Optimized user equipment capability signaling including recovery from database failure

Abstract

To provide methods and apparatus (including computer program products) for new UE capability signaling.SOLUTION: An apparatus is provided that is caused to at least: receive, from a user equipment capability management function, a message including a first restart counter value indicating a restart of the user equipment capability management function; inhibit, in response to receiving the first restart counter value, one or more old user equipment capability identifiers associated with a second restart counter value, the second restart counter value being associated to a pre-restart state of the user equipment capability management function; and send the first restart counter value indicating the restart of the user equipment capability management function. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also described.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The subject matter described in this specification relates to wireless.

Background Art

[0002] In a cellular system, a user equipment (UE) can provide the network with capability information such as the UE's capabilities, including capabilities related to a radio access network (RAN). The size of the UE's capability information can become important over time. However, in 3GPP, work items related to the optimization of UE radio capability signaling in Rel-16 are being promoted (see, for example, 800025, FS_RACS, “Study on optimizations on UE radio capability signaling” and 800097, FS_RACS_RAN, “Study on optimizations on UE radio capability signaling - NR / E-UTRA Aspects”).

Summary of the Invention

[0003] A method and apparatus (including a computer program product) for user equipment capability signaling are provided.

[0004] In some exemplary embodiments, there is provided an apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, receive, from a user equipment capability management function, a message including a first restart counter value indicating a restart of the user equipment capability management function; in response to the reception of the first restart counter value, prohibit one or more old user equipment capability identifiers associated with a second restart counter value related to a pre-restart state of the user equipment capability management function; and transmit the first restart counter value indicating a restart of the user equipment capability management function.

[0005] In some variations, one or more of the features disclosed in this specification, including the following features, may be optionally included in any feasible combination as an option. The first restart counter value may be configured to be stored. When this device receives a registration request including a user equipment capability identifier associated with a second restart counter value and / or when inspecting one or more user equipment capability identifiers stored for the registered user equipment, it may determine whether the second restart counter value matches the first restart counter value by comparing the second restart counter value with the first restart counter value. A message that triggers the reading of user equipment capability information of the user equipment may be configured to be sent to the radio access network. The message may be configured to be sent when this device does not include a user equipment capability identifier associated with the second restart counter value in its cache. A new user equipment capability identifier associated with user equipment capability information including at least one radio capability may be configured to be assigned to the user equipment, and the new user equipment capability identifier may be associated with the first restart counter value. The assigned new user equipment capability identifier may be configured to be sent to the user equipment in a registration accept message, a configuration update message, a globally unique temporary identifier reallocation command message, and / or a non-access stratum signaling message. By sending the new user equipment capability identifier and / or the first restart counter value to the radio access network, the radio access network may be able to prohibit the use of one or more old user equipment capability identifiers associated with the second restart counter value. The first restart counter value and / or a user equipment capability identifier associated with the first restart counter may be configured to be stored.New user equipment capability identifiers and / or a first restart counter value may be transmitted to a radio access network by an N2 interface or an S1 interface message. Context information including an old user equipment capability identifier related to a second restart counter value may be transmitted towards one or more user equipments. A first restart counter value indicating a restart of a user equipment capability management function may be transmitted towards a radio access network. This apparatus may be included in a core network node, an access mobility management function, and / or a mobility management entity, or may comprise a core network node, an access mobility management function, and / or a mobility management entity.

[0006] In some exemplary embodiments, there may be provided an apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least receive a first user equipment capability identifier associated with a first restart counter value indicating a restart of a user equipment capability management function, associate the first user equipment capability identifier with at least one user equipment capability, and store the first restart counter value and / or the first user equipment capability identifier related to the at least one user equipment capability.

[0007] In some variations, one or more of the features disclosed in this specification, including the following features, may be optionally included in any feasible combination. A registration request including a first user equipment capability identifier related to a first restart counter value may be transmitted to a core network via a radio access network. The first restart counter value may indicate a more recent restart of the user equipment capability management function when compared with a second restart counter value related to a second user equipment capability identifier of this device. In response to the received first user equipment capability identifier, the use of the second user equipment capability identifier may be prohibited. Prohibiting the second user equipment capability identifier may include erasing the second user equipment capability identifier. After receiving the first user equipment capability identifier related to the first restart counter value, one or more user equipment capability identifiers related to the second restart counter value may be cached, and the cache may include corresponding user equipment capability information. The first user equipment capability identifier related to the first restart counter value may be received by a registration approval message, a setup update message, a global unique temporary identifier redistribution command message, and / or a non-access stratum signaling message. The first user equipment capability identifier may be transmitted to a radio access network. This device may be included in a user equipment or may be equipped with a user equipment.

[0008] The above aspects and features may be realized in a system, apparatus, method, and / or article according to a desired configuration. Details of one or more variations of the subject matter described in this specification are shown in the accompanying drawings and the following description. The features and advantages of the subject matter described in this specification will become apparent from the following description, the drawings, and the claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1A

Figure 1B

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

[0010] In the drawings, the same symbols are used to represent the same or similar items.

[0011] As described above, the user equipment (UE) may provide UE capability information to the network, but this may cause inefficiencies including waste of storage resources, waste of spectrum, etc. as the size of the UE capability information increases. 3GPP has proposed a solution of providing a centralized node such as a UE capability management function (UCMF) that allocates a UE radio capability ID (also referred to as a UE capability ID). The UE radio capability ID represents the capabilities of the UE including the radio capabilities of the UE related to the RAN. This UE radio capability ID may be provided to the UE by a network and / or UCMF that stores the UE radio capability ID of the UE. Also, in a core network node, a radio access node, and / or the like in the network, the mapping of the UE radio capability ID to the related UE capability information may be cached. The UE radio capability ID may later be transmitted to the network by the UE in one or more messages. Thereafter, for example, in a 5G system, the UE radio capability ID may be transmitted to the network by the UE in one or more registration messages. On the other hand, in an EPS (Evolved Packet System), the UE radio capability ID may be transmitted to the network by the UE in one or more attach messages (and / or tracking area update messages). In any case, the network can recognize the capability information of the UE including the radio capabilities of the UE (e.g., supported radio access technologies, radio frequency parameters, supported bands, etc.) (thereby saving radio signaling) without triggering a UE capability information inquiry process to obtain the set of radio capabilities of the UE based on the UE radio capability ID.

