Enhanced idle mode and connected mode mobility between SNPNs

Abstract

A wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU) may comprise a processor and a memory. The WTRU may be configured to send a registration request to a hosting network. The registration request may indicate at least one local service. The WTRU may receive a list of equivalent hosting networks for the at least one local service and a common tracking area identity (TAI) list for the list of equivalent hosting networks for the at least one local service. The WTRU may reselect between cells corresponding to equivalent hosting networks from the list of equivalent hosting networks without performing a location update based on the cells being associated with the common tracking area identity list. The WTRU may receive a registration accept message. The registration accept message may include the list of equivalent hosting networks for the at least one local service and the common tracking area identity list for the list of equivalent hosting networks for the at least one local service.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 303,808, filed January 27, 2022, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 390,765, filed July 20, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] One or more non-public networks (NPNs) may be deployed for non-public use in 5G systems. An NPN may be implemented as a private mobile network for a dedicated and / or defined set of users or "things" (e.g., Internet or things (IoT) applications) where mobile services are part of a single organization or group of users. For example, an NPN may be a stand-alone non-public network (SNPN) or a public network integrated NPN (PNI-NPN). An SNPN may be operated by an NPN operator (e.g., without relying on network functionality provided by a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN)). A PNI-NPN may be a non-public network deployed with support of a PLMN.

[0003] An NPN may be intended for use by private entities, such as, for example, a company or a factory. An SNPN may be identified by a combination of a PLMN ID and a network identifier (NID), where the PLMN ID may be a PLMN ID reserved for private networks (e.g., when the mobile country code is equal to 999). The architecture of a 5G SNPN is based on that of a 5G system. The NG-RAN of the SNPN may broadcast the combination of the PLMN ID and NID. A wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU) operating in SNPN access mode reads the broadcast system information about available PLMN IDs and / or NIDs and selects an SNPN for which it has a subscription and credentials.

[0004] 5G networks may provide access to localized services (PALS networks). Small cellular networks may be deployed to provide services to local users within a certain area. For example, temporary non-public cellular networks may be set up to provide streaming video services to viewers at live concerts or soccer games. In another example, small cellular networks may be deployed in places where large crowds may gather, such as airports, shopping malls, or school campuses, to provide localized services, such as commercial advertisements in shopping malls. The services provided by these small cellular networks have two basic characteristics. First, the services are localized (e.g., related to activities / events in a certain spot or area and typically limited to users within the area), and second, users are most likely to use such services on demand or temporarily, rather than regularly.

[0005] 5G systems may be enhanced to provide such locally restricted services, and users may be enabled to access hosting networks that provide those services. As used herein, such locally restricted services may be referred to as "PALS services," and networks that provide PALS services may be referred to as "PALS networks," "PALS hosting networks," and / or "hosting networks." The hosting networks may be SNPNs, PNI-NPNs, and / or PLMNs. The local service providers may be hosting network operators or third-party service providers. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] A wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU) may implement techniques for mobility and network selection associated with one or more NPNs. For example, the WTRU may select a first cell associated with a first standalone non-public network (SNPN) and a first tracking area identifier (TAI) as part of a cell selection procedure. The WTRU may send a registration request message to the first SNPN. The WTRU may receive a registration accept message and a list of one or more TAIs from the first SNPN. The WTRU may select a second TAI from a list of one or more TAIs associated with a second cell associated with the second SNPN. The first SNPN and the second SNPN may be equivalent SNPNs. The list of one or more TAIs may include a first plurality of TAIs associated with the first SNPN and a second plurality of TAIs associated with the second SNPN. The WTRU may, for example, transition from the first cell to the second cell without triggering a mobility registration procedure.

[0007] A wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU) may comprise a processor and a memory. The WTRU may be configured to send a registration request to a hosting network. The registration request may indicate at least one local service. The WTRU may receive a list of equivalent hosting networks for the at least one local service and a common tracking area identity (TAI) list for the list of equivalent hosting networks for the at least one local service. The WTRU may reselect between cells corresponding to equivalent hosting networks from the list of equivalent hosting networks without performing a location update based on the cells being associated with the common tracking area identity list. The WTRU may receive a registration accept message. The registration accept message may include the list of equivalent hosting networks for the at least one local service and the common tracking area identity list for the list of equivalent hosting networks for the at least one local service.

[0008] During cell reselection, the WTRU may change from one cell to another and, in some cases, may remain in IDLE mode. For example, the WTRU may camp on (e.g., be registered on) one cell (e.g., only one cell). When the WTRU determines that another cell is preferable (e.g., based on the measured signal strength of another cell), the WTRU may change to another cell (e.g., remain in IDLE mode). For example, the WTRU may reselect to a cell corresponding to an equivalent hosting network from a list of equivalent hosting networks based on the respective priority of each of the equivalent hosting networks (e.g., and / or based on the measured signal strength of the other cells). Thus, during cell reselection, the WTRU may connect to the cell (e.g., of the equivalent hosting network) that has the best conditions among all the cells on which the WTRU is allowed to camp.

[0009] The WTRU may receive multiple lists of equivalent hosting networks, each of which may be associated with a respective one or more local services. The hosting network may comprise one of a register public land mobile network (RPLMN), a home public land mobile network (HPLMN), or an equivalent HPLMN.

[0010] The WTRU may reselect among cells corresponding to equivalent hosting networks from the list of equivalent hosting networks based on the respective priorities of the hosting networks, which may include one or more Standalone Non-Public Networks (SNPNs) or hosting networks.

[0011] The WTRU may periodically attempt to find the highest priority equivalent hosting network during initial cell selection if the WTRU is not camped on the highest priority equivalent hosting network.

[0012] The WTRU may perform location updates including any combination of initial registration at power up, mobility registration procedures, and / or periodic updates. Initial registration at power up may include a location update and / or an attach procedure. Mobility registration procedures may include one or more of a location update, a routing area update, and / or a tracking area update. Periodic updates may occur upon expiration of a periodic registration timer. Periodic updates may include periodic tracking and / or routing area update procedures.

[0013] The WTRU may connect to a first cell associated with a first SNPN. The WTRU may receive a Radio Resource Control (RRC) Connection Release message from the network that includes idle mode mobility information. The idle mode mobility information may include one or more NR carrier frequencies and respective New Radio (NR) operating bands. The WTRU may then enter idle mode and select a second cell based on the idle mode mobility information. The WTRU may connect to the second cell.

[0014] The WTRU may receive an RRC connection release message from a registered hosting network that includes idle mode mobility information. The idle mode mobility information may comprise a list of carrier frequencies or operating frequency bands that belong to the equivalent hosting network. The WTRU may perform a triggered cell selection or reselection based on a determination that a target frequency from the list of carrier frequencies meets the cell selection and reselection criteria.

[0015] A 5G core network node (e.g., an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF)) can provide one or more Radio Access (RAN) nodes with a list of TAIs, including TAIs from different SNPNs. The RAN node can provide the list of TAIs to a WTRU operating in a cell supported by the RAN node. The WTRU can treat different SNPNs as equivalent SNPNs for purposes of network selection, cell selection, cell reselection, handover, and / or other types of mobility events. The 5G core network node (e.g., an AMF) can provide idle mode mobility information to the WTRU (e.g., via RAN node(s)) for dedicated cell reselection. The idle mode mobility information may include dedicated NR carrier frequencies, NR bands, etc. for different NR cells / RAN nodes. The idle mode mobility information may be common to NR cells / RAN node cells belonging to equivalent SNPNs for purposes of network selection, cell selection, cell reselection, handover, and / or other types of mobility events.

