculated as follows: "Tbarring" = (0.7 + 0.6) * rand ) * uac-BarringTime .

[0065] The communications in the communications environment 100 can conform to any suitable standard, including but not limited to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Evolution, LTE-A Advanced (LTE-A), New Radio (NR), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), Machine Type Communication (MTC), etc. Embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented according to any generation of communication protocols currently known or developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include, but are not limited to, first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G) communication protocols, 5.5G, 5G Advanced Networks, or sixth-generation (6G) networks.

[0066] exist Figure 1 In this configuration, link 140 between terminal device 110 and network device 120 is referred to as the service link, and link 150 between network device 120 and core network device 130 is referred to as the feeder link. Furthermore, network device 120 / terminal device 110 may move over time, which may cause the service link / feeder link to become unavailable at times.

[0067] For detailed reference Figure 2A and Figure 2B ,in Figure 2A and Figure 2B Example use cases that can implement example embodiments of this disclosure are shown. Figure 2A In the above scenario, the service link and feeder link are available at time point T1, the service link is available at time point T2, the feeder link is unavailable at time point T2, and both the service link and feeder link are available at time point T3. Figure 2B In the process, at time point T1, the service link is available and the feeder link is unavailable; at time point T2, the service link is unavailable and the feeder link is available; at time point T3, both the service link and the feeder link are available.

[0068] When the feeder link is available, service data can be forwarded from core network device 130 to network device 120, and then forwarded from network device 120 to terminal device 110. When the service link is available, network device 120 can forward data (including services, storage, and forwarding configuration / parameters) to the terminal device.

[0069] If the serving link / feeder link is unavailable, network device 120 can operate in store-and-forward mode. For example, when the feeder link is unavailable and the serving link is available, network device 120 can store data from end device 110 and then forward the data to core network device 130 when the feeder link becomes available again.

[0070] It can be seen that the feeder link may be unavailable during store-and-forward operations, which may render access to the cell for newly registered users or for non-latency-tolerant data meaningless. Furthermore, since storage at network device 120 may be limited, it is preferable that network device 120 may charge for the use of the store-and-forward service. Therefore, it is preferable that network device 120 prevent certain subscribers (e.g., unauthorized UEs) from using the store-and-forward service.

[0071] As described below, according to some embodiments of this disclosure, when network device 120 is operated in store-and-forward mode, the access process of terminal devices can be well controlled.

[0072] Working principles and example signaling for communication The following will refer to Figures 3 to 8 The principles and implementation methods of this disclosure are described in detail. For the purposes of discussion, reference will be made to... Figure 1 describe Figures 3 to 8 .

[0073] It should be understood that although the features / operations(s) are discussed individually in particular example embodiments, these features / operations(s) described in different example embodiments may be used in any suitable combination unless explicitly indicated to the contrary.

[0074] Furthermore, it should be understood that the operations at terminal device 110 and network device 120 should be coordinated. In other words, network device 120 and terminal device 110 should have a common understanding regarding configurations, parameters, etc. This common understanding can be achieved through any suitable interaction between network device 120 and terminal device 110, or by both applying the same rules / policies. Although some operations are described below from the perspective of terminal device 110, it should be understood that the corresponding operations should be performed by network device 120. Similarly, although some operations are described from the perspective of network device 120, it should be understood that the corresponding operations should be performed by terminal device 110. For the sake of brevity, some identical or similar content has been omitted here.

[0075] like Figure 3 As shown, during the connection establishment process with network device 120, terminal device 110 can determine whether the access process of terminal device 110 is allowed.

[0076] To make a correct determination, in some embodiments, terminal device 110 may obtain 310-1 first information including at least one first store-and-forward parameter, wherein the first information is maintained at the core network. Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, terminal device 110 may obtain 310-2 second information including at least one second store-and-forward parameter, wherein the second information is configured by network device 120. Based on the first and / or second information, terminal device 110 can make a correct access determination.

[0077] In some embodiments, in a store-and-forward scenario (i.e., network device 120 is operating in store-and-forward mode), terminal device 110 can perform access checks by using first / second information.

[0078] Next, if terminal device 110 determines that its access procedure is permitted, then terminal device 110 may initiate 330-1 the access procedure with network device 120. Therefore, if terminal device 110 determines that its access procedure is not permitted, then terminal device 110 may disable the initiation of the access procedure.

[0079] In some embodiments, network device 120 may indicate to terminal device 110 that network device 120 is operating in store-and-forward mode, and may also optionally indicate the timing information of the store-and-forward operation, so that terminal device 110 knows that network device 120 is operating in store-and-forward mode. Therefore, when access to network device 120 is required, the terminal device can function normally, including but not limited to: ● Access checks are performed using first / second information. ● Parameters configured for storage and forwarding scenarios (such as access control timers). ●Notify the upper layer of the terminal device that network device 120 is operating in store-and-forward mode.

[0080] Further details about the above process will be discussed below.

[0081] Details about the first information In some embodiments, the first information maintained at the core network (sometimes referred to as "store-and-forward parameters") may be received during one of the following periods: ● Attachment process ● Track the Region Update (TAU) process, or ●Registration process.

[0082] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may send capability-related information to network device 120 (or core network device 130). For example, terminal device 110 may send an instruction indicating at least one of the following: ● The terminal device supports network devices operating in store-and-forward mode. ● When the feeder link is unavailable, the terminal device supports network devices operating in store-and-forward mode. ● The terminal device supports latency-tolerant service, or ● The terminal device supports interruption tolerance service.

[0083] Now for reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 The document illustrates signaling streams 400 and 500 of communications according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0084] Optionally, in some embodiments, terminal device 110 may indicate to core network 130 (e.g., Mobility Management Entity MME or Access and Mobility Management Function AMF) its ability to support store-and-forward features (or support latency-tolerant transmission) during the attach / TAU / registration process. Figure 4 As shown, terminal device 110 can send an attachment / TAU / registration request, including capability-related information, to the core network device.

[0085] In operation, terminal device 110 can be authenticated / authorized / restricted from using the store and forward service. As an example, in order to use the store and forward service, terminal device 110 should support network device 120 operating in store and forward mode (meaning the terminal device has store and forward capabilities) and should register with the core network and subscribe to the store and forward service.

[0086] These store and forward parameters (i.e., the first information) can be stored as part of the subscription data in the Home Subscriber Server (HSS) (or, as in the Unified Data Management (UDM) in 5GC or other core network elements).

[0087] The core network (e.g., MME or AMF) can receive store-and-forward parameters from the HSS (or UDM).

[0088] In some embodiments, these store and forward parameters (i.e., first information) may specify whether store and forward services for terminal device 110 are restricted / permitted (based on PLMN / cell / coverage level / network device).

[0089] In some embodiments, if terminal device 110 supports restricted use of store and forward (or supports store and forward feature / delay-tolerant transmission), the core network may send a 460 store and forward parameter to terminal device 110 in an Attach / TAU / Register Accept message. Therefore, terminal device 110 can use the 440 store and forward parameter to determine whether the store and forward service is restricted / allowed, or how to use the store and forward service.

[0090] Furthermore, store-and-forward operations can be implemented as a capability of network device 120. In view of this, as... Figure 4 As shown, network device 120 can broadcast 410 support for authorized terminal device 110 to use store and forward service.

[0091] In some embodiments, for roaming terminal devices, if the HSS does not provide any parameters or the provided parameters conflict with the roaming protocol, the MME can use default parameters that are locally configured in the VPLMN based on the roaming protocol with the subscriber's HPLMN. Terminal device 110 may assume that the use of store and forward is the same as in the EPLMN.

[0092] In some embodiments, unless explicitly restricted by the network (core network equipment or network equipment), terminal equipment 110 may assume that store-and-forward services are permitted.

[0093] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may assume that the store-and-forward service is permitted only when the network (core network or access network) authorizes terminal device 110 to use the store-and-forward service.

[0094] In some embodiments, if the network (core network or access network) has sent store-and-forward parameters to terminal device 110, the core network may provide store-and-forward parameters to network device 120 (such as a satellite).

[0095] In some embodiments, an authentication process is required when the feeder link is available.

[0096] In some embodiments, whenever S1 is released and the information used for storage and forwarding is available to terminal device 110, network device (such as a satellite) may send it to MME during the S1 release process, such as via an S1 UE context release request (e.g., cause) message, an S1 UE context release complete (E-UTRAN Cell Global Identifier ECGI, Tracking Area Identity TAI, Secondary Radio Access Technology (RAT) Use Data) message, etc.

[0097] Now for reference Figure 5 The first message can be forwarded via paging.

[0098] exist Figure 5 In this process, the MME (or AMF) stores the store-and-forward parameters received by 510 (obtained from the HSS or UDM) and includes them in each subsequent paging message selected by the MME (or AMF) for paging.

[0099] If the MME has already sent the store-and-forward parameters to terminal device 110, the MME provides the store-and-forward parameters to network device 120 during paging and whenever a context for terminal device 110 is established in the RAN (e.g., during the service request procedure, attachment procedure, and TAU procedure). Network device 120 can then page terminal device 110 based on the store-and-forward parameters.

[0100] In some embodiments, network device 120 may use store-and-forward parameters to determine how to page terminal device 110. As a result, paging processes for terminal devices 110 that do not support store-and-forward services can be avoided.

[0101] In this way, network operators or service providers can prevent specific subscribers from using store-and-forward services.