[0012] However, the use of centralized nodes such as UCMF may also cause problems related to hardware failures, software failures, data loss or corruption, and / or problems that require restart or other types of recovery. For example, if a failure occurs in the UCMF and there is some corresponding data loss, but not all, of the UE capability information, such as the mapping from each UE radio capability ID to the corresponding UE capability information (including the UE's radio capabilities), this failure may cause problems in the public land mobile network (PLMN). This is because while the UE may have an old UE radio capability ID, the RAN and core network may also be caching the mapped UE capability information in addition to the old UE radio capability ID, which may prevent the PLMN from recovering from the failure.

[0013] When recovering from a UCMF failure, as a solution to the above problem, the recovery of the UCMF is indicated to the access and mobility management function (AMF) of the 5G system or the mobility management entity (MME) of EPS (for example, by performing signaling, transmission, notification, etc.). Also, in this solution, the UE may be instructed to prohibit the use of the UE radio capability ID stored in the UE (since the ID is old and is considered unsuitable for use in the network after the failure) (for example, deletion, erasure, disposal, ignoring, wiping out, a flag or indicator indicating not to use, a flag or indicator indicating that the ID is old, etc.). Using an old UE radio capability ID may also cause problems regarding the inability of the PLMN to determine whether the UE radio capability ID stored in the UE has been assigned before the UCMF failure or after the UCMF recovery. In short, after the UCMF failure and restart, the PLMN cannot determine whether the UE radio capability ID provided by the UE is before the failure (therefore, an old ID and / or an ID that has become inactive or invalid) or after the recovery (therefore, an old ID and / or an active or valid ID). From the above, this method requires notifying the UE (which received the UE radio capability ID before the failure) of the prohibition of using the "old" UE radio capability ID, and has the drawback that the network cannot determine whether the UE is using the "old" UE radio capability ID. For this reason, it is required to determine the timing when the UE capability ID is assigned (for example, before the UCMF recovery or after the UCMF recovery).

[0014] In some exemplary embodiments, the UE radio capability ID may be associated with an indicator indicating that the UCMF has been restarted. This indicator may be in the form of a counter of the UCMF in the PLMN (hereinafter, "restart counter value"). For example, the restart counter value may be included in a certain field of the UE radio capability ID. This restart counter value may indicate whether the current UE radio capability ID is old (e.g., associated with the pre-failure state of the UCMF and not associated with the latest value of the restart counter), or is a new UE radio capability ID (e.g., associated with the post-recovery state of the UCMF and / or the latest value of the restart counter). The restart counter value may be transmitted separately from the UE radio capability ID rather than being included as a field of the UE radio capability ID. In some exemplary embodiments, the restart counter value may be transmitted and stored together with the UE radio capability ID.

[0015] According to some exemplary embodiments, the UCMF may indicate the value of the restart counter to the core network node if it recovers after a failure. This value may be another restart counter value (e.g., "new restart counter value") indicating that the restart counter value of the UCMF has changed, such as after recovery from a failure. In some exemplary embodiments, the UCMF may indicate this new restart counter value to one or more core network nodes actively (e.g., without an explicit request from one or more core network nodes) or when requested or contacted by one or more core network nodes. For example, the UCMF may include the restart counter value in response to a core network node message, such as a request message and / or the like. In some exemplary embodiments, one or more core network nodes may indicate the new restart counter value to one or more RAN nodes contacted by the core network node. The core network node (which has received the new restart counter) may provide the new restart counter to the RAN either actively (by the message) or in a response message to a request from the RAN node.

[0016] In some exemplary embodiments, the use of some but not all of the stored UE radio capability IDs and the corresponding old mappings (associated with the old IDs before and / or after the UCMF failure) may be prohibited in the UE, radio access network, core network node, and other nodes. In the network, the RAN and core network may retain the cached "old" UE radio capability IDs for the handling of any existing registered UE (which may be using the old UE radio capability ID until the UE radio capability ID expires from the cache according to the caching policy).

[0017] When a network such as a core network node and / or the like receives a UE radio capability ID from a UE, the network may compare the UE-provided restart counter value (included in the UE radio capability ID or provided together with the UE radio capability ID) with the latest UCMF-provided restart counter value. The UE radio capability ID including the restart counter value may be received in a 5G system registration message or a 4G / LTE / EPS attach (or tracking area update) message. If the UE-provided restart counter value does not match the latest UCMF-provided restart counter value, the UE radio capability ID received from the UE is not used by the network (e.g., by prohibition, etc.), and optionally, any available mapping of this (UE radio capability ID received from the UE) to UE capability information may be read from the cache. This mismatch signals to the network node that the UE is using an old UE radio capability ID.

[0018] If a mismatch in the restart counter value is detected and / or the core network does not store the old restart counter value of the UE radio capability ID provided by the UE in the cache of the mapping of the UE radio capability ID to the UE capability information, the network may obtain the UE capability information of the UE. For this purpose, the network may then request, receive, and / or read the UE capability information from the UE (e.g., by a UE capability information query). However, if the core network has cached the old UE radio capability ID provided by the UE, it may use the new radio capability ID mapped to the cached value of these UE capability information (corresponding to the old UE radio capability ID received from the UE). In either case of query or caching, if the core network has the current set of UE capability information of the UE, it may request the UCMF to assign a new UE radio capability ID for the set of UE capability information. Here, "new" indicates that the UE radio capability ID is more recent in time than the old UE capabilities assigned by the UCMF after the restart of the UCMF and / or before the failure and / or recovery.