[0016] The 5G core network node (e.g., AMF) of the hosting network or registered PLMN (RPLMN) / home PLMN (HPLMN) / equivalent HPLMN may provide a list of equivalent hosting networks for each supported localized service. The WTRU may ensure that the WTRU takes the priority of the SNPN / hosting network into account during initial cell selection at power-on or during recovery from lack of coverage. For example, the WTRU may attempt to select the highest priority SNPN / hosting network (e.g., if it is available). The WTRU may make periodic attempts to find the highest priority network, for example, when the WTRU is not camped on the highest priority network. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1A is a system diagram illustrating an example communication system in which one or more disclosed embodiments may be implemented. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is a system diagram illustrating an exemplary wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU) that may be used within the communications system shown in FIG. 1A, according to one embodiment. [Figure 1C] FIG. 1C is a system diagram illustrating an example Radio Access Network (RAN) and an example Core Network (CN) that may be used within the communications system shown in FIG. 1A, according to one embodiment. [Figure 1D] FIG. 1D is a system diagram illustrating a further exemplary RAN and a further exemplary CN that may be used within the communication system shown in FIG. 1A, according to one embodiment. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A shows an example of an equivalent hosting network. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B illustrates an exemplary use of a tracking area identifier (TAI) list with one or more stand-alone non-public networks (SNPNs). [Figure 3] FIG. 3 illustrates an example use of RRC connection release with idle mode mobility information. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows an example of priority-based SNPN / hosting network selection and reselection. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Exemplary Network for an Implementation of the Present Invention 1A illustrates an exemplary communication system 100 in which one or more disclosed embodiments may be implemented. Communication system 100 may be a multiple-access system that provides content, such as voice, data, video, messaging, broadcasts, etc., to multiple wireless users. Communication system 100 may enable multiple wireless users to access such content through the sharing of system resources, including wireless bandwidth. For example, the communication system 100 may use one or more channel access methods, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), zero-tail unique-word DFT-Spread OFDM (ZT UW DTS-s OFDM), unique word OFDM (UW-OFDM), resource block filtered OFDM, filter bank multicarrier (FBMC), etc.

[0019] 1A, communications system 100 may include wireless transmit / receive units (WTRUs) 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d, RANs 104 / 113, CNs 106 / 115, public switched telephone network (PSTN) 108, the Internet 110, and other networks 112, although it will be understood that the disclosed embodiments contemplate any number of WTRUs, base stations, networks, and / or network elements. Each of WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d may be any type of device configured to operate and / or communicate in a wireless environment. By way of example, the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d, any of which may be referred to as a "station" and / or "STA," may be configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals and may include user equipment (UE), mobile stations, fixed or mobile subscriber units, subscription-based units, paging, mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), smartphones, laptops, netbooks, personal computers, wireless sensors, hotspots or Mi-Fi devices, Internet of Things (ioT) devices, watches or other wearable, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., for remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in industrial and / or automated processing chain contexts), consumer electronics devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. Any of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, and 102d may be referred to interchangeably as a UE.

[0020] The communications system 100 may also include a base station 114a and / or a base station 114b. Each of the base stations 114a, 114b may be any type of device configured to wirelessly interface with at least one of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d to facilitate access to one or more communications networks, such as the CN 106 / 115, the Internet 110, and / or other networks 112. By way of example, the base stations 114a, 114b may be a base station transceiver station (BTS), a Node B, an eNodeB, a Home Node B, a Home eNodeB, a gNB, an NR Node B, a site controller, an access point (AP), a wireless router, etc. While the base stations 114a, 114b are each illustrated as a single element, it will be understood that the base stations 114a, 114b may include any number of interconnected base stations and / or network elements.

[0021] The base station 114a may be part of the RAN 104 / 113, which may also include other base stations and / or network elements (not shown), such as a base station controller (BSC), a radio network controller (RNC), a relay node, etc. The base station 114a and / or base station 114b may be configured to transmit and / or receive radio signals on one or more carrier frequencies, which may be referred to as a cell (not shown). These frequencies may be licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or a combination of licensed and unlicensed spectrum. A cell may provide wireless service coverage for a particular geographic area, which may be relatively fixed or may change over time. A cell may be further divided into cell sectors. For example, the cell associated with the base station 114a may be divided into three sectors. Thus, in one embodiment, the base station 114a may include three transceivers, i.e., one transceiver for each sector of the cell. In one embodiment, the base station 114a may employ multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) technology and may utilize multiple transceivers per sector of the cell, for example, using beamforming to transmit and / or receive signals in desired spatial directions.

[0022] The base stations 114a, 114b may communicate with one or more of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d over an air interface 116, which may be any suitable wireless communication link (e.g., radio frequency (RF), microwave, centimeter wave, micrometer wave, infrared (IR), ultraviolet (UV), visible light, etc.). The air interface 116 may be established using any suitable Radio Access Technology (RAT).

[0023] More specifically, as noted above, the communications system 100 may be a multiple-access system and may employ one or more channel access schemes, such as CDMA, TDMA, FDMA, OFDMA, SC-FDMA, etc. For example, the base station 114 a and the WTRUs 102 a, 102 b, 102 c in the RAN 104 / 113 may implement a radio technology such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), which may establish the air interface 115 / 116 / 117 using wideband CDMA (WCDMA). WCDMA may include communications protocols such as High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA) and / or Evolved HSPA (HSPA+). HSPA may include High-Speed ​​Downlink (DL) Packet Access (HSDPA) and / or High-Speed ​​Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA).

[0024] In one embodiment, the base station 114a and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement a radio technology such as Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA), which may establish the air interface 116 using Long Term Evolution (LTE) and / or LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) and / or LTE-Advanced Pro (LTE-A Pro).

[0025] In one embodiment, the base station 114a and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement a radio technology such as New Radio (NR) radio access, which may establish the air interface 116 using NR technology.

[0026] In one embodiment, the base station 114a and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement multiple radio access technologies. For example, the base station 114a and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may jointly implement LTE radio access and NR radio access, e.g., using dual connectivity (DC) principles. Thus, the air interface utilized by the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may be characterized by multiple types of radio access technologies and / or transmissions sent to / from multiple types of base stations (e.g., eNBs and gNBs).

[0027] In other embodiments, the base station 114a and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement a wireless technology such as IEEE 802.11 (i.e., Wireless Fidelity, WiFi), IEEE 802.16 (i.e., Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, WiMAX), CDMA2000, CDMA2000 1X, CDMA2000 EV-DO, Interim Standard 2000 (IS-2000), Interim Standard 95 (IS-95), Interim Standard 856 (IS-856), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), GSM EDGE (GERAN), or the like.

[0028] 1A may be, for example, a wireless router, a Home Node B, a Home eNode B, or an access point and may utilize any suitable RAT to facilitate wireless connectivity in a local area, such as a business, a home, a vehicle, a campus, an industrial facility, an air corridor (e.g., for use by drones), a road, etc. In one embodiment, the base station 114b and the WTRUs 102c, 102d may implement a radio technology such as IEEE 802.11 to establish a wireless local area network (WLAN). In one embodiment, the base station 114b and the WTRUs 102c, 102d may implement a radio technology such as IEEE 802.15 to establish a wireless personal area network (WPAN). In yet another embodiment, the base station 114b and the WTRUs 102c, 102d may establish a picocell or a femtocell using a cellular-based RAT (e.g., WCDMA, CDMA2000, GSM, LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, NR, etc.). As shown in FIG. 1A, the base station 114b may have a direct connection to the Internet 110. Thus, the base station 114b may not need to access the Internet 110 through the CN 106 / 115.

[0029] The RAN 104 / 113 may communicate with the CN 106 / 115, which may be any type of network configured to provide voice, data, application, and / or voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services to one or more of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d. The data may have various quality of service (QoS) requirements, such as different throughput, latency, error tolerance, reliability, data throughput, and mobility requirements. The CN 106 / 115 may provide call control, billing services, mobile location-based services, prepaid calling, Internet connectivity, video distribution, and / or perform high-level security functions such as user authentication. Although not shown in FIG. 1A , it will be understood that the RAN 104 / 113 and / or the CN 106 / 115 may communicate directly or indirectly with other RANs that use the same RAT as the RAN 104 / 113 or a different RAT. For example, in addition to being connected to the RAN 104 / 113, which may utilize NR radio technology, the CN 106 / 115 may also communicate with another RAN (not shown) using GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, WiMAX, E-UTRA, or WiFi radio technology.