[0102] Details regarding the second information In some embodiments, the second information configured / indicated by network device 120 may be one of the following: ●Specific configuration for this community ●User Equipment (UE) specific configuration, ●Network device 120 specific configuration, ●Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) specific configuration, or ● Coverage level specific configuration.

[0103] In some embodiments, the second information is configured for coverage level. In this case, the terminal device 120 may first determine its coverage level (e.g., based on Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP)) and then select the corresponding second information based on the determined coverage level.

[0104] In some embodiments, the second information is configured for use with a cell / network device / PLMN. In this case, the terminal device 120 may first determine that it is served by a cell / network device / PLMN, and then determine the corresponding second information accordingly.

[0105] In some embodiments, the second information may be included in system information (such as SIB).

[0106] In some embodiments, at least one second store-and-forward parameter indicated by the second information may include at least one of the following: ●The first indication is whether network device 120 is being operated in store-and-forward mode. ●The second indicator shows whether the feeder link is available. ●The third instruction instructs whether terminal device 110, which has not yet registered for store-and-forward services, is allowed to access network device 120. ● Fourth instruction: Indicates whether terminal device 110, which does not support store-and-forward services, is allowed to access network device 120. ● The amount of data allowed to be transmitted when the feeder link is unavailable or network device 120 is operating in store-and-forward mode. ●Time information associated with the duration during which the feeder link is unavailable or network device 120 is operating in store-and-forward mode.

[0107] In some embodiments, the time information may indicate at least one of the following: ●The start time of the duration, ●The end time of the duration, ● The remaining duration of the duration, ● The length of time that store-and-forward mode has been operated.

[0108] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may notify the non-access stratum (NAS) layer of the second information at the access stratum (AS) layer of terminal device 110.

[0109] In summary, the second information can be parameters / configurations configured by network device 120 for store-and-forward services. Further details regarding the second information will be discussed below.

[0110] In some embodiments, the second information may be public for satellite (network device 120) / cell or for each PLMN. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the second information may be configured for each coverage level.

[0111] In some embodiments, the second information may be UE-specific and provided during the RRC release process.

[0112] In some embodiments, second information can be provided in a new SIBxx ("xx" is a suffix / index of the SIB, which can be any defined integer). In this case, SIBxx can be modified at any time without triggering an SI update (and without affecting the information in the MIB). systemInfo ValueTag and SIB1 systemInfoValueTagSI ).

[0113] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 does not need to always maintain a valid version of SIBxx until the upper layer initiates access. In other words, terminal device 110 does not need to monitor and update SIB at all times. In fact, terminal device 110 only needs to ensure that it obtains the latest SIBxx when the upper layer initiates access.

[0114] In some embodiments, when obtaining storage and forwarding configuration (i.e., second information), the AS layer of the terminal device may indicate the NAS layer of the storage and forwarding configuration.

[0115] In some embodiments, the initiation of access to network device 120 during store-and-forward operations can be controlled by the NAS layer based on the provided store-and-forward configuration. As an example, the NAS layer is notified that the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode, and then access initiated from the NAS can be avoided / delayed if the end device is not suitable for performing transports under store-and-forward. For example, end device 110 may not support store-and-forward services, or access may be for initial registration.

[0116] The details of the second message will be discussed below.

[0117] In some embodiments, the second information may indicate whether store-and-forward operations are enabled at network device 120. In some embodiments, it may implicitly indicate whether store-and-forward operations are enabled at network device 120. Specifically, if the second information is provided by network device 120, terminal device 110 may assume that store-and-forward operations are enabled at network device 120.

[0118] In some embodiments, the second information may indicate whether the feeder link exists / is available / is active.

[0119] In some embodiments, the second information may indicate access restrictions for (multiple) unregistered terminal devices. In some embodiments, if store-and-forward operations are enabled, initial access by an unregistered terminal device / UE may be considered disallowed. In some embodiments, if store-and-forward operations are enabled, initial access by an unregistered terminal device / UE that does not support store-and-forward operations may be considered disallowed.

[0120] In some embodiments, the second information may indicate access restrictions for terminal devices that do not support store-and-forward operations. That is, if store-and-forward operations are enabled, access to terminal devices that do not support store-and-forward operations may be considered disallowed.

[0121] In some embodiments, the second information may indicate limitations / conditions regarding the size / volume of data. As an example, network device 120 may provide a configuration allowing the size / volume of data sent from terminal device 110 to network device 120, which is operated in store-and-forward mode.

[0122] In some embodiments, the second information may indicate the maximum size (TBS) (denoted as sf-TBS) applicable to the terminal device when the network device 120 is operated in store-and-forward mode. In some embodiments, for a mobile-initiated call, the size of the resulting MAC PDU, including total uplink data, is expected to be less than or equal to the sf-TBS transmitted via signaling.

[0123] In some embodiments, the second information may indicate that the terminal device 110 is allowed to select to send data with a size less than the maximum TBS (TBS).

[0124] In some embodiments, the second information may indicate the minimum size (TBS) applicable to the terminal device when the network device 120 is operated in store-and-forward mode.

[0125] In some embodiments, the second information may indicate time information of the store and forward operation, such as start time, end time, total duration of the store and forward operation, duration during which the store and forward operation has been applied, and remaining duration of the store and forward operation.

[0126] Store and forward access checks According to some embodiments of this disclosure, access control can be implemented by performing store-and-forward access checks based on first and / or second information.

[0127] In operation, in addition to storage and forwarding access checks, access prohibition checks can also be performed.

[0128] In some embodiments, if the execution results of the store-and-forward access check and the access prohibition check indicate that the access procedure of the terminal device 110 is permitted, then the terminal device 110 may determine that the access procedure of the terminal device 110 is permitted.

[0129] Alternatively, if the execution result of the store-and-forward access check indicates that the access procedure of terminal device 110 is not allowed, then terminal device 110 may determine that the access procedure of terminal device 110 is not allowed.

[0130] In addition, access denial checks can be performed before or after store-and-forward access checks.

[0131] Specifically, in some embodiments, terminal device 110 may first perform a store-and-forward access check. If the result of the store-and-forward access check indicates that the access procedure of terminal device 110 is permitted, then terminal device 110 may perform an access denial check. Then, terminal device 110 may determine whether the access procedure of terminal device 110 is permitted based on the result of the access denial check.

[0132] Alternatively, in some embodiments, terminal device 110 may first perform an access prohibition check. If the result of the access prohibition check indicates that the access procedure of terminal device 110 is permitted, then terminal device 110 may perform a store-and-forward access check. Then, terminal device 110 may determine whether the access procedure of terminal device 110 is permitted based on the result of the store-and-forward access check.

[0133] As mentioned above, store-and-forward access checks can be determined based on the first and / or second information. The following section discusses how to perform store-and-forward access checks.

[0134] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may determine that the access procedure of terminal device 110 is permitted if at least one of the following exists: ● The establishment reason indicates the establishment of a connection for the store-and-forward service; ● In the event that the feeder link is unavailable or network device 120 is operating in store-and-forward mode, the first information indicates that terminal device 110 has been authorized to be served; ●When network device 120 is operated in store-and-forward mode, the first information does not indicate that the access process of terminal device 110 is not allowed; ● Terminal device 110 supports latency tolerance service; ● Terminal device 110 supports interruption tolerance service; ●Terminal device 110 supports network device 120 in store-and-forward mode; ● Terminal device 110 has been registered in the core network; ● If the feeder link is unavailable or network device 120 is operating in store-and-forward mode, the amount of data to be transmitted is less than or equal to a first threshold amount that is allowed to be transmitted; or ● If the feeder link is unavailable or network device 120 is operating in store-and-forward mode, the amount of data to be sent is greater than or equal to the second threshold amount that is allowed to be sent.

[0135] In some embodiments, if the establishment reason indicates the establishment of a connection for storage and forwarding services (e.g., the NAS layer determines that a connection needs to be established for storage and forwarding services), the terminal device 110 may perform one of the following: skip normal access prohibition checks, initiate access to the network device considering that access to the network device is permitted, or perform storage and forwarding access checks based on other relevant information.

[0136] In some embodiments, the decision to allow the terminal device 110 to access the device may be based solely on the results of the store-and-forward access check.

[0137] In this situation, terminal device 110 can skip the access prohibition check and then determine whether the access process of terminal device 110 is allowed based on the execution result of the store-and-forward access check.

[0138] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, access control can be implemented by applying predefined rules or parameters(s) to restrict the access process.

[0139] In some embodiments, if terminal device 110 does not support network device 120 operating in store-and-forward mode, terminal device 110 may receive third information from network device 120. Alternatively, in some embodiments, if the access procedure of terminal device 110 has been determined to be disallowed during store-and-forward access checks, terminal device 110 may receive third information from network device 120. Specifically, during the period when the feeder link is unavailable or network device 120 is operating in store-and-forward mode, the third information includes at least one parameter for restricting terminal device 110 from initiating an access procedure.

[0140] Third information can be sent in system information, RRC release messages, or any other suitable signaling. Alternatively, third information can be extracted from the current SI. Alternatively, third information can be extracted from the last / latest SI received when the service link is available. Alternatively, third information can be extracted from RRC messages received during the last connection.

[0141] In some embodiments, if it is determined that the access process of terminal device 110 is not allowed, terminal device 110 may stop attempting to access network device 120 during the duration when the power supply link is unavailable or network device 120 is operated in store-and-forward mode.

[0142] More example implementations of store-and-forward access checks will be discussed below.