[0019] The network may map and cache the new UE radio capability ID of the UCMF (e.g., inclusion, mapping, etc.) associated with the new restart counter value to the UE's UE capability information. Subsequently, the network may indicate the new UE radio capability ID (associated with the new restart counter value) to the UE in a registration approval message in the 5G system, or, if necessary, an attach approval or tracking area update approval message in EPS. Alternatively, the new UE radio capability ID (associated with the new restart counter value) may be transmitted to the UE in a UE configuration update message in the 5G system, a global unique temporary identifier (GUTI) redistribution command message in EPS, and / or other types of non-access stratum signaling messages received by the UE starting from the core network in the 5G system and / or EPS. The UE may store the UCMF assignment restart counter value as a set of UE radio capability IDs of the PLMN, together with the UE radio capability ID (if the restart counter value is not part of the UE radio capability ID itself). If the UE has other UE radio capability IDs for another set of UE capabilities signaled in the past, and these other UE radio capability IDs are associated with the old UCMF restart counter value, the UE may continue to store the UE radio capability IDs associated with the old UCMF restart counter values related to other potential UE radio configurations that the UE may signal in the future, based on a local caching policy that takes these old values into account. Since the operator's goal may include minimizing the number of times UE capability information is read from the UE via the air interface, it is expected that the network may also store and be able to interpret these IDs in the future, should they be signaled, if the above UE radio capability IDs related to other radio configurations are held by the UE.However, in the UE and the network, old UE radio capability IDs (e.g., those related to the old UCMF restart counter) may be preferentially removed from the cache / storage for those related to the current UCMF restart counter. Each time the UE indicates a UE radio capability ID with a non-latest UCMF restart counter, or even before the UE contacts the AMF and MME by non-access stratum signaling messages such as registration / mobility management, the UCMF database of the UE radio capability ID (each related to the relevant UE capability information) may be re-input to the UE over time by the AMF / MME of the UE having the old UE radio capability ID in the AMF / MME UE context. Also, this may enable the repair after UCMF failures and recoveries.

[0020] Prior to the additional description regarding the restart counter value of the UCMF according to some exemplary embodiments, with respect to FIG. 1A, an example of a part of the 5G radio network 100 will be described. FIG. 1A shows an example of the network 100 according to some exemplary embodiments. The network 100 may include other types of radio technologies in addition to 5G technology.

[0021] The network 100 may include one or more user equipments (UEs) such as the UE 150A configured to be wirelessly coupled to at least one radio access network such as a 5G radio access network (RAN) 152 served by radio access points such as 5G base stations, LTE base stations (eNBs), wireless local area network access points, home base stations, and / or other types of radio access points. The UE may access the radio access network of the network when moving to a certain network.

[0022] Network 100 may include a core network, which may include an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 154, a Session Management Function (SMF) 156, a User Plane Function (UPF) 158, a Network Exposure Function (NEF) 166, an Application Function (AF) 182, etc. In the example of FIG. 1A, devices 152-164 may be associated with a Visited Public Land Mobile Network (VPLMN) 166. The UPF interfaces with a Data Network (DN) 196. The AMF 178 may be configured to interface with a User Data Management function (UDM) in a Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) 170.

[0023] In the example of FIG. 1A, the network includes a UCMF 199 that includes a counter 198 configured to provide a restart counter value according to some exemplary embodiments. The UCMF may be a core network node and may also be configured to interface with the AMF 154, the NEF 166, the AF 172, and / or other nodes.

[0024] Also, FIG. 1A shows service interfaces such as N1, N2, N6, etc. The architecture, nodes (including the AMF, SMF, and other devices shown in FIG. 1A), and service interfaces may be defined according to standards such as 3GPP TS 23.501, but other standards and proprietary interfaces may also be used.

[0025] While some of the nodes of network 100 are implemented as dedicated physical devices, other elements may be virtualized. For example, core network nodes such as AMF, SMF, etc. may be hosted on dedicated machines or hosted on virtual machines (e.g., running on a computer or other type of physical data processor) and dynamically instantiated along with other virtualized core network node functions. Further, although FIG. 1A shows a certain number of nodes (e.g., a single RAN, AMF, etc.), each of the nodes may be implemented in a different number in the same way. Also, although FIG. 1A shows a single destination network and a single home network, the destination and / or home networks may be included in different numbers in the same way.

[0026] FIG. 1B shows an example of the implementation of EPS network 199 according to some exemplary embodiments. FIG. 1B shows UCMF 199 in conjunction with service capability exposer function (SCEF) 188, application function (AS) 172, and mobility management entity (MME) 176. Also, network 199 includes UE 150A, evolved UMTS terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) 174, serving gateway (S-GW) 180, packet gateway (PGW) 178, and home subscriber server (HSS) 182.

[0027] FIG. 2 shows an example of process 200 used with the restart counter value of UCMF according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0028] According to some exemplary embodiments, at 210, the UCMF199 may generate a new restart counter value indicating that the UCMF has recovered after a failure by resetting the restart counter 198 of the UCMF. The failure and recovery may be an overall or partial failure related to hardware, software, data loss, or any other reason requiring a restart of the UCMF (e.g., interruption of the UCMF operation or corruption of the UE radio capability ID or mapping information). In the example of FIG. 2, the previous old counter value "x" indicates a new restart counter value by being incremented by 1 ("+1"). Thus, the network node or the UE may be able to determine whether the UE radio capability ID including the previous restart counter value "x" represents an "old" UE radio capability ID that should not be used. In some exemplary embodiments, the restart counter value may be incremented in value upon recovery after a failure by being persistently stored in the UCMF persistent storage.

[0029] According to some exemplary embodiments, at 220, UCMF199 may notify another node such as AMF154 of a new restart counter value. In response to the reset of the counter at 210, UCMF may notify AMF of the new restart counter value by sending a message. It will be understood based on the present disclosure that any AMF (which can actively receive the restart counter from UCMF as shown in FIG. 2) may contact UCMF at least once and obtain at that time the first value of the UCMF restart counter of UCMF, and the above notification from UCMF may be confirmed (or, in UCMF, it may be set to be automatically confirmed at any time when AMF first contacts UCMF). As an alternative or addition to this, the new value of the restart counter may be provided in a response message to a request from UCMF (for example, a request to assign a new UE radio capability ID to the UE or a request to determine the UE radio capability ID already provided by the UE in a registration request message to AMF).

[0030] According to some exemplary embodiments, at 230, a network node such as AMF154 may prohibit the use of one or more old UE radio capability IDs and store the new restart counter value received at 220. The AMF may receive the new restart counter value and determine that the UCMF has reset counter 198 (e.g., based on a comparison with what was stored before the UCMF failure and recovery) (e.g., due to the failure and recovery). For this reason, the AMF may prohibit the use of some but not all of the old UE radio capability IDs (and / or any related mapping UE capability information) associated with the old UCMF restart counter value (e.g., deletion, erasure, disposal, ignoring, sweeping, a flag or indicator indicating not to use, a flag or indicator indicating the ID is old, etc.). For example, the AMF may erase these old UE radio capability IDs together with the mapping UE capability information indicating that these old UE radio capability IDs are old, or may cache them. Caching may make it possible to reassign UE capability information to new UE radio capability IDs, thereby reducing the need to request the UE's set of capability information from the UE by means of a UE capability query message. In the example of FIG. 2, since the new restart counter value is x + 1 while the stored restart counter is x and they do not match, the AMF may erase as old any UE radio capability ID that includes or is associated with the stored old restart counter being x, or may cache it. As described above, the AMF may store the new restart counter value received at 220.