[0030] The CN 106 / 115 may also serve as a gateway for the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d to access the PSTN 108, the Internet 110, and / or other networks 112. The PSTN 108 may include a circuit-switched telephone network providing plain old telephone service (POTS). The Internet 110 may include a global system of interconnected computer networks and devices, which use common communication protocols such as transmission control protocol (TCP), user datagram protocol (UDP), and / or internet protocol (IP) of the TCP / IP Internet protocol suite. The network 112 may include wired and / or wireless communication networks owned and / or operated by other service providers. For example, the network 112 may include another CN connected to one or more RANs, which may use the same RAT as the RAN 104 / 113 or a different RAT.

[0031] Some or all of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d in the communications system 100 may include multi-mode capabilities (e.g., the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d may include multiple transceivers for communicating with different wireless networks over different wireless links.) For example, the WTRU 102c shown in FIG. 1A may be configured to communicate with a base station 114a that may use a cellular-based wireless technology and a base station 114b that may use an IEEE 802 wireless technology.

[0032] 1B is a system diagram illustrating an example WTRU 102. As shown in FIG. 1B, the WTRU 102 may include, among other things, a processor 118, a transceiver 120, a transmit / receive element 122, a speaker / microphone 124, a keypad 126, a display / touchpad 128, non-removable memory 130, removable memory 132, a power source 134, a global positioning system (GPS) chipset 136, and / or other peripherals 138. It will be understood that the WTRU 102 may include any sub-combination of the foregoing elements while remaining consistent with an embodiment.

[0033] The processor 118 may be a general-purpose processor, a special-purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors associated with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) circuit, any other type of integrated circuit (IC), a state machine, etc. The processor 118 may perform signal coding, data processing, power control, input / output processing, and / or any other functionality that enables the WTRU 102 to operate in a wireless environment. The processor 118 may be coupled to the transceiver 120, which may be coupled to the transmit / receive element 122. While FIG. 1B illustrates the processor 118 and the transceiver 120 as separate components, it will be understood that the processor 118 and the transceiver 120 may be integrated together in an electronic package or chip.

[0034] The transmit / receive element 122 may be configured to transmit signals to or receive signals from a base station (e.g., base station 114a) over the air interface 116. For example, in one embodiment, the transmit / receive element 122 may be an antenna configured to transmit and / or receive RF signals. In one embodiment, the transmit / receive element 122 may be an emitter / detector configured to transmit and / or receive IR signals, UV signals, or visible light signals, for example. In yet another embodiment, the transmit / receive element 122 may be configured to transmit and / or receive both RF signals and light signals. It will be understood that the transmit / receive element 122 may be configured to transmit and / or receive any combination of wireless signals.

[0035] 1B as a single element, the WTRU 102 may include any number of transmit / receive elements 122. More specifically, the WTRU 102 may employ MIMO technology. Thus, in one embodiment, the WTRU 102 may include two or more transmit / receive elements 122 (e.g., multiple antennas) for transmitting and receiving wireless signals over the air interface 116.

[0036] The transceiver 120 may be configured to modulate signals transmitted by the transmit / receive element 122 and demodulate signals received by the transmit / receive element 122. As mentioned above, the WTRU 102 may have multi-mode capabilities. Thus, the transceiver 120 may include multiple transceivers to enable the WTRU 102 to communicate via multiple RATs, such as, for example, NR and IEEE 802.11.

[0037] The processor 118 of the WTRU 102 may be coupled to, and may receive user-entered data from, a speaker / microphone 124, a keypad 126, and / or a display / touchpad 128 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) display device or an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display device). The processor 118 may also output user data to the speaker / microphone 124, the keypad 126, and / or the display / touchpad 128. Additionally, the processor 118 may access information from and store data in any type of suitable memory, such as non-removable memory 130 and / or removable memory 132. The non-removable memory 130 may include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), a hard disk, or any other type of memory storage device. The removable memory 132 may include a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card, a memory stick, a Secure Digital (SD) memory card, etc. In other embodiments, the processor 118 may access information from and store data in memory that is not physically located on the WTRU 102, such as on a server or home computer (not shown).

[0038] The processor 118 may receive power from the power source 134 and may be configured to distribute and / or control the power to other components in the WTRU 102. The power source 134 may be any suitable device for providing power to the WTRU 102. For example, the power source 134 may include one or more dry batteries (e.g., nickel-cadmium (NiCd), nickel-zinc (NiZn), nickel metal hydride (NiMH), lithium-ion (Li-ion), etc.), solar cells, fuel cells, etc.

[0039] The processor 118 may also be coupled to a GPS chipset 136, which may be configured to provide location information (e.g., longitude and latitude) regarding the current location of the WTRU 102. In addition to or instead of information from the GPS chipset 136, the WTRU 102 may receive location information from a base station (e.g., base stations 114a, 114b) over the air interface 116 and / or determine its location based on the timing of signals being received from two or more nearby base stations. It will be appreciated that the WTRU 102 may obtain location information by way of any suitable location determination method while remaining consistent with an embodiment.

[0040] The processor 118 may further be coupled to other peripherals 138, which may include one or more software and / or hardware modules that provide additional features, functionality, and / or wired or wireless connectivity. For example, the peripherals 138 may include an accelerometer, an electronic compass, a satellite transceiver, a digital camera (for photos and / or videos), a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, a vibration device, a television transceiver, a hands-free headset, a Bluetooth module, a Frequency Modulated (FM) radio unit, a digital music player, a media player, a video game player module, an internet browser, a virtual reality and / or augmented reality (VR / AR) device, an activity tracker, etc. The peripheral device 138 may include one or more sensors, which may be one or more of a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a Hall effect sensor, a magnetometer, a direction sensor, a proximity sensor, a temperature sensor, a time sensor, a geolocation sensor, an altimeter, a light sensor, a touch sensor, a magnetometer, a barometer, a gesture sensor, a biometric sensor, and / or a humidity sensor.

[0041] The WTRU 102 may include a full-duplex radio where transmission and reception of some or all of the signals associated with a particular subframe (e.g., for both the UL (e.g., for transmission) and downlink (e.g., for reception)) may be parallel and / or simultaneous. The full-duplex radio may include an interference management unit 139 to reduce and or substantially eliminate self-interference either through hardware (e.g., chokes) or signal processing via a processor (e.g., via a separate processor (not shown) or processor 118). In one embodiment, the WTRU 102 may include a half-duplex radio for transmission and reception of either some or all of the signals (e.g., associated with a particular subframe for either the UL (e.g., for transmission) or downlink (e.g., for reception)).

[0042] 1C is a system diagram illustrating the RAN 104 and the CN 106, according to one embodiment. As mentioned above, the RAN 104 may communicate with the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c over the air interface 116 using E-UTRA radio technology. The RAN 104 may also communicate with the CN 106.

[0043] The RAN 104 may include eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, and 160c, although it will be understood that the RAN 104 may include any number of eNode-Bs while remaining consistent with an embodiment. The eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, and 160c may each include one or more transceivers for communicating with the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c over the air interface 116. In an embodiment, the eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, and 160c may implement MIMO technology. Thus, the eNode-B 160a may, for example, use multiple antennas to transmit wireless signals to and / or receive wireless signals from the WTRU 102a.

[0044] Each of the eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c may be associated with a particular cell (not shown) and may be configured to handle radio resource management decisions, handover decisions, user scheduling, etc. in the UL and / or DL. As shown in FIG. 1C, the eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c may communicate with each other via an X2 interface.