[0143] In some embodiments, the initial access process of the terminal device 110 is not allowed as long as the network device 110 is operated in store-and-forward mode.

[0144] In some embodiments, during store-and-forward operations, the access process of terminal devices 110 that support network device 120 operating in store-and-forward mode can be prioritized, while other / prohibited terminal devices can still initiate initial access during the duration of the store-and-forward operation.

[0145] In some embodiments, network device 120 may, for example, adjust access control parameters to restrict access for a legacy UE by providing a smaller prohibition factor.

[0146] Now for reference Figure 6A and Figure 6B The document illustrates signaling streams 600A and 600B of communications according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0147] exist Figure 6A In this process, a store-and-forward access check is performed before the access denial check. Specifically, in box 610, MO data arrives. In box 615, terminal device 110 can perform a store-and-forward access check. If the store-and-forward access check indicates that access is allowed, then in box 620, terminal device 110 can perform an access denial check. Then, if the access denial check indicates that access is allowed, then in box 625, terminal device 110 can determine that the terminal device's access procedure is allowed. Otherwise, in box 630, terminal device 110 can determine that the terminal device's access procedure is not allowed.

[0148] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may consider access to the cell not to be prohibited only if both store-and-forward check and access prohibition check indicate that access is permitted.

[0149] In some embodiments, if the store-and-forward check indicates that access is permitted, the terminal device 110 may perform an access denial check. In some embodiments, the store-and-forward check indicates that access is permitted if the following conditions are met: ● Terminal device 110 supports store-and-forward services. ●Terminal device 110 is certified / authorized to use storage and forwarding services. ● Terminal device 110 has been registered with the network. ● The size of the arriving data meets the data size requirements (less than the maximum allowed size and / or greater than the minimum allowed size).

[0150] In some embodiments, if the store-and-forward configuration indicates that access is permitted, terminal device 110 may perform an access prohibition check. Otherwise, terminal device 110 does not apply the access prohibition check and is considered prohibited due to store-and-forward.

[0151] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may perform an access denial check and, if access is permitted (i.e., not denied), initiate an RRC connection establishment / recovery.

[0152] exist Figure 6B In this process, an access prohibition check is performed before the store-and-forward access check. Specifically, in box 650, MO data arrives. In box 655, terminal device 110 may perform an access prohibition check. If the access prohibition check indicates that access is allowed, then in box 660, terminal device 110 may perform a store-and-forward access check. Then, if the store-and-forward access check indicates that access is allowed, then in box 665, terminal device 110 may determine that the terminal device's access procedure is allowed. Otherwise, in box 670, terminal device 110 may determine that the terminal device's access procedure is not allowed.

[0153] In some embodiments, if an access denial check indicates that access is permitted, then the access conditions associated with store and forward are checked.

[0154] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may perform an access prohibition check. If the result of the access prohibition check indicates that access to the cell is permitted, the terminal device may perform a store-and-forward access check.

[0155] Now for reference Figure 7A and Figure 7B The document illustrates example use cases 700A and 700B in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0156] exist Figure 7A In this case, the feeder link is unavailable. In some embodiments, if a terminal device (IoT device) that does not support network devices operating in store-and-forward mode or a terminal device (IoT device) prior to version 19 is in an RRC-CONNECTED state, the terminal device may be released by network device 120.

[0157] In some embodiments, access may be disabled or downgraded if the terminal device (IoT device) that does not support network devices operating in store-and-forward mode or if the terminal device (IoT device) prior to version 19 is in RRC-IDLE state.

[0158] In some embodiments, access may be permitted or prioritized if the terminal device (IoT device) or version 19 terminal device (IoT device) that supports network devices operating in store-and-forward mode is in RRC-IDLE state.

[0159] exist Figure 7AIn this scenario, the feeder link is unavailable at t1 and will become available at t2. In some embodiments, if the data size exceeds the maximum allowed data size, the terminal device 110 may not access the network device 120 at t1. The terminal device 110 may access the network device 120 at t2 (when the feeder link becomes available).

[0160] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may skip the normal access prohibition check. That is, if the store-and-forward check indicates that access is permitted, terminal device 110 may skip the normal access prohibition check and determine that the access process is directly permitted.

[0161] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may consider access to the cell permissible based on the result of a store-and-forward check, regardless of the result of an access prohibition check. In other words, even if an access prohibition check indicates that the access procedure is not permitted, terminal device 110 may only consider access to the cell permissible if the store-and-forward check indicates that the access procedure is permitted.

[0162] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may consider access to the cell permitted if the following conditions are met: ●Terminal device 110 supports network devices operating in store-and-forward mode. ●Terminal device 110 is certified / authorized to use storage and forwarding services. ● Terminal device 110 has been registered to the network, or ● The size of the arriving data meets the data size condition.

[0163] In some embodiments, if the storage and forwarding information indicates that access to the cell is permitted according to a set of conditions (and if the timer T302 or WaitTimer used for storage and forwarding is not running), the terminal device 110 may consider that access to the cell is not prohibited.

[0164] In some embodiments, if store and forward operation is enabled, terminal device 110 will not initiate RRC connection establishment / recovery until a valid version of the store and forward configuration is obtained.

[0165] In some embodiments, if ab-BarringForSF If (the indication in SIB14-NB) is true, then access attempts are prohibited if terminal device 110 does not have a valid version of the SIB (with store-and-forward configuration).

[0166] In this way, restrictions related to store-and-forward operations are imposed on access control. Taking into account support for store-and-forward services and data size, the network can restrict the UE's access process during store-and-forward operations. Therefore, resource utilization of the airborne RAN nodes is optimized when feeder links are unavailable.

[0167] Adjust (multiple) access control parameters According to some embodiments of this disclosure, access control can be achieved by adjusting (multiple) access control parameters.

[0168] During operation, terminal device 110 receives at least one access control parameter configured for situations where network device 120 is operating in store-and-forward mode or the feeder link is unavailable. Then, based on the determination that network device 120 is operating in store-and-forward mode or the feeder link is unavailable, terminal device 110 applies the at least one access control parameter during the connection establishment process with network device 120.

[0169] In some embodiments, at least one access control parameter includes at least one of the following: ● The parameters of the forbidden factor, or ●Parameters for prohibited times.

[0170] In some embodiments, based on the determination that a connection with network device 120 needs to be established due to store-and-forward services, terminal device 110 applies at least one access control parameter.

[0171] In some embodiments, one or more access control parameters may be adjusted based on store-and-forward information (the first / second information as described above).

[0172] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine the access control parameters configured for the store-and-forward scenario based on store-and-forward information, for example, ● Terminal device 110 supports store-and-forward services. ●Terminal device 110 is certified / authorized to use storage and forwarding services. ● Terminal device 110 has been registered with the network. ● The size of the arriving data meets the data size requirements (less than the maximum allowed size and / or greater than the minimum allowed size).

[0173] In some embodiments, the access control parameters configured for the store and forward service may be: a new BarringFactor for store and forward (which may be smaller than the normal BarringFactor) and a new BarringTime for store and forward (which may be smaller than the normal BarringTime).

[0174] In some embodiments, if the corresponding bit of any access class in access class 12, 13, or 14 of ac-BarringForSpecialAC included in the "AC Forbidden Parameter" is not set to zero: a random number "rand" uniformly distributed in the range 0 ≤ rand < 1 is drawn. Furthermore, if "rand" is lower than the value indicated by BarringFactor-SF: access to the cell is considered not forbidden; otherwise, access to the cell is considered forbidden.

[0175] In some embodiments, if access to the cell is disabled and neither timer T302 nor "Tbarring" is running: draw "rand" which is a random number uniformly distributed in the range 0 ≤ rand < 1; start timer "Tbarring" using ac-BarringTime included in "AC Disable Parameters", with the timer value calculated as follows: "Tbarring" = (0.7 + 0.6 * rand) * ac-BarringTime.

[0176] Other example access control parameters are shown below.

[0177]

[0178] In this way, access during store-and-forward operations can be handled well by utilizing a separate set of access control parameters configured for store and forward.

[0179] New reasons for establishment In some embodiments, the NAS layer may determine that a connection is being initiated and may indicate the reason for the connection establishment to the AS layer. In some embodiments, the NAS may understand that the connection is being established for storage and forwarding services. If so, the NAS may provide a reason for the connection establishment, indicating the storage and forwarding services to the AS layer.

[0180] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may skip normal access checks based on the reason for establishing the indication storage and forwarding.

[0181] Additionally, in some embodiments, normal access checks are skipped if the wait timer has not run, in response to the establishment of the indication storage and forwarding reason.

[0182] In some embodiments, if terminal device 110 is establishing an RRC connection for store and forward (for MO calls, MO signaling, or MT calls): if timer T302 or WaitTimer for store and forward is running: notify the upper layer that establishing an RRC connection has failed or restoring an RRC connection with a pause indication has failed, and access prohibition for store and forward applies, and the process ends in response; otherwise, it is assumed that access to the cell is not prohibited.

[0183] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may perform an access denial check based on one or more access control parameters configured for storage and forwarding, in order to indicate the establishment reason for storage and forwarding.

[0184] In some embodiments, one or more access control parameters configured for store and forward may be one or more adjusted access control parameters as described above. Specifically, during the connection establishment process with network device 120, terminal device 110 applies at least one access control parameter configured for store and forward, in accordance with the reason for establishing store and forward.

[0185] In some embodiments, one or more access control parameters configured for storage and forwarding may be parameters of a prohibition factor or parameters of a prohibition time.