[0031] According to some exemplary embodiments, at 240, a network node such as AMF154 may transmit the new restart counter value to RAN152. For example, the AMF may update the RAN with the new restart counter value of the UCMF by transmitting the new restart counter value of the UCMF (in this example, "x + 1") to the RAN as part of an AMF setup update message.

[0032] According to some exemplary embodiments, at 250, RAN152 may prohibit the use of one or more old UE radio capability IDs and store the new restart counter value received at 240. Similar to the case of the AMF at 230, RAN152 may also cache these old UE radio capability IDs together with the mapping UE capability information indicating that these old UE radio capability IDs are old. In this way, in the RAN, if necessary, for a UE that is registered, connected, and continues to use the old value in the RAN context, the old UE radio capability ID may be read from the cache. Returning to the previous example where the new restart counter value is x + 1 and the stored restart counter is x, the RAN may delete one or more UE radio capability IDs that include or are associated with a restart counter value less than or equal to x + 1, or if these IDs are still necessary for a UE that is still registered, connected in the RAN, and continues to use the old value in the RAN context, continue to cache them as old values. As described above, the RAN may store the new restart counter value x + 1 received at 220.

[0033] According to some exemplary embodiments, at 260, UE150A may transmit a message to the network that includes a UE radio capability ID that further includes a restart counter value. For example, UE150A may transmit a registration request to AMF154. The registration request may include a UE radio capability ID that includes the restart counter value that is x in the example of FIG. 2. In response, the AMF may determine that the UE has an old UE radio capability ID as the new restart counter (in this example, x + 1) (e.g., based on a comparison with what was stored before the UCMF failure and recovery). If this is the case and / or if the old UE radio capability ID is no longer cached at the AMF, the AMF may transmit a message to the RAN to read the UE's capability information.

[0034] According to some exemplary embodiments, at 270, AMF 154 can trigger the RAN to query the UE's capability information by sending a message, such as an initial context setup request message, to RAN 152. For example, the initial context setup request may include indicators such as without UE radio capability ID and / or without capability. When received by the RAN, this indicator can trigger the RAN to trigger a UE capability query process for the information obtained about the UE capabilities.

[0035] According to some exemplary embodiments, at 280, a UE capability query is performed. For example, RAN 152 may send a UE capability query message to UE 150A. This message represents a network request to the UE that provides the UE's network, particularly the RAN capabilities, with the UE's capability information. In response to the UE capability query message, the UE may respond to the RAN with the UE capability information.

[0036] According to some exemplary embodiments, at 290, RAN 152 may provide UE capability information including the UE's radio capabilities to AMF 154 via the N2 interface.

[0037] According to some exemplary embodiments, at 299, a new UE radio capability ID may be assigned to the UE. The assigned new UE radio capability ID may be mapped to the UE capability information signaled at 290 or the UE capability obtained from the cache (e.g., UE capability information that is still valid but mapped to an old legacy UE radio capability ID). Here, since the AMF has the current UE capability information, the AMF may request the UCMF to provide the UE radio capability ID of the UE capability information, such as the UE's radio capability. When the UCMF returns this value to the AMF, the AMF provides this new UE radio capability ID value to the UE (associated with the new UCMF restart counter (in this example, "x + 1")) in the registration approval message. Alternatively, the UE radio capability ID (including or accompanied by the new UCMF restart counter value) may be transmitted to the UE in a UE configuration update message in the 5G system or other types of non-access stratum signaling messages received by the UE starting from the core network in 5GS. Also, the AMF may provide the above new value of the UE radio capability ID (including or accompanied by the new UCMF restart counter value (in this example, "x + 1")) to the RAN in a UE context update or initial context setup request message as specified in 3GPP TS 23.501 and 3GPP TS 38.413. When the UE receives a UE radio capability ID (which may be associated with the new UCMF restart counter), by holding other UE radio capability IDs stored for the PLMN in the case of other radio configurations with the old restart counter value (which may be affected by a caching policy that can consider these old IDs), the UE may continue to indicate these IDs to the network when changing radio configurations in the case where the network has also cached the old values (the goal here is considered to be to minimize the need for triggering UE radio capability query 280).

[0038] Figure 3 shows an example of a process 300 for handling the restart counter value of the UCMF according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0039] According to some exemplary embodiments, at 302, a network node such as the AMF 154 may receive a message containing the restart counter value from the UCMF 199. When a network node such as the AMF receives a UCMF message containing the restart counter value, it may determine that the UCMF has recovered from a failure or some other type of event that requires the erasure of the old UE radio capability ID or marking as the old ID in the cache.

[0040] According to some exemplary embodiments, in response to receiving the restart counter value, a network node such as the AMF 154 may, at 304, prohibit the use (e.g., erase, mark as the old ID, and / or retain in the cache) of one or more old UE radio capability IDs. Further, according to some exemplary embodiments, at 306, the network node may store the new restart counter value received as described above at 230.

[0041] According to some exemplary embodiments, at 308, a network node such as the AMF 154 may send the new restart counter value of the UCMF to other nodes such as the RAN 152. For example, the AMF may send the new restart counter value of the UCMF to the RAN (or other nodes including the UE) as part of an AMF configuration update.

[0042] According to some exemplary embodiments, at 310, a network node such as the AMF 154 may be configured to receive a registration request that includes a restart counter value. For example, the AMF may be configured to receive a UE radio capability ID that includes a restart counter value of x. Thus, the AMF may be configured to determine that the UE has an old UE radio capability ID with a new restart counter (in this example, x + 1) (e.g., based on a mismatch or comparison with what was stored prior to a UCMF failure and recovery). As described above, if the UE capability is determined to be old based on the restart counter value, at 312, the AMF may be triggered to send a message to the RAN 152 to read the UE's capability information. However, if the AMF has stored the ID value (associated with the received old restart counter value) in a cache along with the UE radio capability information mapped to the old UE radio capability ID, it may not be necessary to trigger the reading of the radio capability from the UE. Instead, the cached UE capability information (e.g., radio capabilities) may be used.