[0045] 1C may include a mobility management entity (MME) 162, a serving gateway (SGW) 164, and a packet data network (PDN) gateway (or PGW) 166. While each of the foregoing elements is illustrated as part of the CN 106, it will be understood that any of these elements may be owned and / or operated by an entity other than the CN operator.

[0046] The MME 162 may be connected to each of the eNode-Bs 162a, 162b, 162c in the RAN 104 via an S1 interface and may function as a control node. For example, the MME 162 may be responsible for authenticating users of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, activating / deactivating bearers, selecting a particular serving gateway during initial attach of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, etc. The MME 162 may provide a control plane function for switching between the RAN 104 and other RANs (not shown) that employ other radio technologies such as GSM and / or WCDMA.

[0047] The SGW 164 may be connected to each of the eNodeBs 160a, 160b, 160c in the RAN 104 via an S1 interface. The SGW 164 may generally route and forward user data packets to / from the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c. The SGW 164 may perform other functions, such as anchoring the user plane during inter-eNode B handover, triggering paging when DL data is available to the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, and managing and storing the context of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c.

[0048] The SGW 164 may be connected to a PGW 166, which may provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c with access to packet-switched networks, such as the Internet 110, to facilitate communication between the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c and IP-enabled devices.

[0049] The CN 106 may facilitate communications with other networks. For example, the CN 106 may provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c with access to circuit-switched networks, such as the PSTN 108, to facilitate communications between the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c and traditional landline communications devices. For example, the CN 106 may include or communicate with an IP gateway (e.g., an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) server) that serves as an interface between the CN 106 and the PSTN 108. In addition, the CN 106 may provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c with access to other networks 112, which may include other wired and / or wireless networks owned and / or operated by other service providers.

[0050] Although the WTRU is illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1D as a wireless terminal, it is contemplated that in certain representative embodiments, such a terminal may use a wired communication interface with the communication network (e.g., temporarily or permanently).

[0051] In an exemplary embodiment, the other network 112 may be a WLAN.

[0052] A WLAN in infrastructure Basic Service Set (BSS) mode may have an access point (AP) of the BSS and one or more stations (STAs) associated with the AP. The AP may have access to or interface with a Distribution System (DS) or another type of wired / wireless network that carries traffic into and / or out of the BSS. Traffic originating from outside the BSS to a STA may arrive through the AP and be delivered to the STA. Traffic originating from a STA to a destination outside the BSS may be transmitted to the AP and delivered to the respective destination. Traffic between STAs within a BSS may be transmitted through the AP, for example, where a source STA may transmit traffic to the AP, and the AP may deliver the traffic to the destination STA. Traffic between STAs within a BSS may be considered and / or referred to as peer-to-peer traffic. Peer-to-peer traffic may be transmitted between a source STA and a destination STA (e.g., directly between them) in a Direct Link Setup (DLS). In certain representative embodiments, the DLS may use 802.11e DLS or 802.11z tunneled DLS (TDLS). A WLAN using an Independent BSS (IBSS) mode may not have an AP, and STAs within or using the IBSS (e.g., all of the STAs) may communicate directly with each other. The IBSS mode of communication may be referred to herein as an "ad hoc" communication mode.

[0053] When using the 802.11ac infrastructure mode of operation or a similar mode of operation, an AP may transmit beacons on a fixed channel, such as a primary channel. The primary channel may be a fixed width (e.g., a 20 MHz wide bandwidth) or a width that is dynamically configured via signaling. The primary channel may be the operating channel of the BSS and may be used by STAs to establish a connection with the AP. In certain representative embodiments, for example, in an 802.11 system, Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA / CA) may be implemented. With CSMA / CA, STAs (e.g., all STAs), including the AP, may sense the primary channel. If the primary channel is sensed / detected and / or determined to be active by a particular STA, the particular STA may back off. One STA (e.g., only one station) may transmit at any given time in a given BSS.

[0054] A High Throughput (HT) STA may use a 40 MHz wide channel for communication, which may be formed, for example, through a combination of a 20 MHz primary channel and adjacent or non-adjacent 20 MHz channels.

[0055] A Very High Throughput (VHT) STA may support 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, and / or 160 MHz wide channels. A 40 MHz and / or 80 MHz channel may be formed by combining multiple contiguous 20 MHz channels. A 160 MHz channel may be formed by combining eight contiguous 20 MHz channels or by combining two non-contiguous 80 MHz channels, which may be referred to as an 80+80 configuration. For the 80+80 configuration, after channel encoding, the data may pass through a segment parser, which may split the data into two streams. Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) processing and time-domain processing may be performed separately on each stream. The streams may be mapped to two 80 MHz channels, and the data may be transmitted by the transmitting STA. At the receiver of the receiving STA, the operations described above for the 80+80 configuration may be reversed, and the combined data may be transmitted to the Medium Access Control (MAC).

[0056] Sub-1 GHz operating modes are supported by 802.11af and 802.11ah. Channel operating bandwidths and carriers are reduced in 802.11af and 802.11ah compared to those used in 802.11n and 802.11ac. 802.11af supports 5 MHz, 10 MHz, and 20 MHz bandwidths in the TV White Space (TVWS) spectrum, while 802.11ah supports 1 MHz, 2 MHz, 4 MHz, 8 MHz, and 16 MHz bandwidths using non-TVWS spectrum. According to representative embodiments, 802.11ah may support meter-type control / machine-type communications, such as MTC devices within macro coverage areas. MTC devices may have limited functionality, including support for (e.g., only for) specific and / or limited bandwidths. MTC devices may include batteries with above-threshold battery life (e.g., to maintain very long battery life).

[0057] WLAN systems that can support multiple channels and channel bandwidths, such as 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11af, and 802.11ah, include a channel that can be designated as a primary channel. The primary channel may have a bandwidth equal to the maximum common operating bandwidth supported by all STAs in the BSS. The bandwidth of the primary channel may be configured by and / or limited by the STAs among all STAs operating in the BSS that support the minimum bandwidth operating mode. In an 802.11ah embodiment, the primary channel may be 1 MHz wide for STAs (e.g., MTC-type devices) that support (e.g., only) the 1 MHz mode, even if the AP and other STAs in the BSS support 2 MHz, 4 MHz, 8 MHz, 16 MHz, and / or other channel bandwidth operating modes. Carrier sensing and / or Network Allocation Vector (NAV) configuration may depend on the condition of the primary channel. For example, if the primary channel is active due to a STA (that only supports 1 MHz mode of operation) transmitting to the AP, the entire available frequency band may be considered active, even though most of the frequency band may remain inactive and available.

[0058] In the United States, the available frequency band that can be used by 802.11ah is 902MHz to 928MHz. In South Korea, the available frequency band is 917.5MHz to 923.5MHz. In Japan, the available frequency band is 916.5MHz to 927.5MHz. The total bandwidth available for 802.11ah is 6MHz to 26MHz, depending on the country code.

[0059] 1D is a system diagram illustrating the RAN 113 and the CN 115, according to one embodiment. As mentioned above, the RAN 113 may communicate with the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c over the air interface 116 using NR radio technology. The RAN 113 may also communicate with the CN 115.

[0060] The RAN 113 may include gNBs 180a, 180b, and 180c, although it will be understood that the RAN 113 may include any number of gNBs while remaining consistent with an embodiment. The gNBs 180a, 180b, and 180c may each include one or more transceivers for communicating with the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c over the air interface 116. In an embodiment, the gNBs 180a, 180b, and 180c may implement MIMO technology. For example, the gNBs 180a, 180b may transmit signals to and / or receive signals from the gNBs 180a, 180b, and 180c using beamforming. Thus, the gNB 180a may transmit wireless signals to and / or receive wireless signals from the WTRU 102a using, for example, multiple antennas. In one embodiment, the gNBs 180a, 180b, and 180c may implement carrier aggregation technology. For example, the gNB 180a may transmit multiple component carriers to the WTRU 102a (not shown). A subset of these component carriers may be on the unlicensed spectrum, and the remaining component carriers may be on the licensed spectrum. In one embodiment, the gNBs 180a, 180b, and 180c may implement Coordinated Multi-Point (CoMP) technology. For example, the WTRU 102a may receive coordinated transmissions from the gNBs 180a and 180b (and / or 180c).