[0186] It should be understood that one or more access control parameters can be any suitable parameters as discussed herein. This disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0187] In some embodiments, if the terminal device 110 is establishing an RRC connection for store and forward, or receives an indication from a higher layer that the reason for establishing the store and forward operation is: to perform an access prohibition check based on the access control parameters for store and forward.

[0188] First Prohibition Time According to some embodiments of this disclosure, access control can be implemented through a first prohibition time. Additionally, the first prohibition time can be implemented as a first prohibition timer.

[0189] In some embodiments, since the execution result of the store-and-forward access check indicates that the access procedure of terminal device 110 is not allowed, terminal device 110 may determine that the access procedure of terminal device 110 is not allowed. In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may notify its upper layer that the access procedure is not allowed due to the store-and-forward access check (e.g., as a reason for failure).

[0190] Alternatively or otherwise, in some embodiments, terminal device 110 may determine the length of a first disable timer based at least in part on time information associated with a duration during which the power supply link is unavailable or network device 120 is operating in store-and-forward mode.

[0191] In some embodiments, if access is blocked due to storage and forwarding, a pause indication can be used to notify the upper layer of the failure to establish or restore an RRC connection.

[0192] In some embodiments, the Tbarring calculation can be improved. That is, the Tbarring calculation can take into account the timing information of store-and-forward operations. As mentioned above, the timing information can be included in the second information and indicated by the network device 120.

[0193] In some embodiments, the start time of the store and forward operation, and / or the duration for which the store and forward operation has been applied, and / or the end time / duration of the store and forward operation may be indicated.

[0194] In some embodiments, the waiting time for store-and-forward operations can be inferred based on the timing information of the store-and-forward operations.

[0195] In some embodiments, if cell access is denied due to store-and-forward, the backoff time is set based on the configured store-and-forward latency. In some embodiments, Tbarring-SF = latency due to store-and-forward. Alternatively, Tbarring-SF = latency due to store-and-forward + Tbarring.

[0196] In some embodiments, when access to the cell is prohibited and neither timer T302 nor "Tbarring" is running, if access to the cell is prohibited due to store-and-forward and sf-WaitTime is configured, a random number "rand" uniformly distributed in the range 0 ≤ rand < 1 is drawn; timer "Tbarring" is started using ac-BarringTime and / or sf-WaitTime, where the timer value is calculated as follows: "Tbarring-SF" = sf-WaitTime + (0.7 + 0.6 * rand) * ac-BarringTime. In some embodiments, Tbarring can be set to T303, T305, T306, or T308.

[0197] In this way, the UE is prohibited from considering ongoing store-and-forward operations to extend the time period. This avoids frequent access attempts from the UE and thus achieves power savings.

[0198] Second prohibited time According to some embodiments of this disclosure, access control can be implemented via a second prohibition time. Additionally, the second prohibition time can be implemented as a second prohibition timer.

[0199] Now for reference Figure 8 Access to the cell is prohibited during the duration T from t0 to t1.

[0200] During operation, terminal device 110 receives and stores the time configuration for forwarding from network device 120.

[0201] Terminal device 110 starts a second prohibition timer based at least in part on store-and-forward time configuration, wherein if the second prohibition timer is running, access to network device 120 is restricted.

[0202] In some embodiments, the duration of the second disable timer is determined based on at least one of the following: ● The length of time indicated by the time configuration, or ●The duration during which the feeder link is unavailable or network device 120 is operating in store-and-forward mode.

[0203] In some embodiments, the duration of the second disable timer is determined by plotting a random duration based on at least one of the following: the duration indicated by the time configuration, or the duration during which the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode. For example, a random duration is plotted between the duration of the feeder link unavailability and the duration indicated by the time configuration.

[0204] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may start a timer T302, wherein the duration of the timer T302 is determined based on at least one of the following: ● The duration of timer T302 configured by network device 120. ● The length of time indicated by the time configuration, or ●The duration during which the feeder link is unavailable or network device 120 is operating in store-and-forward mode.

[0205] In some embodiments, the duration of timer T302 is determined by drawing a random duration based on at least one of the following: the duration indicated by the time configuration or the duration during which the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode.

[0206] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may activate a second disable timer in response to one of the following: ● Receiving RRC messages, or ● It is determined that network device 120 is operating in store-and-forward mode or that the feeder link is unavailable.

[0207] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may stop the second disable timer in response to one of the following: ● Enter RRC connection state ●Re-selection of neighborhood ●RRC early data completion message reception, ●Received after RRC connection release ●RRC connection refuses to receive messages. ● It has been determined that network device 120 is not operating in store-and-forward mode or that the feeder link is available.

[0208] In some embodiments, the time configuration is included in one of the following: ● Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection release message, ●RRC connection refused message, or ●RRC Early Data Completion Message.

[0209] In some embodiments, the RRC message includes a reason indicating that the terminal was released or rejected by the network device 120 because the network device 120 is operating in store-and-forward mode or the feeder link is unavailable.

[0210] In some embodiments, the access layer of terminal device 110 may notify the non-access layer of terminal device 110 of the reason.

[0211] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may use the timing information of the store and forward operation to adjust the timer T302.

[0212] In some embodiments, in response to receiving during the execution of an RRC connection establishment RRCConnectionReject Or received including waitTime of RRCConnectionRelease Terminal device 110 can start timer T302, which has a value determined based on conventional wait time and time information of store-and-forward operations. As an example, timer T302 for store-and-forward = T302 + duration of store-and-forward operation.

[0213] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may start timer T302 based on the time information of the store and forward operation, that is, start at the end time of the store and forward operation duration.

[0214] In some embodiments, the values ​​of the store and forward wait times can be independent of the timer T302, that is, the values ​​of the store and forward wait times have independent values.

[0215] In some embodiments, the configuration of store and forward wait times is included. RRC connection release , RRC connection rejected Absolute or RRCEarlyDataComplete In the message.

[0216] In some embodiments, in response to receiving RRC connection release , RRC connection refused or RRCEarlyDataComplete If a wait time is configured, the message is forwarded to the next higher layer.

[0217] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may use configured values ​​to start a timer. Alternatively, in some embodiments, terminal device 110 may start a timer based on the value of the store-and-forward wait time and the timing information of the store-and-forward operation.

[0218] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 can be based on WaitTime-SF The value is subtracted from the duration of the store-and-forward operations already applied to start the timer.

[0219] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may start a timer based on a random value, which may be determined based on the value of the store and forward wait time and the time information of the store and forward operation.

[0220] In some embodiments, in response to receiving during the execution of an RRC connection establishment RRCConnectionReject Or received including waitTime of RRCConnectionRelease Start the waiting timer.

[0221] In some embodiments, a wait timer is started based on the timing information of the store and forward operation: that is, in response to the start of the store and forward operation.

[0222] In some embodiments, a wait timer is started based on other conditions used by the UE to infer the storage and forwarding wait time.

[0223] In some embodiments, other conditions may be release reasons. Specifically, a wait timer is started based on the determination of the release reason indicating that store and forwarding operations are applied (e.g., the network may release unauthenticated / authorized store and forwarding services for the UE in response to the loss of a feeder link).

[0224] Alternatively, in some embodiments, other conditions may be SI. Specifically, based on the determined SI, a store-and-forward operation is initiated (if the feeder link is unavailable during this time, a wait timer is started).

[0225] In some embodiments, in response to entering RRC_CONNECTED and in response to cell reselection, or in response to receiving a signal for UP-EDT RRCEarlyDataComplete or RRCConnectionRelease Or use PUR for UP transmission R RCConnectionRelease Or in response to receiving a message for E-UTRA / 5GC RRCConnectionReject The message, or response to the completion of a store-and-forward operation, waits for the timer to stop.

[0226] In some embodiments, in response to the expiration of a timer, a notification is sent to the upper layer to prohibit mitigation.

[0227] In some embodiments, during the operation of the timer, if the terminal device 110 is establishing an RRC connection for mobile termination of the call, and if the timer is running, it notifies the upper layer that the establishment of the RRC connection has failed or the restoration of the RRC connection with a pause indication has failed, and that access prohibition for mobile termination of the call is applicable, and the process ends in response.

[0228] In some embodiments, during the operation of the timer, the terminal device 110 may consider access to the cell to be prohibited during the access prohibition check.

[0229] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may consider access attempts to be prohibited during unified access control.

[0230] In this way, store-and-forward operations are considered to extend WaitTime to prevent further access attempts during store-and-forward.

[0231] In some embodiments, network device 120 may provide a new release reason indicating connection release in relation to store-and-forward operations.

[0232] In some embodiments, if the release reason indicates a storage and forwarding operation, then the upper-layer release reason (from the AS layer to the NAS layer) is indicated.

[0233] In this way, unnecessary access attempts during store-and-forward operations can be avoided, thus saving access signaling overhead.

[0234] In some embodiments, if the timer expires or stops, one of the following is performed: ● Notify the upper layer of the prohibition and mitigation for all establishment types; ●Notify the upper layer of the prohibition and mitigation measures for mobile termination of access; ●If timer T303 does not run, notify the upper layer of the prohibition mitigation for mobile-initiated calls; ●If timer T305 does not run, notify the upper layer of the prohibition and mitigation of signaling initiation for the mobile; ●If timer T306 is not running, notify the upper layer of the prohibition and mitigation of CS rollback for mobile initiation; ● If timer T308 is not running, notify the upper layer of the prohibition mitigation for ACDC.