[0043] In 314, if a network node such as AMF154 has already triggered the reading of UE capabilities in 312, it may receive UE capability information including the UE's radio capabilities via the N2 interface. In 316, a network node such as AMF154 may, as described above in 299, assign a new UE radio capability ID to the UE. This assignment may include requesting the UCMF to provide a UE radio capability ID corresponding to the current set of UE capabilities (e.g., the UE's radio capabilities) and transmitting it to the UE, for example, in a registration approval message. Alternatively, the UE radio capability ID including or associated with a new UCMF restart counter value may be transmitted in a UE configuration update message in the 5G system or other types of non-access stratum signaling messages received by the UE starting from the core network in the 5G system. When the UE receives a UE radio capability ID with a new restart counter, it may prohibit the use of the corresponding UE radio capability ID with the old UCMF restart counter. However, the UE may still hold any other UE radio capability ID for other UE radio configurations with these old restart counters, understanding that the UE caching policy may consider these old IDs when signaling is required when the UE changes its radio configuration and the network caches the old restart counter value (thereby avoiding the need to trigger the reading of UE capabilities from the AMF).

[0044] Figure 4 shows another example of a process 400 for handling the restart counter value of the UCMF according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0045] According to some exemplary embodiments, in 405, UE150A may transmit a registration request including a restart counter value towards AMF154.

[0046] According to some exemplary embodiments, if the restart counter value transmitted by the UE is old and the AMF is not caching the UE radio capability ID value that the UE transmits and includes or is associated with this old UCMF restart counter, the UE may, at 410, receive from the network a request to provide UE capability information. For example, UE150A may receive a UE capability inquiry message from RAN152, which triggers the UE at 412 to respond by providing the current UE capability information of the UE, including radio capabilities, to the network (e.g., RAN, AMF, etc.).

[0047] And if the restart counter value is old, at 415, the UE may receive, in a registration approval message from the AMF (or a UE configuration update message in the 5G system or other non-access stratum signaling message received by the UE starting from the core network in the 5G system), another UE radio capability ID mapped to the UE capability information provided at 412. For example, this another UE radio capability ID may include a new restart counter generated after recovery or a new UE radio capability ID associated with it as described above. At 420, the UE may store the new UE radio capability ID (including the new restart counter) mapped to the UE capability information and delete the corresponding old UE radio capability ID value. As described above, the UE may retain other UE radio capability IDs for other UE radio settings with the old restart counter value.

[0048] In some exemplary embodiments, if the AMF detects an old UE radio capability ID value in the UE context (stored by the AMF for the registered UE), the AMF may actively update the UE with the new UE radio capability ID without waiting for the next UE registration, by using a UE configuration update message in the 5G system (5GS) or a GUTI reallocation command message in EPS, and / or any other type of non-access stratum signaling message received by the UE starting from the core network in 5GS and / or EPS.

[0049] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a network node 500 according to some exemplary embodiments. The network node 500 may be configured to provide one or more network-side functions, such as a base station (e.g., RAN 152), AMF 154, UCMF 199, and / or other network nodes, etc.

[0050] According to some exemplary embodiments, the network node 500 may comprise a network interface 502, a processor 520, and a memory 504. The network interface 502 may comprise a wired and / or wireless transceiver that enables access to other nodes such as base stations, devices 152 - 180, the Internet, and / or other nodes. The memory 504 may comprise volatile and / or non-volatile memory that includes program code which, when executed by at least one processor 520, provides, among other things, the processes disclosed herein with respect to the network node (see, e.g., processes 200, 300, and / or the like). For example, the network node may be configured to at least receive, from the user equipment capability management function, a message that includes a first restart counter value indicating a restart of the user equipment capability management function. Further, in response to receiving the first restart counter value, the network node may prohibit one or more old user equipment capability identifiers associated with a pre-restart state of the user equipment capability management function. Also, the network node may transmit a first restart counter value indicating a restart of the user equipment capability management function. Additionally, the network node may be configured to provide one or more of the following. The network node may determine whether a second restart counter value matches a first restart counter value by comparing the second restart counter value with the first restart counter value when receiving a registration request that includes a user equipment capability identifier associated with the second restart counter value and / or when inspecting one or more user equipment capability identifiers stored for a registered user equipment. A message that triggers the reading of user equipment capability information of a user equipment may be transmitted to the radio access network. The message may be transmitted when the network node does not include, in its cache, a user equipment capability identifier associated with the second restart counter value.A new user equipment capability identifier related to user equipment capability information including at least one radio capability may be assigned to the user equipment, and the new user equipment capability identifier may be related to a first restart counter value. The assigned new user equipment capability identifier may be sent to the user equipment in a registration approval message, a setup update message, a global unique temporary identifier reallocation command message, and / or a non-access stratum signaling message. By sending the new user equipment capability identifier and / or the first restart counter value to the radio access network, the radio access network may be able to prohibit the use of one or more old user equipment capability identifiers related to a second restart counter value. The first restart counter value and / or the user equipment capability identifier associated with the first restart counter may be stored. The new user equipment capability identifier and / or the first restart counter value may be sent to the radio access network by an N2 interface or an S1 interface message. Context information including the old user equipment capability identifier related to the second restart counter value may be sent towards one or more user equipments. A first restart counter value indicating a restart of the user equipment capability management function may be sent towards the radio access network.

[0051] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an apparatus 10 according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0052] The apparatus 10 may represent user equipments such as user equipments 150A to 150C. The apparatus 10 or a part thereof may be implemented in other network nodes such as other network nodes (for example, devices 152 to 184) in addition to a base station / WLAN access point.