[0061] The WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may communicate with the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c using transmissions associated with scalable numerical configurations. For example, the OFDM symbol spacing and / or OFDM subcarrier spacing may vary for different transmissions, different cells, and / or different portions of the wireless transmission spectrum. The WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may communicate with the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c using subframes or transmission time intervals (TTIs) of different or scalable lengths (e.g., including different numbers of OFDM symbols and / or lasting different absolute times).

[0062] The gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may be configured to communicate with the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c in a standalone configuration and / or a non-standalone configuration. In a standalone configuration, the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may communicate with the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c without accessing another RAN (e.g., eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c, etc.). In a standalone configuration, the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may utilize one or more of the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c as mobility anchor points. In a standalone configuration, the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may communicate with the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c using signals in unlicensed bands. In a non-standalone configuration, the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may communicate with and connect to a gNB 180a, 180b, 180c while also communicating with and connecting to another RAN, such as an eNode-B 160a, 160b, 160c. For example, the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement DC principles to communicate with one or more gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c and one or more eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c substantially simultaneously. In a non-standalone configuration, the eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c may act as mobility anchors for the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, and the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may provide additional coverage and / or throughput for serving the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c.

[0063] Each of the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may be associated with a particular cell (not shown) and may be configured to handle radio resource management decisions, handover decisions, scheduling of users in the UL and / or DL, support for network slicing, dual connectivity, interworking between NR and E-UTRA, routing of user plane data to User Plane Functions (UPFs) 184a, 184b, routing of control plane information to Access and Mobility Management Functions (AMFs) 182a, 182b, etc. As shown in FIG. 1D , the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may communicate with each other via an Xn interface.

[0064] 1D may include at least one AMF 182a, 182b, at least one UPF 184a, 184b, at least one Session Management Function (SMF) 183a, 183b, and possibly a Data Network (DN) 185a, 185b. While each of the foregoing elements is illustrated as part of the CN 115, it will be understood that any of these elements may be owned and / or operated by an entity other than the CN operator.

[0065] The AMF 182a, 182b may be connected to one or more of the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c in the RAN 113 via an N2 interface and may function as a control node. For example, the AMF 182a, 182b may be responsible for authenticating users of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, supporting network slicing (e.g., handling different PDU sessions with different requirements), selecting a particular SMF 183a, 183b, managing registration areas, terminating NAS signaling, mobility management, etc. Network slicing may be used by the AMF 182a, 182b to customize the CN support of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c based on the type of service utilizing the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c. For example, different network slices may be established for different use cases, such as services relying on ultra-reliable low latency (URLLC) access, services relying on enhanced massive mobile broadband (eMBB) access, services for machine type communication (MTC) access, etc. The AMF 162 may provide a control plane function for switching between the RAN 113 and other RANs (not shown) that employ other radio technologies, such as LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, and / or non-3GPP access technologies, such as WiFi.

[0066] The SMFs 183a and 183b may be connected to the AMFs 182a and 182b in the CN 115 via an N11 interface. The SMFs 183a and 183b may also be connected to the UPFs 184a and 184b in the CN 115 via an N4 interface. The SMFs 183a and 183b may select and control the UPFs 184a and 184b and configure the routing of traffic through the UPFs 184a and 184b. The SMFs 183a and 183b may perform other functions, such as managing and allocating UE IP addresses, managing PDU sessions, controlling policy enforcement and QoS, and providing downlink data notification. The PDU session type may be IP-based, non-IP-based, Ethernet-based, etc.

[0067] The UPFs 184a, 184b may be connected to one or more of the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c in the RAN 113 via an N3 interface, which may provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c with access to packet-switched networks such as the Internet 110 to facilitate communications between the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c and IP-enabled devices. The UPFs 184, 184b may perform other functions such as routing and forwarding packets, enforcing user plane policy, supporting multi-homed PDU sessions, handling user plane QoS, buffering downlink packets, providing mobility anchoring, etc.

[0068] The CN 115 may facilitate communication with other networks. For example, the CN 115 may include or communicate with an IP gateway (e.g., an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) server) that acts as an interface between the CN 115 and the PSTN 108. In addition, the CN 115 may provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c with access to other networks 112, which may include other wired and / or wireless networks owned and / or operated by other service providers. In one embodiment, the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may be connected to local data networks (DNs) 185a, 185b through the UPFs 184a, 184b via an N3 interface to the UPFs 184a, 184b and an N6 interface between the UPFs 184a, 184b and the DNs 185a, 185b.

[0069] 1A-1D and the corresponding descriptions thereof, one or more or all of the functions described herein with respect to one or more of the WTRUs 102a-d, base stations 114a-b, eNode-Bs 160a-c, MME 162, SGW 164, PGW 166, gNBs 180a-c, AMFs 182a-ab, UPFs 184a-b, SMFs 183a-b, DNs 185a-b, and / or any other devices described herein may be performed by one or more emulation devices (not shown). The emulation devices may be one or more devices configured to emulate one or more or all of the functions described herein. For example, the emulation devices may be used to test other devices and / or simulate network and / or WTRU functions.

[0070] The emulation devices may be designed to implement one or more tests of other devices in a lab environment and / or an operator network environment. For example, one or more emulation devices may perform one or more or all functions while fully or partially implemented and / or deployed as part of a wired and / or wireless communication network to test other devices in the communication network. One or more emulation devices may perform one or more or all functions while temporarily implemented / deployed as part of a wired and / or wireless communication network. The emulation devices may be directly coupled to another device for testing purposes and / or may use terrestrial wireless communication to perform the tests.

[0071] One or more emulation devices may perform one or more functions, inclusive, while not being implemented / deployed as part of a wired and / or wireless communication network. For example, the emulation devices may be utilized in test scenarios in a test lab and / or in an undeployed (e.g., test) wired and / or wireless communication network to implement testing of one or more components. One or more emulation devices may be test equipment. Direct RF coupling and / or wireless communication via RF circuitry (which may, for example, include one or more antennas) may be used by the emulation devices to transmit and / or receive data.

[0072] A wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU) may comprise a processor and a memory. The WTRU may be configured to send a registration request to a hosting network. The registration request may indicate at least one local service. The WTRU may receive a list of equivalent hosting networks for the at least one local service and a common tracking area identity (TAI) list for the list of equivalent hosting networks for the at least one local service. The WTRU may reselect between cells corresponding to equivalent hosting networks from the list of equivalent hosting networks without performing a location update based on the cells being associated with the common tracking area identity list. The WTRU may receive a registration accept message. The registration accept message may include the list of equivalent hosting networks for the at least one local service and the common tracking area identity list for the list of equivalent hosting networks for the at least one local service.

[0073] During cell reselection, the WTRU may change from one cell to another and, in some cases, may remain in IDLE mode. For example, the WTRU may camp on (e.g., be registered on) one cell (e.g., only one cell). When the WTRU determines that another cell is preferable (e.g., based on the measured signal strength of another cell), the WTRU may change to another cell (e.g., remain in IDLE mode). For example, the WTRU may reselect to a cell corresponding to an equivalent hosting network from a list of equivalent hosting networks based on the respective priority of each of the equivalent hosting networks (e.g., and / or based on the measured signal strength of the other cells). Thus, during cell reselection, the WTRU may connect to the cell (e.g., of the equivalent hosting network) that has the best conditions among all the cells on which the WTRU is allowed to camp.