[0235] In some embodiments, if enabled by network device 120, the terminal device may determine a second prohibition time (or start a second prohibition timer) based on stored and forwarded time information.

[0236] Distributed access process When multiple terminal devices are within the coverage area of ​​a network device, and the access process of these terminal devices is prohibited due to store and forwarding, in response to the feeder becoming available, many terminal devices may initiate access processes simultaneously, which leads to excessive signaling load on network device 120.

[0237] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, access control can be implemented by the NAS layer, thereby avoiding excessive signaling load on network device 120 at the end of store-and-forward operations. In this case, the core network device can provide the relevant configuration parameters.

[0238] In addition to distributing the access process of terminal devices through the NAS layer, the access process of terminal devices can also be distributed through the AS layer. In this case, network device 120 can provide relevant configuration parameters.

[0239] During operation, terminal device 110 determines that network device 120 is not operating in store-and-forward mode, or that the feeder link is available, wherein terminal device 110 has not yet been connected to network device 120. Terminal device 110 can then determine a time offset during which the initiation of an access procedure is restricted.

[0240] In some embodiments, the time offset is determined based on a threshold offset determined by network device 120 or core network device 130.

[0241] In some embodiments, parameters may be provided that enable the UE to initiate access at dispersed times.

[0242] In some embodiments, the parameter (e.g., a time parameter) may be provided by the core network device to the terminal device (e.g., when the feeder is available), or by the network device 120 to the terminal device 110.

[0243] In this scenario, the core network device (or network device 120) can determine the time parameter based on network configuration, preferred users, and preferred services. The core network device can send the maximum time offset to each UE during the attach or TAU procedure, or network device 120 can send the maximum time offset to each UE via signaling such as SI or RRC.

[0244] In some embodiments, the time parameter may be a maximum time offset, which controls when the terminal device is allowed to initiate NAS signaling with the network.

[0245] In some embodiments, if terminal device 110 receives the maximum time offset from the network during attachment or TAU acceptance, terminal device 110 should replace any previously received maximum time offset (using the maximum time offset on the same RAT type and PLMN).

[0246] In response to the completion of the store-and-forward operation, terminal device 110 may set a wait timer value to a random value that does not exceed and includes the latest maximum time offset (for this PLMN and RAT type), and start the timer. While the wait timer is running, terminal device 110 is not allowed to initiate any access procedures (on this RAT type and PLMN).

[0247] Example Method Figure 9 A flowchart of a communication method 900 implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, [the following will be discussed]. Figure 1 The angle description method of terminal device 110 in 900.

[0248] At box 910, during the connection establishment process with the network device, the terminal device may perform a store-and-forward access check based on at least one of the following: first information, including at least one first store-and-forward parameter, wherein the first information is maintained at the core network; or second information, including at least one second store-and-forward parameter, wherein the second information is configured by the network device.

[0249] At box 920, the terminal device may determine whether the terminal device's access procedure is permitted, at least in part, based on the execution results of the store-and-forward access check.

[0250] In some example embodiments, if the execution result of the store-and-forward access check indicates that the access procedure of the terminal device is permitted, the terminal device may perform an access prohibition check; and based on the execution result of the access prohibition check, determine whether the access procedure of the terminal device is permitted.

[0251] In some example embodiments, the terminal device may perform an access prohibition check; and if the execution result of the access prohibition check indicates that the access procedure of the terminal device is permitted, a store-and-forward access check is performed; and based on the execution result of the store-and-forward access check, it is determined whether the access procedure of the terminal device is permitted.

[0252] In some example embodiments, if the execution result of the store-and-forward access check and the execution result of the access prohibition check indicate that the access procedure of the terminal device is allowed, the terminal device may determine that the access procedure of the terminal device is allowed; or if the execution result of the store-and-forward access check indicates that the access procedure of the terminal device is not allowed, the terminal device may determine that the access procedure of the terminal device is not allowed.

[0253] In some example embodiments, a terminal device may determine that its access procedure is permitted if at least one of the following exists: a establishment reason indicates the establishment of a connection for store-and-forward services; a first message indicates that the terminal device has been authorized to be served when the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode; the first message does not indicate that the terminal device's access procedure is not permitted when the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode; the terminal device supports latency-tolerant services; the terminal device supports interruption-tolerant services; the terminal device supports network device operation in store-and-forward mode; the terminal device is registered in the core network; the amount of data to be sent is less than or equal to a first threshold amount allowed to be sent when the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode; or the amount of data to be sent is greater than or equal to a second threshold amount allowed to be sent when the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode.

[0254] In some example embodiments, the terminal device does not support the network device operating in store-and-forward mode, or the terminal device’s access procedure has been determined to be disallowed during store-and-forward access checks, and the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: receive third information from the network device, the third information including at least one parameter for restricting the terminal device from initiating an access procedure during the duration when the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode.

[0255] In some example embodiments, if it is determined that the access process of the terminal device is not allowed, the terminal device may stop attempting to access the network device during the duration when the power supply link is unavailable or the network device is operated in store-and-forward mode.

[0256] In some example embodiments, the terminal device may skip performing the access prohibition check; and determine whether the terminal device's access procedure is permitted based on the execution result of the store-and-forward access check.

[0257] In some example embodiments, the terminal device may determine that the access procedure of the terminal device is not allowed due to the result of the execution of the store-and-forward access check indicating that the access procedure of the terminal device is not allowed; and perform at least one of the following: notify the upper layer of the terminal device that the access procedure is not allowed due to the store-and-forward access check, or determine the length of a first prohibition timer based at least in part on time information associated with the duration during which the power supply link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode.

[0258] In some example embodiments, the second information is one of the following: cell-specific configuration, user equipment (UE)-specific configuration, network equipment-specific configuration, public land mobile network (PLMN)-specific configuration, or coverage level-specific configuration.

[0259] In some example embodiments, the second information is included in the system information.

[0260] In some example embodiments, at least one second store-and-forward parameter includes at least one of the following: a first indication indicating whether the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode; a second indication indicating whether the feeder link is available; a third indication indicating whether a terminal device that has not registered for store-and-forward service is allowed to access the network device; a fourth indication indicating whether a terminal device that does not support store-and-forward service is allowed to access the network device; the amount of data allowed to be sent when the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode; or time information associated with the duration during which the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode.

[0261] In some example embodiments, the time information indicates at least one of the following: the start time of the duration, the end time of the duration, the remaining duration of the duration, or the duration for which the store-and-forward mode has been operated.

[0262] In some example embodiments, the terminal device may notify the non-access layer of the terminal device of the second information at the access layer of the terminal device.

[0263] In some example embodiments, the first information is received during one of the following periods: the attachment process, the Tracking Area Update (TAU) process, or the registration process.

[0264] In some example embodiments, the terminal device may send an instruction indicating at least one of the following: the terminal device supports network device operation in store-and-forward mode, the terminal device supports network device operation in store-and-forward mode when feeder link is unavailable, the terminal device supports latency-tolerant service, or the terminal device supports interruption-tolerant service.

[0265] Figure 10 A flowchart of a communication method 1000 implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, [the following will be discussed]. Figure 1 Angle description method 1000 for terminal device 110 in the middle.

[0266] At box 1010, the terminal device can receive at least one access control parameter from the network device, which is configured for situations where the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode or the feeder link is unavailable.

[0267] At box 1020, depending on whether the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode or the power supply link is unavailable, the terminal device may apply at least one access control parameter during the connection establishment process with the network device.

[0268] In some example embodiments, at least one access control parameter includes at least one of the following: a parameter of a prohibition factor or a parameter of a prohibition time.

[0269] In some example embodiments, the terminal device may apply at least one access control parameter based on the determination that a connection with the network device is required due to store-and-forward services.

[0270] Figure 11 A flowchart of a communication method 1100 implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, [the following will be discussed]. Figure 1 Angle description method 1100 for terminal device 110 in the middle.

[0271] At box 1110, the terminal device can receive the stored and forwarded time configuration from the network device.

[0272] At box 1120, the terminal device may start a second prohibition timer at least in part based on the store-and-forward time configuration, wherein if the second prohibition timer is running, access to the network device is restricted.

[0273] In some example embodiments, the duration of the second disable timer is determined based on at least one of the following: the duration indicated by the time configuration, or the duration during which the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode.

[0274] In some example embodiments, the terminal device may start timer T302, wherein the duration of timer T302 is determined based on at least one of the following: the duration of timer T302 configured by the network device, the duration indicated by the time configuration, or the duration during which the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode.

[0275] In some example embodiments, the terminal device may initiate a second disable timer in response to one of the following: receipt of an RRC message or determination that the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode or the feeder link is unavailable.

[0276] In some example embodiments, the terminal device may stop the second prohibit timer in response to one of the following: entering RRC connection state, cell reselection, receiving an RRC early data completion message, receiving an RRC connection release, receiving an RRC connection rejection message, or determining that the network device is not operating in store-and-forward mode or that a feeder link is available.

[0277] In some example embodiments, the time configuration is included in one of the following: Radio Resource Control (RRC) Connection Release Message, RRC Connection Reject Message, or RRC Early Data Complete Message.

[0278] In some example implementations, the RRC message includes a reason indicating that the terminal was released or rejected by the network device because the network device was operating in store-and-forward mode or the feeder link was unavailable.

[0279] In some example embodiments, the terminal device may notify the non-access layer of the terminal device of the reason at the access layer of the terminal device.