[0053] Device 10 may include at least one antenna 12 in communication with a transmitter 14 and a receiver 16. Alternatively, the transmit and receive antennas may be separate. Also, device 10 may include a processor 20 configured to provide and receive signals for each of the transmitter and receiver and to control the functions of the device. Processor 20 may be configured to control the functions of the transmitter and receiver by implementing control signaling via conductors to the transmitter and receiver. Similarly, processor 20 may be configured to control other elements of device 10 by implementing control signaling via conductors connecting processor 20 to other elements such as a display or memory. Processor 20 may be embodied in a variety of ways, such as, for example, a circuit, at least one processing core, one or more microprocessors accompanied by a digital signal processor, one or more processors without an accompanying digital signal processor, one or more coprocessors, one or more multi-core processors, one or more controllers, a processing circuit, one or more computers, integrated circuits (e.g., application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and / or the like), or some combination thereof, among other various processing elements. Thus, although processor 20 is shown as a single processor in FIG. 6, in some exemplary embodiments, it may comprise multiple processors or processing cores.

[0054] Device 10 may be operable by one or more air interface standards, communication protocols, modulation types, access types, and / or the like. The signals transmitted and received by processor 20 may include air interface standards of applicable cellular systems and / or signaling information according to any number of different wired or wireless networking technologies, such as Wi-Fi wireless local access network (WLAN) technologies like Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, 802.16, 802.3, ADSL, DOCSIS, and / or the like, but are not limited thereto. Also, these signals may include voice data, user-generated data, user-requested data, and / or the like.

[0055] For example, device 10 and / or its cellular modem may be operable in accordance with various first generation (1G) communication protocols, second generation (2G or 2.5G) communication protocols, third generation (3G) communication protocols, fourth generation (4G) communication protocols, fifth generation (5G) communication protocols, Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) communication protocols (e.g., Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)), and / or the like. For example, device 10 may be operable in accordance with 2G wireless communication protocols such as IS-136, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), IS-95, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), and / or the like. Also, for example, device 10 may be operable in accordance with 2.5G wireless communication protocols such as General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), and / or the like. Further, for example, device 10 may be operable in accordance with 3G wireless communication protocols such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Code Division Multiple Access 2000 (CDMA2000), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA (registered trademark)), Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA), and / or the like. Device 10 may further be operable in accordance with 3.9G wireless communication protocols such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), and / or the like. Also, for example, device 10 may be operable in accordance with 4G wireless communication protocols such as LTE-Advanced, 5G, and / or the like, as well as similar wireless communication protocols that may be developed in the future.

[0056] It is understood that the processor 20 may comprise a circuit that implements the audio / video and logic functions of the apparatus 10. For example, the processor 20 may comprise a digital signal processor device, a microprocessor device, an analog-to-digital converter, a digital-to-analog converter, and / or the like. The control and signal processing functions of the apparatus 10 may be distributed among these devices according to their respective capabilities. The processor 20 may further comprise an internal vocoder (VC) 20a, an internal data modem (DM) 20b, and / or the like. Further, the processor 20 may include a function of operating one or more software programs storable in a memory. Generally, the processor 20 and the stored software instructions may be configured to cause the apparatus 10 to execute operations. For example, the processor 20 may be operable to run a connection program such as a web browser. According to the connection program, the apparatus 10 may be capable of transmitting and receiving web content such as location-based content according to protocols such as the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and / or the like.

[0057] In addition, the apparatus 10 may include a user interface that can be operably coupled to the processor 20, such as, for example, earphones or speakers 24, a ringer 22, a microphone 26, a display 28, a user input interface, and / or the like. As described above, the display 28 may be a touch display, and the user may perform selections, value inputs, and / or the like by touch and / or gestures. Further, the processor 20 may include a user interface circuit configured to control at least some functions of one or more elements of the user interface, such as the speakers 24, the ringer 22, the microphone 26, the display 28, and / or the like. The processor 20 and / or the user interface circuit constituting the processor 20 may be configured to control one or more functions of one or more elements of the user interface by computer program instructions (such as software and / or firmware) stored in a memory accessible to the processor 20 (such as volatile memory 40, non-volatile memory 42, and / or the like). The apparatus 10 may include a battery that powers various circuits related to the mobile terminal (such as a circuit that provides mechanical vibration as a detectable output). The user input interface may include a keypad 30 (a virtual keyboard displayed on the display 28 or an externally coupled keyboard is also possible) and / or a device that enables data reception by the device 20, such as other input devices.

[0058] Also, as shown in FIG. 6, the apparatus 10 may include one or more mechanisms for sharing and / or acquiring data. For example, the apparatus 10 may include a short-range radio frequency (RF) transceiver and / or a pager 64, and RF technology enables sharing of data with and / or acquisition of data from an electronic device. The apparatus 10 may include an infrared (IR) transceiver 66, a Bluetooth (trademark) (BT) transceiver 68 operating using Bluetooth (trademark) wireless technology, a wireless universal serial bus (USB) transceiver 70, a Bluetooth (trademark) low energy transceiver, a ZigBee transceiver, an ANT transceiver, a device-to-device (D2D) transceiver, a wireless local area link transceiver, and / or any other short-range radio technology, etc., other short-range transceivers. The apparatus 10, particularly the short-range transceivers, may be capable of data transmission and / or data reception with respect to an electronic device within the vicinity of the apparatus, for example, within 10 meters or less. Also, the apparatus 10 including a Wi-Fi or a wireless local area networking modem may be capable of data transmission and / or data reception with respect to an electronic device according to various wireless networking technologies such as 6LoWpan, Wi-Fi, low power Wi-Fi, IEEE802.11 technology, IEEE802.15 technology, IEEE802.16 technology, etc., WLAN technologies, and / or the like.

[0059] Device 10 may include a memory capable of storing information elements related to mobile subscribers, such as a subscriber identification module (SIM) 38, a removable user identification module (R-UIM), an eUICC, a UICC, and / or the like. In addition to the SIM, device 10 may include other removable memory and / or fixed memory. Device 10 may include volatile memory 40 and / or non-volatile memory 42. For example, volatile memory 40 may include random access memory (RAM) including dynamic and / or static RAM, on-chip or off-chip cache memory, and / or the like. Embedded and / or removable non-volatile memory 42 may include, for example, read-only memory, flash memory, magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disks, floppy disk drives, magnetic tapes), optical disk drives and / or media, non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), and / or the like. Similar to volatile memory 40, non-volatile memory 42 may include a cache area for temporarily storing data. At least a portion of the volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory may be integrated into processor 20. The memory may store one or more software programs, instructions, information, data, and / or the like that can be used by a device that performs the operations disclosed herein, such as receiving a first user equipment capability identifier associated with a first restart counter value indicating a restart of a user equipment capability management function, associating the first user equipment capability identifier with at least one user equipment capability, and storing the first restart counter value and / or the first user equipment capability identifier associated with at least one user equipment capability. As an alternative or addition to this, the device may be configured to cause the operations disclosed herein to occur with respect to network nodes including a base station / WLAN access point and a UE.