[0074] The WTRU may receive multiple lists of equivalent hosting networks, each of which may be associated with a respective one or more local services. The hosting network may comprise one of a register public land mobile network (RPLMN), a home public land mobile network (HPLMN), or an equivalent HPLMN.

[0075] Network selection is a process by which a WTRU can perform radio scans to check for the availability of networks associated with different cellular network cells. Networks detected from such scans may include SNPNs on its current frequency. For example, upon detecting SNPN(s), the WTRU can attempt to register with the SNPN. The WTRU can select a registered SNPN (e.g., if available) using NG-RAN access techniques and perform a registration procedure, for example, when the WTRU is turned on or following recovery from lack of coverage. The WTRU can scan one or more RF channels in the NR band to find an available SNPN. The frequencies and / or RF channels searched or scanned may depend on the WTRU's hardware capabilities and / or its network configuration. For a given carrier, the WTRU can search for the strongest cell and read the strongest cell's system information to find which SNPN the cell belongs to. Depending on its SNPN selection mode, the WTRU can perform one or more procedures, for example, if there is no registered SNPN or if registration is not possible due to an SNPN being unavailable or a registration failure.

[0076] To optimize mobility procedures (e.g., limit the number of types of communication between the WTRU and the network, reduce radio usage, ensure power conservation at the WTRU, etc.), the WTRU may be configured to implement techniques and procedures that limit the amount of signaling exchanged with the network when performing a mobility procedure that results in a change of SNPN. For example, the WTRU may be configured to implement idle mode mobility procedures and / or connected mode mobility procedures that do not involve invoking a new network selection or network registration procedure. For example, the WTRU may prioritize mobility to a cell associated with a previously registered SNPN and / or a cell associated with an SNPN equivalent to the previously registered SNPN. The WTRU may be able to transition to a new cell without having to perform a network selection or network registration procedure with a core network node. For example, by prioritizing mobility to a cell associated with a previously registered SNPN and / or a cell associated with an SNPN equivalent to the previously registered SNPN, the WTRU may be able to transition to a new cell without having to perform a network selection or network registration procedure with a core network node. The WTRU may implement a procedure design to facilitate mobility without using or performing a new network scan to check the availability of an SNPN in the current location. Exemplary techniques for implementing such a scheme by the WTRU are disclosed herein.

[0077] One or more mechanisms for supporting equivalent hosting networks and / or for ensuring idle mode mobility and connected mode mobility between hosting networks may be disclosed herein. SNPN selection and reselection based on SNPN priority (e.g., hosting network priority) may be disclosed herein.

[0078] A WTRU may support one or more equivalent stand-alone non-public networks (eSNPNs). For example, equivalent eSNPNs may be considered equivalent by the WTRU for purposes of SNPN selection, cell selection / reselection, and / or handover. Idle mode mobility and / or connected mode mobility may be performed between equivalent SNPNs without selecting a new network.

[0079] The eSNPN may be pre-configured in the WTRU or may be provided to the WTRU via NAS signaling during a registration (e.g., initial, mobility, and / or periodic) procedure or via another NAS signaling message (e.g., a Configuration Update Command, a WTRU Parameter Update procedure via UDM, a Steering of Roaming (SOR) container, etc.).

[0080] A subscribed SNPN may be an SNPN to which the WTRU has a subscription. The SNPN identification information of the subscribed SNPN of a selected entry in the list of subscriber data may identify the subscribed SNPN. For example, the list of subscriber data may be information having details about the subscription information of the SNPN. The WTRU may store the list of subscriber data. An eSNPN may be maintained for each subscribed SNPN. The list of subscriber data may have more than one subscribed SNPN, and therefore there may be more than one eSNPN list stored in the WTRU.

[0081] The selection of an SNPN may take into account an equivalent SNPN list. When the WTRU performs SNPN selection (e.g., when the WTRU powers up), if the last-registered SNPN is not available, the WTRU may check whether there is an available SNPN in the equivalent SNPN list of the last-registered SNPN. If an SNPN equivalent to the last-registered SNPN is available, the WTRU may select the equivalent SNPN of the last-registered SNPN over other available SNPNs that may be in the WTRU's list of subscriber data. For example, if the WTRU detects or identifies a cell associated with an SNPN equivalent to the last-registered SNPN, the cell associated with this equivalent SNPN may have a higher priority than other SNPNs that are not equivalent to the last-registered SNPN and / or other cells associated with other SNPNs in the WTRU's list of subscriber data. For example, if multiple SNPNs are found in the equivalent SNPN list, the SNPN may be selected according to the priorities of the multiple SNPNs. The WTRU may receive the priorities of the equivalent SNPNs in the equivalent SNPN list received from the core network (e.g., AMF).

[0082] The WTRU may select a cell belonging to an equivalent SNPN of the currently registered SNPN over another cell belonging to another subscribed SNPN in cell reselection, e.g., if there are multiple better cells of other SNPNs that meet the cell reselection criteria, even if the other cell belonging to the other subscribed SNPN has better radio signal strength / quality. For example, the cell of the equivalent SNPN may have a higher priority for cell reselection than the priority of the subscribed SNPN.

[0083] Similarly, the WTRU may select a cell belonging to an SNPN equivalent to the currently registered SNPN over other cells belonging to other subscribed SNPNs, even if those cells have better radio signal strength / quality, for example, when the network (e.g., AMF) selects a target cell for handover purposes. For example, a cell of the equivalent SNPN may have a higher priority for handover than the priority of the subscribed SNPN.

[0084] The hosting network may be a Standalone Non-Public Network (SNPN). One or more of the embodiments disclosed herein with respect to an equivalent SNPN may be extended to a hosting network that addresses supporting equivalent hosting networks and / or ensuring idle mode mobility and connected mode mobility between hosting networks. For example, a WTRU may treat equivalent hosting networks as equivalent for purposes of hosting network selection, cell selection / reselection, and / or handover.

[0085] Hosting networks can offer a variety of localized services. Equivalent hosting networks can be linked with a unique type of localized service offered by the hosting network, identified by a localized service identifier. For example, equivalent hosting networks can be indexed via the localized services they offer, with validity linked to time and location. For example, a hosting network can be valid for a time validity period (e.g., only during a time validity period) and for a specific location (e.g., tracking area). Hosting networks that are equivalent to each other can be linked with the type of localized service they offer (e.g., via a localized service identifier).

[0086] The WTRU may reselect among cells corresponding to equivalent hosting networks from the list of equivalent hosting networks based on the respective priorities of the hosting networks, which may include one or more Standalone Non-Public Networks (SNPNs) or hosting networks.

[0087] The WTRU may periodically attempt to find the highest priority equivalent hosting network during initial cell selection if the WTRU is not camped on the highest priority equivalent hosting network.

[0088] The WTRU may perform location updates including any combination of initial registration at power up, mobility registration procedures, and / or periodic updates. Initial registration at power up may include a location update and / or an attach procedure. Mobility registration procedures may include one or more of a location update, a routing area update, and / or a tracking area update. Periodic updates may occur upon expiration of a periodic registration timer. Periodic updates may include periodic tracking and / or routing area update procedures.

[0089] FIG. 2A shows an example call flow 200 between equivalent hosting networks. At 202, a WTRU may camp on a cell of a first hosting network HN-1. As shown in FIG. 2A, the WTRU may select a cell belonging to the first hosting network HN-1 as part of a cell selection / initial power-on / out-of-coverage recovery procedure. The WTRU may trigger a registration procedure with the first hosting network HN-1. For example, at 204, the WTRU may request a localized service identified by a localized service identifier LS-ID-1. At 206, the first hosting network HN-1 (e.g., an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) of the first hosting network HN-1) may send a registration accept message to the WTRU. The registration accept message may include a Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) list with TAIs belonging to equivalent hosting networks along with supported localized service identifiers (e.g., LS-ID-1 for the first hosting network HN1 and the second hosting network HN-2, and LS-ID-2 for the first hosting network HN-1 and the third hosting network HN-3). The equivalent hosting network list may be provided by the registered PLMN (RPLMN), the home PLMN (HPLMN), and / or the equivalent HPLMN during the normal registration procedure.