[0280] Figure 12 A flowchart of a communication method 1200 implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, [the following will be discussed]. Figure 1 Angle description method 1200 for terminal device 110 in the middle.

[0281] At box 1210, the terminal device can determine that the network device is not operating in store-and-forward mode or the feeder link is available, where the terminal device has not yet been connected to the network device.

[0282] At box 1220, the terminal device can determine the time offset, during which the initiation of the access procedure is restricted.

[0283] In some example implementations, the time offset is determined based on a threshold offset determined by the network device or the core network device.

[0284] Figure 13 A flowchart of a communication method 1300 implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, [the following will be discussed]. Figure 1 Method 1300 is described from the perspective of network device 120.

[0285] At box 1310, the network device may send at least one of the following to the terminal device: first information, including at least one first store-and-forward parameter, wherein the first information is maintained at the core network; or second information, including at least one second store-and-forward parameter, wherein the second information is configured by the network device.

[0286] In some example embodiments, the terminal device does not support the network device operating in store-and-forward mode, or the access procedure of the terminal device has been determined to be disallowed during the store-and-forward access check, and wherein the processor is further configured to cause the network device to: send third information to the terminal device, the third information including at least one parameter for restricting the terminal device from initiating an access procedure during the duration when the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode.

[0287] In some example embodiments, the second information is one of the following: cell-specific configuration, user equipment (UE)-specific configuration, network equipment-specific configuration, public land mobile network (PLMN)-specific configuration, or coverage level-specific configuration.

[0288] In some example embodiments, the second information is included in the system information.

[0289] In some example embodiments, at least one second store-and-forward parameter includes at least one of the following: a first indication indicating whether the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode; a second indication indicating whether the feeder link is available; a third indication indicating whether a terminal device that has not registered for store-and-forward service is allowed to access the network device; a fourth indication indicating whether a terminal device that does not support store-and-forward service is allowed to access the network device; the amount of data allowed to be sent when the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode; or time information associated with the duration during which the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode.

[0290] In some example embodiments, the time information indicates at least one of the following: the start time of the duration, the end time of the duration, or the remaining duration.

[0291] In some example embodiments, the first information is received during one of the following processes: the attachment process, the Tracking Area Update (TAU) process, or the registration process.

[0292] In some example embodiments, the network device may receive capability-related information from the terminal device, which indicates that the terminal device supports the network device operating in store-and-forward mode.

[0293] Figure 14A flowchart of a communication method 1400 implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, [the following will be discussed]. Figure 1 Method 1400 is described from the perspective of network device 120.

[0294] At box 1410, the network device may determine at least one access control parameter configured for situations where the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode or where the feeder link is unavailable.

[0295] At box 1420, the network device can send at least one access control parameter to the terminal device.

[0296] In some example embodiments, at least one access control parameter includes at least one of the following: a parameter of a prohibition factor or a parameter of a prohibition time.

[0297] Figure 15 A flowchart of a communication method 1500 implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, [the following will be discussed]. Figure 1 Method 1500 describes the network device 120 from the perspective of network device 120.

[0298] At box 1510, the network device can determine the store-and-forward time configuration used by the terminal device to start the second prohibit timer, wherein if the second prohibit timer is running, access to the network device is restricted.

[0299] At box 1520, the network device can send the store-and-forward time configuration to the end device.

[0300] In some example embodiments, the duration indicated by the time configuration is determined based on at least one of the following: the duration indicated by the time configuration, the duration during which the feeder link is unavailable, or the duration during which the network device is operated in store-and-forward mode.

[0301] In some example embodiments, the time configuration is included in one of the following: Radio Resource Control (RRC) Connection Release Message, RRC Connection Reject Message, or RRC Early Data Complete Message.

[0302] In some example implementations, the RRC message includes a reason indicating that the terminal was released or rejected by the network device because the network device was operating in store-and-forward mode or the feeder link was unavailable.

[0303] Example devices and apparatus Figure 16 This is a simplified block diagram of a device 1600 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. Device 1600 can be considered as... Figure 1Another example implementation of any of the devices shown. Thus, device 1600 may be implemented at or at least a portion thereof at terminal device 110 or network device 120.

[0304] As shown in the figure, device 1600 includes a processor 1610, a memory 1620 coupled to the processor 1610, a suitable transceiver 1640 coupled to the processor 1610, and a communication interface coupled to the transceiver 1640. The memory 1620 stores at least a portion of a program 1630. The transceiver 1640 can be used for required bidirectional or unidirectional communication. The transceiver 1640 may include at least one of a transmitter 1642 and a receiver 1644. The transmitter 1642 and receiver 1644 may be functional modules or physical entities. The transceiver 1640 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication; however, in practice, the access node mentioned in this application may have several antennas. The communication interface can represent any interface required for communication with other network elements, such as the X2 / Xn interface for bidirectional communication between eNBs / gNBs, the S1 / NG interface for communication between the Mobility Management Entity (MME) / Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) / SGW / UPF and the eNB / gNB, the Un interface for communication between the eNB / gNB and the Relay Node (RN), or the Uu interface for communication between the eNB / gNB and the terminal equipment.

[0305] Assume that program 1630 includes program instructions that, when executed by the associated processor 1610, enable device 1600 to operate according to embodiments of this disclosure, as referenced herein. Figures 1 to 1 As discussed in section 8. The embodiments herein can be implemented by computer software executable by the processor 1610 of device 1600, or by hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. Processor 1610 can be configured to implement various embodiments of this disclosure. Furthermore, a combination of processor 1610 and memory 1620 can form a processing unit 1650 suitable for implementing various embodiments of this disclosure.

[0306] Memory 1620 can be of any type suitable for a local technology network and can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as, as non-limiting examples, non-transitory computer-readable storage media, semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. Although only one memory 1620 is shown in device 1600, several physically different memory modules may exist in device 1600. As a non-limiting example, processor 1610 can be of any type suitable for a local technology network and may include one or more of the following: general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), and processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 1600 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-dependent on a clock synchronized with a main processor.

[0307] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a terminal device including a circuitry system is provided. The circuitry system is configured to: during a connection establishment process with a network device, perform a store-and-forward access check based on at least one of: first information, including at least one first store-and-forward parameter, wherein the first information is maintained at the core network; or second information, including at least one second store-and-forward parameter, wherein the second information is configured by the network device; and determine whether the access process of the terminal device is permitted, at least in part based on the execution result of the store-and-forward access check. According to embodiments of this disclosure, the circuitry system can be configured to perform any method implemented by the terminal device as described above.

[0308] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a terminal device including a circuit system is provided. The circuit system is configured to: receive at least one access control parameter from a network device, the at least one access control parameter being configured for situations where the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode or the feeder link is unavailable; and, based on determining that the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode or the feeder link is unavailable, apply the at least one access control parameter during a connection establishment process with the network device. According to embodiments of this disclosure, the circuit system can be configured to perform any method implemented by the terminal device as described above.

[0309] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a terminal device including a circuit system is provided. The circuit system is configured to: receive a store-and-forward time configuration from a network device; and to initiate a second prohibition timer based at least in part on the store-and-forward time configuration, wherein if the second prohibition timer is running, access to the network device is restricted. According to embodiments of this disclosure, the circuit system can be configured to perform any method implemented by the terminal device as described above.

[0310] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a terminal device including a circuitry system is provided. The circuitry system is configured to: determine that a network device is not operating in store-and-forward mode or that a feeder link is available, wherein the terminal device has not yet been accessed by the network device; and determine a time offset during which the initiation of an access procedure is restricted. According to embodiments of this disclosure, the circuitry system can be configured to perform any method implemented by the terminal device as described above.

[0311] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a network device including a circuit system is provided. The circuit system is configured to send at least one of the following to an end device: first information, including at least one first store-and-forward parameter, wherein the first information is maintained at the core network; or second information, including at least one second store-and-forward parameter, wherein the second information is configured by the network device. According to embodiments of this disclosure, the circuit system can be configured to perform any method implemented by the network device as described above.

[0312] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a network device including a circuit system is provided. The circuit system is configured to: determine at least one access control parameter configured for situations where the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode or a feeder link is unavailable; and send the at least one access control parameter to a terminal device. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the circuit system can be configured to perform any method implemented by the network device as described above.

[0313] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a network device including a circuit system is provided. The circuit system is configured to: determine a store-and-forward timing configuration used by a terminal device to initiate a second inhibit timer, wherein access to the network device is restricted if the second inhibit timer is running; and send the store-and-forward timing configuration to the terminal device. According to embodiments of this disclosure, the circuit system can be configured to perform any method implemented by the network device as described above.

[0314] As used herein, the term "circuit system" can refer to hardware circuitry and / or a combination of hardware circuitry and software. For example, a circuit system can be a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry with software / firmware. As another example, a circuit system can be any part of a hardware processor with software, including (multiple) digital signal processors, software, and (multiple) memories, which work together to enable a device, such as a terminal device or a network device, to perform various functions. In yet another example, a circuit system can be hardware circuitry and / or a processor that requires software / firmware to operate, such as a microprocessor or a portion thereof, but which may be absent when software is not required to operate. As used herein, the term circuit system also encompasses an implementation of hardware circuitry or (multiple) processors alone, or a portion thereof, and its accompanying software and / or firmware.