[0060] The memory may include an identifier that can uniquely identify the device 10, such as an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) code. The memory may include an identifier that can uniquely identify the device 10, such as an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) code. In an exemplary embodiment, the processor 20 may use computer code stored in the memory 40 and / or 42 to receive a first user equipment capability identifier associated with a first restart counter value indicating a restart of the user equipment capability management function, associate the first user equipment capability identifier with at least one user equipment capability, store the first restart counter value and / or the first user equipment capability identifier associated with at least one user equipment capability, etc., and may be configured to provide the operations disclosed herein with respect to the UE.

[0061] Some of the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented in software, hardware, application logic, or a combination of software, hardware, and application logic. The software, application logic, and / or hardware may be present, for example, in the memory 40, in the control device 20, or in the electronic components. In some exemplary embodiments, the application logic, software, or instruction set is held on any one of a variety of conventional computer-readable media. In the context of this specification, a "computer-readable medium" may be any non-transitory medium that can be used by, or associated with, a command execution system, apparatus, or device such as a computer or a data processing circuit, to include, store, communicate, propagate, or transmit commands. By way of example shown in FIG. 6, computer-readable media may include non-transitory computer-readable storage media, and may be any medium that can include or store commands for use by, or associated with, a command execution system, apparatus, or device such as a computer.

[0062] Without in any way limiting the scope, interpretation, or application of the claims set forth below, an improvement in signaling is contemplated as one or more technical effects of one or more of the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein.

[0063] The subject matter described in this specification may be embodied in a system, apparatus, method, and / or article, as desired. For example, the base stations and user equipment (or one or more components thereof) and / or processes described herein may be implemented using one or more of processor-executable program code, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), embedded processors, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and / or combinations thereof. These various embodiments may include implementations in one or more computer programs that may be executed and / or interpreted on a programmable system including at least one dedicated or general-purpose programmable processor coupled to receive and transmit data and instructions to and from a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device. These computer programs (also known as programs, software, software applications, applications, components, program code, or code) may include machine instructions for a programmable processor and may be implemented in a high-level procedural programming language, an object-oriented programming language, and / or an assembly / machine language. As used herein, the term "computer-readable medium" represents any computer program product, machine-readable medium, computer-readable storage medium, device, and / or device (e.g., magnetic disks, optical disks, memory, programmable logic devices (PLDs)) used to provide machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor including a machine-readable medium that receives the machine instructions. Similarly, a system that may include a processor and a memory coupled to the processor is also described herein. The memory may include one or more programs that cause the processor to execute one or more of the operations described herein.

[0064] Although several modifications have been described in detail above, other improvements or additions are possible. In particular, in addition to those shown in this specification, other features and / or modifications can be provided. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments may be directed to various combinations and sub-combinations of the disclosed features and / or combinations and sub-combinations of several other features of the above disclosure. Other embodiments may also be included within the scope of the following claims.

[0065] Optionally, the various functions described herein may be arranged in a different order and / or may be performed simultaneously with each other. Further, optionally, one or more of the above functions may be optional or may be combined. Some of the various aspects of the embodiments are set forth in the independent claims, but some of the other aspects of these embodiments include not only the combinations explicitly set forth in the claims, but also other combinations of the features of the above embodiments and / or the dependent claims with the features of the independent claims. Also, note that although exemplary embodiments have been described herein, these descriptions should not be taken in a limiting sense. Rather, without departing from the scope of some of the embodiments as defined in the appended claims, multiple modifications and improvements can be made. Other embodiments may also be included within the scope of the following claims. The term "based on" includes "based on at least". The use of the expression "such as" means "such as for example" unless otherwise specified.

Claims

1. At least one processor; at least one memory containing computer program code; An apparatus comprising: The at least one memory and the computer program code, together with the at least one processor, receiving a message from a user equipment capability management function, the message including a first restart counter value indicating a restart of the user equipment capability management function; in response to receiving the first Restart Counter value, inhibiting one or more old user equipment capability identifiers associated with a second Restart Counter value associated with a pre-restart state of the user equipment capability management function; transmitting the first restart counter value indicating the restart of the user equipment capability management function; An apparatus configured to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further configured to at least store the first restart counter value.

3. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, further configured to at least determine whether the second restart counter value matches the first restart counter value by comparing the second restart counter value with the first restart counter value when the apparatus receives a registration request including a user equipment capability identifier associated with the second restart counter value and / or when checking one or more stored user equipment capability identifiers for registered user equipment.

4. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further configured for at least sending a message to the radio access network triggering retrieval of user equipment capability information of the user equipment.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the message is sent if the apparatus does not contain in its cache a user equipment capability identifier associated with the second restart counter value.

6. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, further configured to at least: assign to a user equipment a new user equipment capability identifier associated with the user equipment capability information including at least one radio capability, the new user equipment capability identifier being associated with the first restart counter value.

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

8. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, further configured to at least: transmit a new user equipment capability identifier and / or the first restart counter value to a radio access network, thereby enabling the radio access network to prohibit use of the one or more old user equipment capability identifiers associated with the second restart counter value; and / or store the user equipment capability identifier associated with the first restart counter value and / or the first restart counter.

9. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, further configured to at least transmit the new user equipment capability identifier and / or the first restart counter value by an N2 interface or an S1 interface message to a radio access network.

10. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 9, further configured for at least transmitting context information towards one or more user equipments comprising the old user equipment capability identifier associated with the second restart counter value.

11. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the first restart counter value, indicative of the restart of the user equipment capability management function, is transmitted towards the radio access network.

12. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, comprised in or comprising a core network node, an access and mobility management function and / or a mobility management entity.

13. At least one processor; at least one memory containing computer program code; An apparatus comprising: The at least one memory and the computer program code, together with the at least one processor, receiving a first user equipment capability identifier associated with a first restart counter value indicating a restart of a user equipment capability management function; associating the first user equipment capability identifier with at least one user equipment capability; storing the first restart counter value and / or the first user equipment capability identifier associated with the at least one user equipment capability; An apparatus configured to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:

14. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, further configured to at least transmit a registration request including the first user equipment capability identifier associated with the first restart counter value to a core network via a radio access network.