[0090] The WTRU may currently be camped on a cell from a first hosting network HN-1 accessing the localization-limited service identified by LS-ID-1. During mobility, the WTRU may, at 208, select a TAI not from the first hosting network HN-1 (e.g., a TAI belonging to a second hosting network HN-2), e.g., based on reselection criteria. However, the TAI not from the first hosting network HN-1 may be part of the TAI list provided by the first hosting network HN-1. The TAI not from the first hosting network HN-1 belongs to an equivalent hosting network and can provide the localization-limited service identified by LS-ID-1. Because the new TAI is part of the TAI list belonging to the equivalent hosting network, the WTRU cannot trigger a mobility registration procedure. Additionally, the WTRU can seamlessly transition to the new TAI (e.g., camped on a cell belonging to a new TAI from the second hosting network HN-2 and accessing the localization-limited service identified by LS-ID-1). A TAI that is part of the TAI list may be considered a registered TAI that belongs to the equivalent hosting network. Such a mobility registration procedure between hosting networks may not require the WTRU to trigger a new mobility update procedure.

[0091] Alternatively, 5GC (AMF) may deliver the equivalent hosting network list via a NAS signaling message (e.g., a configuration update command, a UE parameter update procedure via UDM, a Steering of Roaming (SOR) container, etc.). For example, at 212, the first hosting network HN-1 may provide the equivalent hosting network list to the WTRU via a NAS signaling message. The NAS signaling message may include a configuration update command, a WTRU parameter update procedure via UDM, and / or a SOR container. Thus, in some examples, the WTRU may receive the equivalent hosting network list via a NAS signaling message (e.g., as shown at 212) rather than via a registration accept message (e.g., as shown at 206). The WTRU may receive the equivalent hosting network list during the registration procedure. For example, the WTRU may receive the equivalent hosting network list via a registration accept message. For example, the WTRU may receive the equivalent hosting network list via a SOR container / CUC procedure.

[0092] A tracking area identifier (TAI) list having TAIs from different SNPNs may be used. For example, the TAI list may include a TAI associated with a first SNPN and a TAI associated with a second SNPN. The first SNPN and the second SNPN may be equivalent SNPNs. The WTRU may switch between the first SNPN and the second SNPN without performing a mobility registration update procedure.

[0093] During the registration procedure, the selected SNPN may provide the WTRU with a list of registered TAIs. The TAI list may include TAIs that belong to different but equivalent SNPNs. Idle mode mobility and connected mode mobility between TAIs may be used without the WTRU performing a mobility registration update procedure. Mobility between TAIs may be seamless from the WTRU's perspective. For example, the WTRU may fail to perform a radio scan for the network selection process. TAIs may be considered equivalent for the purposes of cell selection / reselection, mobility, and / or handover.

[0094] 2B shows an example call flow 250 illustrating an example use of a tracking area identifier (TAI) list with one or more standalone non-public networks (SNPNs). As shown in FIG. 2B, a WTRU may select 252 a first cell (e.g., cell-1) belonging to a first SNPN (e.g., SNPN-1) as part of a cell selection procedure. The WTRU may trigger a registration procedure with the network (e.g., SNPN-1). SNPN-1 and a second SNPN (e.g., SNPN-2) may be equivalent SNPNs. For example, the WTRU may send a registration request 254 to the first SNPN (e.g., the AMF of the first SNPN).

[0095] The network (e.g., SNPN-1) may send a registration accept message to the WTRU at 256. In some examples, the registration accept message may include a TAI list having one or more TAIs that belong to both SNPN-1 and SNPN-2. The WTRU may receive the registration accept message and the TAI list. The WTRU may camp on the TAI of cell-1 (e.g., SNPN-1). At 258, the WTRU may perform cell reselection to a different TAI. For example, during mobility, the WTRU may select a TAI that is not from SNPN-1 but is part of the TAI list provided by SNPN-1, e.g., based on reselection criteria. For example, the selected TAI may belong to SNPN-2. Because the new TAI is part of the TAI list, the WTRU may not trigger a mobility registration procedure at 260. The WTRU may transition to the new TAI (e.g., such that the WTRU camps on a cell that belongs to the new TAI) because the new TAI is part of the TAI list. A TAI that is part of the TAI list can be considered a registered TAI that belongs to the equivalent SNPN. Mobility between registered TAIs may not require a mobility update procedure.

[0096] The WTRU may receive an RRC connection release message from a registered hosting network that includes idle mode mobility information. The idle mode mobility information may comprise a list of carrier frequencies or operating frequency bands that belong to the equivalent hosting network. The WTRU may perform trigger cell selection or reselection based on a determination that a target frequency from the list of carrier frequencies meets the cell selection and reselection criteria.

[0097] NR RRC connection release using idle mode mobility information may be performed. For example, the WTRU may receive an RRC connection release message including idle mode mobility information from a first hosting network. The idle mode mobility information may include a list of NR carrier frequencies. The idle mode mobility information may include each NR band belonging to an equivalent SNPN. The WTRU can switch between NR bands without performing a mobility registration procedure.

[0098] Registered SNPNs can share cell selection and reselection assistance information via the NR RRC Connection Release message. The SNPN can provide additional information elements (e.g., idle mode mobility information) with the NR RRC Connection Release message.

[0099] The idle mode mobility information element may include a list of NR carrier frequencies along with the operating NR bands belonging to the equivalent SNPN. Mobility to these frequencies (e.g., cells) can be performed without the WTRU triggering a mobility registration procedure. The WTRU can use the list of NR carrier frequencies to trigger cell selection and / or reselection, provided that the target frequency meets the cell selection and reselection criteria.

[0100] Table 1 (reproduced below) shows sample content of an idle mode mobility information element.

[0101] [Table 1]

[0102] 3 shows an example call flow 300 illustrating an example use of RRC connection release with idle mode mobility information. As shown at 302 in FIG. 3, while in RRC connected mode, the WTRU may camp on a first cell (e.g., cell-1) belonging to a first SNPN (e.g., SNPN-1). SNPN-1 may be equivalent to a second SNPN (e.g., SNPN-2) for purposes of network selection, cell selection / reselection, and / or handover.

[0103] At 304, the WTRU may receive an RRC connection release from the 5G network. In some examples, the RRC connection may be released by the 5G network with additional information for cell selection and reselection. Upon RRC connection release, the WTRU may transition from RRC connected mode to RRC idle mode. The RRC connection release may be provided with additional information (e.g., idle mode mobility information) for dedicated cell reselection, for example, when providing an NR carrier frequency along with an NR band. The additional information can assist the WTRU for idle mode mobility (e.g., direct cell selection and reselection) without triggering a new network selection. For example, the RRC connection release may include idle mode mobility information providing a dedicated cell reselection priority (e.g., for cell 2 (SNPN-2)) for reselection, e.g., as part of an equivalent SNPN.

[0104] At 306, the WTRU may perform cell selection (e.g., and / or reselection) based on the idle mode mobility information (e.g., based on identifying cell 2 and / or based on the provided carrier frequency). The WTRU may trigger idle mode cell selection (e.g., and / or reselection) based on an RRC connection release message received from the 5G network. During the idle mode cell selection process, while transitioning from the RRC connected mode to the RRC idle mode, the WTRU may utilize additional information (e.g., idle mode mobility information) provided by the network during the RRC connection release. This new additional information element may include information that assists cell selection by providing a dedicated NR frequency along with an NR band of the dedicated NR frequency. For example, the WTRU may select a cell based on the idle mode mobility information. At 308, the WTRU may fail to trigger a mobility update procedure because the newly selected cell is part of an equivalent SNPN.