[0315] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes: components for performing a store-and-forward access check during a connection establishment process with a network device, based on at least one of the following: components for first information, the first information including at least one first store-and-forward parameter, wherein the first information is maintained at the core network; or components for second information, the second information including at least one second store-and-forward parameter, wherein the second information is configured by the network device; and components for determining whether the access process of the terminal device is permitted, at least in part based on the execution result of the store-and-forward access check. In some embodiments, the first component may include components for performing corresponding operations of method 900. In some example embodiments, the first component may also include components for performing other operations in some example embodiments of method 900. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0316] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes: components for receiving at least one access control parameter from a network device, the at least one access control parameter being configured for situations where the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode or the feeder link is unavailable; and components for applying the at least one access control parameter during a connection establishment process with the network device based on determining that the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode or the feeder link is unavailable. In some embodiments, a second device may include components for performing corresponding operations of method 1000. In some example embodiments, the second device may also include components for performing other operations in some example embodiments of method 1000. This component can be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component can be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0317] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes: components for receiving a store-and-forward time configuration from a network device; and components for activating a second disable timer based at least in part on the store-and-forward time configuration, wherein access to the network device is restricted if the second disable timer is running. In some embodiments, a third device may include components for performing corresponding operations of method 1100. In some example embodiments, the third device may also include components for performing other operations in some example embodiments of method 1100. This component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0318] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes: components for determining that a network device is not operating in store-and-forward mode or that a feeder link is available, wherein the terminal device has not yet been accessed by the network device; and components for determining a time offset during which the initiation of an access procedure is restricted. In some embodiments, a fourth component may include components for performing corresponding operations of method 1200. In some example embodiments, the fourth component may also include components for performing other operations in some example embodiments of method 1200. This component can be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component can be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0319] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a network apparatus is provided. The network apparatus includes components for sending at least one of the following to a terminal device: components for first information, the first information including at least one first store-and-forward parameter, wherein the first information is maintained at a core network; or components for second information, the second information including at least one second store-and-forward parameter, wherein the second information is configured by the network device. In some embodiments, a fifth device may include components for performing corresponding operations of method 1300. In some example embodiments, the fifth device may also include components for performing other operations in some example embodiments of method 1300. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0320] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a network apparatus is provided. The network apparatus includes: components for determining at least one access control parameter configured for situations where the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode or a feeder link is unavailable; and components for sending the at least one access control parameter to a terminal device. In some embodiments, a sixth component may include components for performing corresponding operations of method 1400. In some example embodiments, the sixth component may also include components for performing other operations in some example embodiments of method 1400. This component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0321] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a network apparatus is provided. The network apparatus includes: components for determining a store-and-forward time configuration used by a terminal device to initiate a second inhibit timer, wherein access to the network device is restricted if the second inhibit timer is running; and components for sending the store-and-forward time configuration to the terminal device. In some embodiments, a seventh component may include components for performing corresponding operations of method 1500. In some example embodiments, the seventh component may also include components for performing other operations in some example embodiments of method 1500. This component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0322] In summary, the embodiments of this disclosure provide the following aspects.

[0323] In one aspect, a terminal device is proposed, comprising: a processor configured to cause the terminal device to:, during a connection establishment process with a network device, perform a store-and-forward access check based on at least one of: first information, including at least one first store-and-forward parameter, wherein the first information is maintained at the core network; or second information, including at least one second store-and-forward parameter, wherein the second information is configured by the network device; and determine whether the access process of the terminal device is permitted, at least in part based on the execution result of the store-and-forward access check.

[0324] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to enable the terminal device to: perform an access prohibition check if the execution result of the store-and-forward access check indicates that the access procedure of the terminal device is permitted; and determine whether the access procedure of the terminal device is permitted based on the execution result of the access prohibition check.

[0325] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: perform an access prohibition check; and if the execution result of the access prohibition check indicates that the access procedure of the terminal device is permitted, perform a store-and-forward access check; and determine whether the access procedure of the terminal device is permitted based on the execution result of the store-and-forward access check.

[0326] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: determine that the terminal device's access procedure is permitted if the execution result of the store-and-forward access check and the execution result of the access prohibition check indicate that the terminal device's access procedure is permitted, or determine that the terminal device's access procedure is not permitted if the execution result of the store-and-forward access check indicates that the terminal device's access procedure is not permitted.

[0327] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to enable the terminal device to determine that its access procedure is permitted if at least one of the following exists: an establishment reason indicates the establishment of a connection for store-and-forward services; a first message indicates that the terminal device has been authorized to be served when the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode; the first message does not indicate that the terminal device's access procedure is not permitted when the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode; the terminal device supports latency-tolerant services; the terminal device supports interruption-tolerant services; the terminal device supports network device operation in store-and-forward mode; the terminal device is registered in the core network; when the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode, the amount of data to be transmitted is less than or equal to a first threshold amount allowed to be transmitted; or when the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode, the amount of data to be transmitted is greater than or equal to a second threshold amount allowed to be transmitted.

[0328] In some embodiments, the terminal device does not support the network device operating in store-and-forward mode, or the terminal device’s access procedure has been determined to be disallowed during store-and-forward access checks, and wherein the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: receive third information from the network device, the third information including at least one parameter for restricting the terminal device from initiating an access procedure during the duration when the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode.

[0329] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: stop attempting to access the network device during the duration when the power supply link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode, based on the determination that the access process of the terminal device is not permitted.

[0330] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: skip performing an access denial check; and determine whether the access procedure of the terminal device is permitted based on the execution result of the store-and-forward access check.

[0331] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: determine that the terminal device's access procedure is not allowed because the execution result of the store-and-forward access check indicates that the terminal device's access procedure is not allowed; and perform at least one of the following: notifying the upper layer of the terminal device that the access procedure is not allowed due to the store-and-forward access check, or determining, at least in part, the duration of a first prohibition timer based on time information associated with the duration during which the power supply link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode.

[0332] In some embodiments, the second information is one of the following: cell-specific configuration, user equipment (UE)-specific configuration, network equipment-specific configuration, public land mobile network (PLMN)-specific configuration, or coverage level-specific configuration.

[0333] In some embodiments, the second information is included in the system information.

[0334] In some embodiments, at least one second store-and-forward parameter includes at least one of the following: a first indication indicating whether the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode; a second indication indicating whether the feeder link is available; a third indication indicating whether a terminal device that has not registered for store-and-forward service is allowed to access the network device; a fourth indication indicating whether a terminal device that does not support store-and-forward service is allowed to access the network device; the amount of data allowed to be transmitted when the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode; or time information associated with the duration during which the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode.

[0335] In some embodiments, the time information indicates at least one of the following: the start time of the duration, the end time of the duration, the remaining duration, or the duration for which the store-and-forward mode has been operated.

[0336] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: notify the non-access layer of the terminal device of the second information at the access layer of the terminal device.

[0337] In some embodiments, the first information is received during one of the following processes: attachment process, tracking area update (TAU) process, or registration process.

[0338] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: send an instruction indicating at least one of the following: the terminal device supports network device operation in store-and-forward mode, the terminal device supports network device operation in store-and-forward mode when feeder link is unavailable, the terminal device supports latency-tolerant service, or the terminal device supports interruption-tolerant service.

[0339] In one aspect, a terminal device is proposed, comprising: a processor configured to cause the terminal device to: receive at least one access control parameter from the network device, the at least one access control parameter being configured for the network device being operated in store-and-forward mode or the feeder link being unavailable; and, based on determining that the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode or the feeder link is unavailable, apply the at least one access control parameter during a connection establishment process with the network device.

[0340] In some embodiments, at least one access control parameter includes at least one of the following: a parameter of a prohibition factor or a parameter of a prohibition time.

[0341] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to apply at least one access control parameter based on a determination that a connection with the network device is required due to store-and-forward services.

[0342] In one aspect, a terminal device is proposed, comprising: a processor configured to cause the terminal device to: receive a store-and-forward time configuration from the network device; and to start a second prohibition timer based at least in part on the store-and-forward time configuration, wherein if the second prohibition timer is running, access to the network device is restricted.

[0343] In some embodiments, the duration of the second disable timer is determined based on at least one of the following: the duration indicated by the time configuration, or the duration during which the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode.

[0344] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: start timer T302, wherein the duration of timer T302 is determined based on at least one of the following: the duration of timer T302 configured by the network device, the duration indicated by the time configuration, or the duration during which the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode.

[0345] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to initiate a second disable timer in response to one of the following: the receipt of RRC messages or the determination that the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode or the feeder link is unavailable.

[0346] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to stop the second disable timer in response to one of the following: entering an RRC connection state, cell reselection, receiving an RRC early data completion message, receiving an RRC connection release, receiving an RRC connection rejection message, or determining that the network device is not operating in store-and-forward mode or that a feeder link is available.

[0347] In some embodiments, the time configuration includes one of the following: a Radio Resource Control (RRC) Connection Release message, an RRC Connection Reject message, or an RRC Early Data Complete message.

[0348] In some embodiments, the RRC message includes a reason indicating that the terminal was released or rejected by the network device because the network device was operating in store-and-forward mode or the feeder link was unavailable.

[0349] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to notify the non-access layer of the terminal device of the reason at the access layer of the terminal device.

[0350] In one aspect, a terminal device is proposed, the terminal device comprising: a processor configured to cause the terminal device to: determine that the network device is not operating in store-and-forward mode or that the feeder link is available, wherein the terminal device has not yet been accessed by the network device; and determine a time offset during which the initiation of an access procedure is restricted.

[0351] In some embodiments, the time offset is determined based on a threshold offset determined by the network device or the core network device.