15. 16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first restart counter value indicates a more recent restart of the user equipment capability management function when compared to a second restart counter value associated with a second user equipment capability identifier of the apparatus.

16. 17. The apparatus of claim 16, further configured to at least inhibit use of the second user equipment capability identifier in response to the received first user equipment capability identifier.

17. 20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein disabling the second user equipment capabilities identifier comprises erasing the second user equipment capabilities identifier.

18. 18. The apparatus of claim 13, further configured to at least cache one or more user equipment capability identifiers associated with the second restart counter value after receiving the first user equipment capability identifier associated with the first restart counter value, the cache including corresponding user equipment capability information.

19. The apparatus of any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein the first user equipment capability identifier associated with the first restart counter value is received by a registration accept message, a configuration update message, a globally unique temporary identifier reallocation command message, and / or a non-access stratum signaling message.

20. The apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 19, wherein the first user equipment capability identifier is transmitted to a radio access network.

21. Apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 20, comprised in or comprising a user equipment.

22. receiving a message from a user equipment capability management function, the message including a first restart counter value indicating a restart of the user equipment capability management function; in response to receiving the first Restart Counter value, inhibiting one or more old user equipment capability identifiers associated with a second Restart Counter value associated with a pre-restart state of the user equipment capability management function; transmitting the first restart counter value indicating the restart of the user equipment capability management function; The method includes:

23. 23. The method of claim 22, further comprising storing the first restart counter value.

24. 24. The method of claim 22 or 23, further comprising: determining whether the second restart counter value matches the first restart counter value by comparing the second restart counter value with the first restart counter value when a registration request is received that includes a user equipment capability identifier associated with the second restart counter value and / or when checking one or more user equipment capability identifiers stored for registered user equipment.

25. The method according to any one of claims 22 to 24, further comprising sending a message to the radio access network triggering retrieval of user equipment capability information of the user equipment.

26. 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the message is sent if a cache does not contain a user equipment capability identifier associated with the second restart counter value.

27. 27. The method of claim 22, further comprising: assigning to a user equipment a new user equipment capability identifier associated with the user equipment capability information including at least one radio capability, the new user equipment capability identifier being associated with the first restart counter value.

28. 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the assigned new user equipment capability identifier is transmitted to the user equipment in a registration accept message, a configuration update message, a globally unique temporary identifier reallocation command message, and / or a non-access stratum signaling message.

29. 29. The method of any one of claims 22 to 28, further comprising transmitting a new user equipment capability identifier and / or the first restart counter value to a radio access network, thereby enabling the radio access network to prohibit use of the one or more old user equipment capability identifiers associated with the second restart counter value, and / or storing at least the first restart counter value and / or the user equipment capability identifier associated with the first restart counter value.

30. 30. The method of claim 29, further comprising transmitting the new user equipment capability identifier and / or the first restart counter value by an N2 interface or an S1 interface message to a radio access network.

31. The method of any one of claims 22 to 20, further comprising transmitting context information towards one or more user equipments including the old user equipment capability identifier associated with the second restart counter value.

32. The method according to any one of claims 22 to 31, wherein the first restart counter value, which indicates the restart of the user equipment capability management function, is transmitted towards the radio access network.

33. receiving a first user equipment capability identifier associated with a first restart counter value indicating a restart of a user equipment capability management function; associating the first user equipment capability identifier with at least one user equipment capability; storing the first restart counter value and / or the first user equipment capability identifier associated with the at least one user equipment capability; The method includes:

34. 34. The method of claim 33, wherein the apparatus is further configured to at least transmit a registration request to a core network via a radio access network, the registration request including the first user equipment capability identifier associated with the first restart counter value.

35. 35. The method of claim 33 or 34, wherein the first restart counter value indicates a more recent restart of the user equipment capability management function when compared to a second restart counter value associated with a second user equipment capability identifier of the device.

36. 36. The method of claim 35, further comprising: in response to the received first user equipment capability identifier, inhibiting use of the second user equipment capability identifier.

37. 37. The method of claim 36, wherein prohibiting the second user equipment capabilities identifier comprises erasing the second user equipment capabilities identifier.

38. 38. The method of any one of claims 33 to 37, further comprising caching one or more user equipment capability identifiers associated with the second Restart Counter value after receiving the first user equipment capability identifier associated with the first Restart Counter value, the cache including corresponding user equipment capability information.

39. 39. The method of any one of claims 33 to 38, wherein the first user equipment capability identifier associated with the first restart counter value is received by a registration accept message, a configuration update message, a globally unique temporary identifier reallocation command message, and / or a non-access stratum signaling message.

40. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 19, wherein the first user equipment capability identifier is transmitted to a radio access network.

41. means for receiving a message from a user equipment capability management function, the message including a first restart counter value indicating a restart of said user equipment capability management function; means for inhibiting, in response to receiving the first Restart Counter value, one or more old user equipment capability identifiers associated with a second Restart Counter value associated with a pre-restart state of the user equipment capability management function; means for transmitting the first restart counter value indicating the restart of the user equipment capability management function; An apparatus comprising:

42. Apparatus according to claim 41, comprising means for carrying out any one of claims 23 to 32.

43. means for receiving a first user equipment capability identifier associated with a first restart counter value indicating a restart of a user equipment capability management function; means for associating the first user equipment capability identifier with at least one user equipment capability; means for storing the first restart counter value and / or the first user equipment capability identifier associated with the at least one user equipment capability; An apparatus comprising:

44. Apparatus according to claim 43, comprising means for carrying out any one of claims 34 to 40.

45. If executed, receiving a message from a user equipment capability management function, the message including a first restart counter value indicating a restart of the user equipment capability management function; in response to receiving the first Restart Counter value, inhibiting one or more old user equipment capability identifiers associated with a second Restart Counter value associated with a pre-restart state of the user equipment capability management function; transmitting the first restart counter value indicating the restart of the user equipment capability management function; A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program code for causing operations including:

46. If executed, receiving a first user equipment capability identifier associated with a first restart counter value indicating a restart of a user equipment capability management function; associating the first user equipment capability identifier with at least one user equipment capability; storing the first restart counter value and / or the first user equipment capability identifier associated with the at least one user equipment capability; A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program code for causing operations including:

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