[0105] Priority-based SNPN selection and reselection can be performed.

[0106] A registered SNPN or hosting network can provide a prioritized list of SNPNs or hosting networks to the WTRU based on the supported local services. The prioritized list of hosting networks / SNPNs can be stored in the WTRU (e.g., in the ME or universal subscriber identity module (USIM)). The WTRU can ensure that the WTRU attempts to select the highest priority SNPN or hosting network for a particular local service during initial registration and subsequent periodic attempts upon power-on or recovery from lack of coverage. For example, if the highest priority SNPN or hosting network is not available during initial registration, the WTRU can make periodic attempts to find the highest priority SNPN or hosting network and, if available, can attempt to register with it.

[0107] FIG. 4 shows an example call flow 400 illustrating an example of priority-based SNPN / hosting network selection and reselection. As shown in 402 of FIG. 4, the WTRU may be preconfigured with a prioritized list of SNPNs or hosting networks based on localized services, or may receive additional information from the 5G core network via a NAS signaling message. At 404, upon power-on or recovery from lack of coverage, the WTRU may perform an initial scan for available SNPN / hosting networks. Upon power-on or recovery from lack of coverage, the WTRU may select the best (e.g., highest priority) SNPN / hosting network, if available. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the only available SNPN / hosting network is SNPN-1 / HN-1, which is not the highest priority as configured by the WTRU. If the WTRU is not camped on the highest priority network, the WTRU may start a periodic search timer to search for a higher priority network at 406.

[0108] Upon expiration of the periodic search timer, the WTRU may trigger a search for a higher priority SNPN / hosting network. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, upon expiration of the periodic search timer, the WTRU may be able to find an SNPN-2 / HN-2 that has a higher priority compared to the currently registered SNPN / HN (e.g., SNPN-1 / HN-1). At 408, the WTRU may trigger a registration request to the SNPN-2 / HN-2. The registration request (e.g., in the case of a hosting network registration request) may include a local service identifier corresponding to the desired local service. If the registration procedure is successful, the 5G core network may send a registration acknowledgement message at 410. The WTRU may then camp on the highest priority SNPN / hosting network (e.g., SNPN-2 / HN-2) at 412. If the WTRU is camped on the highest priority network, the WTRU may not start the periodic higher priority search timer.

[0109] The processes and methods described herein may be applied in any combination. The processes and methods described herein may be applied to other wireless technologies and to other services.

[0110] The WTRU may refer to a physical device identity or a user identity such as a subscription-related identity (e.g., MSISDN, SIP URI, etc.) The WTRU may refer to an application-based identity (e.g., a username that may be used per application).

[0111] A computer and / or processor may implement the above-described processes in a computer program, software, and / or firmware embodied in a computer-readable medium for execution. Examples of computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to, electronic signals (transmitted via wired and / or wireless connections) and / or computer-readable storage media. Examples of computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), registers, cache memory, semiconductor memory devices, magnetic media such as, but not limited to, internal hard disks and removable disks, magneto-optical media, and / or optical media such as CD-ROM disks and / or Digital Versatile Disks (DVDs). A processor in association with software may be used to implement a radio frequency transceiver for use in a WTRU, UE, terminal, base station, RNC, and / or any host computer.

Claims

1. 1. A wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU) comprising a processor and a memory, the processor and the memory comprising: sending a registration request to the hosting network, the registration request indicating a localized service; receiving a list of equivalent hosting networks for the locally restricted service and a list of common tracking area identities for the list of equivalent hosting networks for the locally restricted service; and configured to perform cell reselection corresponding to an equivalent hosting network from the list of equivalent hosting networks without performing a location update based on the cell being associated with the common tracking area identity list. WTRU.

2. The processor and the memory receiving a registration approval message, the registration approval message including the list of equivalent hosting networks for the locally limited service and the common tracking area identification list for the list of equivalent hosting networks for the locally limited service; The WTRU of claim 1 configured to:

3. The processor and the memory receive a prioritized list of equivalent hosting networks; performing cell reselection corresponding to the equivalent hosting networks from the list of equivalent hosting networks based on a respective priority of each of the equivalent hosting networks as indicated by the priority list of the equivalent hosting networks; The WTRU of claim 1 configured to:

4. The WTRU of claim 3 , wherein each of the equivalent hosting networks in the received priority list of equivalent hosting networks is associated with a respective localized service.

5. 2. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the hosting network comprises one of a Register Public Land Mobile Network (RPLMN), a Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN), or an equivalent HPLMN, and the equivalent hosting network is a Standalone Non-Public Network (SNPN).

6. The WTRU of claim 1 , wherein the locally restricted service is identified by an identifier (ID) of the locally restricted service.

7. The processor and the memory If the WTRU is camped on a highest priority hosting network, selecting the highest priority hosting network during initial cell selection; If the WTRU is not camped on a highest priority hosting network, it periodically attempts to find the highest priority hosting network. The WTRU of claim 1 configured to:

8. The processor and the memory receiving a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection release message from a registered hosting network, the idle mode mobility information including a list of carrier frequencies used by the equivalent hosting network or an operating frequency band used by the equivalent hosting network; The WTRU of claim 1 configured to:

9. The processor and the memory The WTRU of claim 8 , configured to perform cell selection or reselection based on a determination that a target frequency from the list of carrier frequencies satisfies cell selection or reselection criteria.

10. Based on the cell being associated with the common tracking area identification list, the processor:

2. The WTRU of claim 1, configured to reselect between cells corresponding to equivalent hosting networks from the list of equivalent hosting networks without performing an initial registration upon power-on, a mobility registration procedure, or a periodic update.

11. sending a registration request to a hosting network, the registration request indicating a locally restricted service; receiving a list of equivalent hosting networks for the locally restricted service and a list of common tracking area identities for the list of equivalent hosting networks for the locally restricted service; performing cell reselection corresponding to an equivalent hosting network from the list of equivalent hosting networks without performing a location update based on the cell being associated with the common tracking area identity list; A method for providing

12. receiving a registration approval message, the registration approval message including the list of equivalent hosting networks for the locally restricted service and the common tracking area identification list for the list of equivalent hosting networks for the locally restricted service; The method of claim 11 further comprising:

13. receiving a prioritized list of equivalent hosting networks; performing cell reselection corresponding to the equivalent hosting networks from the list of equivalent hosting networks based on a respective priority of each of the equivalent hosting networks as indicated by the priority list of equivalent hosting networks; The method of claim 11 further comprising:

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein each of the equivalent hosting networks in the received priority list of equivalent hosting networks is associated with a respective localized service.

15. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the hosting network comprises one of a Register Public Land Mobile Network (RPLMN), a Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN), or an equivalent HPLMN, and the equivalent hosting network is a Standalone Non-Public Network (SNPN).

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the locally restricted service is identified by an identifier (ID) of the locally restricted service.

17. selecting a highest priority hosting network during initial cell selection if the WTRU is camped on the highest priority hosting network; if the WTRU is not camped on a highest priority hosting network, periodically attempting to find the highest priority hosting network; The method of claim 11 further comprising:

18. receiving a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection release message from a registered hosting network, the idle mode mobility information including a list of carrier frequencies used by the equivalent hosting network or an operating frequency band used by the equivalent hosting network; The method of claim 11 further comprising:

19. performing cell selection or reselection based on a determination that a target frequency from the list of carrier frequencies satisfies cell selection or reselection criteria.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

20. based on the cell being associated with the common tracking area identity list; reselecting among cells corresponding to equivalent hosting networks from said list of equivalent hosting networks without performing an initial registration at power-on, a mobility registration procedure or a periodic update. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

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