[0352] In one aspect, a network device is proposed, comprising: a processor configured to cause the network device to: send to an end device at least one of the following: first information including at least one first store-and-forward parameter, wherein the first information is maintained at the core network; or second information including at least one second store-and-forward parameter, wherein the second information is configured by the network device.

[0353] In some embodiments, the terminal device does not support the network device operating in store-and-forward mode, or the access procedure of the terminal device has been determined to be disallowed during store-and-forward access checks, and wherein the processor is further configured to cause the network device to: send third information to the terminal device, the third information including at least one parameter for restricting the terminal device from initiating an access procedure during the duration when the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode.

[0354] In some embodiments, the second information is one of the following: cell-specific configuration, user equipment (UE)-specific configuration, network equipment-specific configuration, public land mobile network (PLMN)-specific configuration, or coverage level-specific configuration.

[0355] In some embodiments, the second information is included in the system information.

[0356] In some embodiments, at least one second store-and-forward parameter includes at least one of the following: a first indication indicating whether the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode; a second indication indicating whether the feeder link is available; a third indication indicating whether a terminal device that has not registered for store-and-forward service is allowed to access the network device; a fourth indication indicating whether a terminal device that does not support store-and-forward service is allowed to access the network device; the amount of data allowed to be transmitted when the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode; or time information associated with the duration during which the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode.

[0357] In some embodiments, the time information indicates at least one of the following: the start time of the duration, the end time of the duration, or the remaining duration.

[0358] In some embodiments, the first information is received during one of the following processes: attachment process, tracking area update (TAU) process, or registration process.

[0359] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to enable the network device to: receive capability-related information from the terminal device, the capability-related information indicating that the terminal device supports the network device operating in store-and-forward mode.

[0360] In one aspect, a network device is proposed, comprising: a processor configured to cause the network device to: determine at least one access control parameter configured for situations where the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode or where the feeder link is unavailable; and send the at least one access control parameter to an end device.

[0361] In some embodiments, at least one access control parameter includes at least one of the following: a parameter of a prohibition factor or a parameter of a prohibition time.

[0362] In one aspect, a network device is proposed, comprising: a processor configured to cause the network device to: determine a store-and-forward time configuration used by a terminal device to initiate a second prohibition timer, wherein access to the network device is restricted if the second prohibition timer is running; and send the store-and-forward time configuration to the terminal device.

[0363] In some embodiments, the duration indicated by the time configuration is determined based on at least one of the following: the duration indicated by the time configuration, or the duration during which the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operated in store-and-forward mode.

[0364] In some embodiments, the time configuration includes one of the following: a Radio Resource Control (RRC) Connection Release message, an RRC Connection Reject message, or an RRC Early Data Complete message.

[0365] In some embodiments, the RRC message includes a reason indicating that the terminal was released or rejected by the network device because the network device was operating in store-and-forward mode or the feeder link was unavailable.

[0366] In one aspect, a terminal device includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing instructions thereon, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform the methods implemented by the terminal device described above.

[0367] In one aspect, a network device includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing instructions thereon, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform a method implemented by the network device described above.

[0368] In one aspect, a computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method implemented by the terminal device discussed above.

[0369] In one aspect, a computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method implemented by the network device discussed above.

[0370] In one aspect, a computer program includes instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause at least one processor to perform the method implemented by the aforementioned terminal device.

[0371] In one aspect, a computer program includes instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause at least one processor to perform the method implemented by the aforementioned network device.

[0372] Generally, the various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while others can be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0373] This disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions that execute in a device on a target real or virtual processor, such as those included in a program module, to perform the above-referenced... Figure 1 The process or method described in Figure [HH-NUM]. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functionality of a program module can be combined or split among program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions for a program module can be executed on a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, a program module can reside on both local and remote storage media.

[0374] Program code used to perform the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that, when executed by the processor or controller, the program code enables the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0375] The aforementioned program code may be embodied on a machine-readable medium, which may be any tangible medium capable of containing or storing a program used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The machine-readable medium may be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. Machine-readable media may include, but are not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media will include electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0376] Furthermore, although the operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring that these operations be performed in the specific order shown or sequentially, or that all the operations shown be performed to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while several specific implementation details are contained in the above discussion, these details should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, multiple features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0377] Although this disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the disclosure as defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as exemplary forms for implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A terminal device, comprising: Processor, the processor being configured to cause the terminal device to: During the connection establishment process with network devices, store-and-forward access checks are performed based on at least one of the following: The first information includes at least one first store and forward parameter, wherein the first information is maintained at the core network. or The second information includes at least one second storage and forwarding parameter, wherein the second information is configured by the network device; as well as The access process of the terminal device is determined, at least in part, based on the execution result of the store-and-forward access check.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: If the execution result of the store-and-forward access check indicates that the access procedure of the terminal device is permitted, then an access denial check is performed; and Based on the execution result of the access prohibition check, it is determined whether the access process of the terminal device is allowed.

3. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: Perform access prohibition checks; and If the execution result of the access prohibition check indicates that the access procedure of the terminal device is allowed, then the store-and-forward access check is performed; and Based on the execution result of the store-and-forward access check, it is determined whether the access process of the terminal device is allowed.

4. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: The access procedure of the terminal device is deemed permitted if at least one of the following conditions is met: The reason for establishing the connection is to establish a connection for storage and forwarding services; In the event that the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode, the first information indicates that the terminal device has been authorized to be served. When the network device is operated in store-and-forward mode, the first information does not indicate that the access procedure of the terminal device is not allowed; The terminal device supports latency tolerance service; The terminal device supports interruption tolerance service; The terminal device supports the network device in store-and-forward mode; The terminal device has been registered in the core network; If the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode, the amount of data to be sent is less than or equal to a first threshold amount that is allowed to be sent. or If the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode, the amount of data to be sent is greater than or equal to a second threshold amount that is allowed to be sent.

5. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: Since the execution result of the store-and-forward access check indicates that the access procedure of the terminal device is not allowed, it is determined that the access procedure of the terminal device is not allowed; and Perform at least one of the following: The upper layer of the terminal device is notified that the access procedure is not allowed due to the store-and-forward access check, or The duration of the first inactive timer is determined at least in part based on time information associated with the duration during which the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode.

6. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one second store and forward parameter includes at least one of the following: The first indication indicates whether the network device is operated in store-and-forward mode. The second indication indicates whether the feeder link is available. The third instruction indicates whether terminal devices that have not yet registered for store-and-forward services are allowed to access the network device. The fourth instruction indicates whether terminal devices that do not support store-and-forward services are allowed to access the network device. In the event that the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode, the amount of data allowed to be transmitted, or Time information associated with the duration during which the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode.

7. The terminal device according to claim 6, wherein the time information indicates at least one of the following: The start time of the duration, The end time of the duration, The remaining time length of the duration, or The length of time the store-and-forward mode has been operated.

8. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: The second information is notified at the access layer of the terminal device to the non-access layer of the terminal device.

9. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: Send an instruction indicating at least one of the following: The terminal device supports the network device in store-and-forward mode. The terminal device supports the network device operating in store-and-forward mode when the feeder link is unavailable. The terminal device supports latency-tolerant services, or The terminal device supports interruption tolerance service.

10. A terminal device, comprising: Processor, the processor being configured to cause the terminal device to: Receive at least one access control parameter from the network device, the at least one access control parameter being configured for situations where the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode or the feeder link is unavailable; as well as Based on the determination that the network device is operating in the store-and-forward mode or that the feeder link is unavailable, the at least one access control parameter is applied during the connection establishment process with the network device.

11. The terminal device according to claim 10, wherein the at least one access control parameter includes at least one of the following: The parameters of the prohibition factor, or The parameter for the prohibited time.

12. The terminal device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: Based on the determination that a connection with the network device is required due to store-and-forward services, the at least one access control parameter is applied.

13. A terminal device, comprising: Processor, the processor being configured to cause the terminal device to: Receive and store the time configuration for forwarding from the network device; as well as A second prohibition timer is started at least in part based on the storage and forwarding time configuration, wherein if the second prohibition timer is running, access to the network device is restricted.

14. The terminal device of claim 13, wherein the duration of the second disable timer is determined based on at least one of the following: The length of time indicated by the time configuration, or Duration during which the feeder link is unavailable or the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode.

15. The terminal device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: The second disable timer is started in response to one of the following: The receipt of the RRC message, or The network device is either operating in store-and-forward mode or the feeder link is unavailable.

16. The terminal device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: The second disable timer will be stopped in response to one of the following: Entering RRC connection state, Community re-election RRC early data completion message reception, RRC connection release reception, The RRC connection refuses to receive messages, or The network device is not being operated in store-and-forward mode or the feeder link is not being determined.

17. The terminal device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: The terminal receives a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message, the RRC message including a reason indicating that the terminal was released or rejected by the network device because the network device is operating in store-and-forward mode or the feeder link is unavailable.

18. The terminal device of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the terminal device to: The reason is notified at the access layer of the terminal device to the non-access layer of the terminal device.

19. A terminal device, comprising: Processor, the processor being configured to cause the terminal device to: Determine that the network device is not operating in store-and-forward mode or that the feeder link is available, wherein the terminal device has not yet been connected to the network device; as well as A time offset is determined during which the initiation of the access procedure is restricted.

20. The terminal device of claim 19, wherein the time offset is determined based on a threshold offset determined by the network device or the core network device.

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