SIM selection for routing user plane traffic

Abstract

A user equipment (UE) configured to receiving user plane traffic while at least one of a first subscriber identification module (SIM) enabling access to a non-public network (NPN) and a second SIM enabling access to a public land mobile network (PLMN) are active, based on predefined rules or settings associating a type of user plane traffic with either the first SIM or the second SIM, or based on traffic conditions on the first SIM or the second SIM, determining whether the user plane traffic is to be routed via the first SIM or the second SIM and routing the user plane traffic via the determined first SIM or the second SIM.

Description

SIM Selection for Routing User Plane TrafficInventors: Alosious Pradeep Prabhakar, Alistair M McFarlane, Muthukumaran Dhanapal, Rohit R Matolia, Sanjeevi Balasubramanian, Shiva Krishna Narra, Sriram Subramanian, Vijay Venkataraman and Vishwanth Kamala GovindarajuBackground

[0001] A Non-Public Network (NPN) or private network is a 3GPP system deployed for non-public use, e.g., enterprise networks such as factories including loT devices, enterprise IT networks, or a third party-specific cellular network. A NPN may be deployed as a public network integrated (PNI) NPN, where the PNI NPN relies on the support of a PLMN, e.g., includes a slice of the PLMN. A NPN may also be deployed as a standalone NPN (SNPN) , where the SNPN is operated by a NPN operator and does not rely on network functions provided by a 3GPP public land mobile network (PLMN) .

[0002] A user equipment (UE) may be equipped with multiple subscriber identification modules (SIMs) and each SIM may enable the UE to establish an independent network connection. Thus, a multi-SIM UE may establish a first network connection using a first SIM and a second network connection using a second SIM. To access a NPN, the UE may be equipped with a private network SIM (NPN SIM) in addition to a cellular SIM (e.g., for a PLMN or macro 5G network) . In some cases, the private network SIM may be automatically turned on (e.g., activated) when the UE enters NPN coverage defined by a geofence and may be automatically turned off (e.g., deactivated) when the UE leaves the geofence. When the NPN SIM is activated, the UE may perform a cell search and scan channels used by the NPN to attempt to access the NPN.

[0003] According to current specification, various aspects of NPN access, e.g., SIM activation / deactivation and cell search, are currently left to UE implementation. There may be enhancements to these aspects of NPN access that may improve user experience.Summary

[0004] Some exemplary embodiments are related to an apparatus of a user equipment (UE) , the apparatus having processing circuitry configured to receive user plane traffic while at least one of a first subscriber identification module (SIM) enabling access to a non-public network (NPN) and a second SIM enabling access to a public land mobile network (PLMN) are active, based on predefined rules or settings associating a type of user plane traffic with either the first SIM or the second SIM, or based on traffic conditions on the first SIM or the second SIM, determine whether the user plane traffic is to be routed via the first SIM or the second SIM and route the user plane traffic via the determined first SIM or the second SIM.Brief Description of the Drawings

[0005] Fig. 1 shows a network arrangement according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0006] Fig. 2 shows an exemplary UE according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0007] Fig. 3 shows a diagram including a UE located a distance outside a geofence according to various exemplary embodiments .

[0008] Fig. 4 shows a flowchart for NPN activation and deactivation outside a NPN geofence according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0009] Fig. 5 shows a flowchart for NPN SIM activation when two cellular SIMs are currently activated according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0010] Fig. 6 shows a diagram including a UE moving through a cell fencing area where 3GPP cells overlap with NPN coverage according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0011] Fig. 7 shows a flowchart for collecting cell fencing data for a cell fencing database according to various exemplary embodiments .

[0012] Fig. 8 shows a flowchart for cell fencing assistance for enabling a NPN SIM according to various exemplary embodiments .

[0013] Fig. 9 shows a flowchart for NPN location assistance according to various exemplary embodiments.Detailed Description

[0014] The exemplary aspects may be further understood with reference to the following description and the related appended drawings, wherein like elements are provided with the same reference numerals. The exemplary aspects describe operations for accessing a non-public network (NPN) . In some example embodiments, operations are described for activating and deactivating a subscriber identification module (SIM) for the NPN, e.g., in view of a geofence defining the coverage area ofthe NPN. In other example embodiments, operations are described for performing a cell search to access the NPN. Further example embodiments provide various optimizations related to NPN access for improving a user experience.

[0015] The exemplary aspects are described with regard to a UE . However, the use of a UE is provided for illustrative purposes. The exemplary aspects may be utilized with any electronic component that may establish a connection with a network and is configured with the hardware, software, and / or firmware to exchange information and data with the network. Therefore, the UE as described herein is used to represent any electronic component that is capable of accessing a non-private network (NPN) .

[0016] The exemplary aspects are described with regard to the network being a 5G New Radio (NR) network and a base station being a next generation Node B (gNB) . In some embodiments, the 5G NR network may be a NPN, e.g., a standalone NPN (SNPN) .Certain frequencies of the 5G network may be used for onboarding to the SNPN (O-SNPN) , and other frequencies may be used for operations with the SNPN. The gNB may be an onboarding gNB (0- gNB) for performing initial access operations with the UE for provisioning purposes. The operator of the SNPN may utilize the same gNB as the 0-gNB for operations with the SNPN, or different access nodes may be used for these operations. However, the use of the 5G NR network, the gNB, and the NPN / SNPN are provided for illustrative purposes. The exemplary aspects may apply to any type of network that utilizes similar functionalities.

[0017] Throughout this description, the UE may be characterized as a multi-SIM UE . The term "multi-SIM UE" mayrefer to a UE equipped with multiple (e.g., two or more) SIMs.Each SIM may be used to establish an independent network connection and, in multi-SIM mode, each network connection may exist simultaneously. Thus, each SIM may be associated with its own telephone number and / or subscription with a cellular service provider. Accordingly, a single UE may be associated with two or more telephone numbers and / or subscriptions.

[0018] A SIM contains information that is used by the UE to establish a network connection. For example, the SIM may include an international mobile subscriber identifier (IMSI) that may be used for authentication with the network provider. A user may have a first subscription with a cellular service provider that is enabled by a first SIM and a second subscription with the cellular service provider that is enabled by a second SIM. The network to which the UE may connect using the first SIM may be the 5G NR cellular network, e.g., a PLMN deployed by a mobile network operator (MNO) and the network to which the UE may connect using the second SIM may be a NPN. The first SIM may be referred to as a cellular SIM while the second SIM may be referred to as a NPN SIM. It is noted that the cellular SIM being the first SIM and the NPN SIM being the second SIM is not intended to indicate any sort of priority / pref erence between either the first or second SIMs. Reference to any particular type of information being included in a SIM is merely provided for illustrative purposes. A SIM may include a wide variety of different types of information that different networks or entities may refer to by different names. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments may apply to a SIM that contains any type of information used by the multi-SIM UE to establish a network connection .

[0019] In the present description reference may be made to the SIMs performing a function (e.g. , communicating with the wireless network) . However, those skilled in the art will understand that the SIMs themselves do not perform any functions or operations. Rather, the UE, or more precisely a processor of the UE, implements one or more protocol stacks using the credentials and other information stored on the SIMs and then establishes a connection with networks using the one or more protocol stacks. Thus, when referring to a SIM communicating with a network, this should be understood to include the UE or the processor of the UE communicating via a connection associated with the SIM. Similarly, any other operation attributed to the SIM herein should be understood to be an operation being performed by a protocol stack implemented by the processor using the information provided by the SIM.

[0020] Some of the exemplary embodiments are described with respect to a multi-SIM UE equipped with two SIMs, e.g., a first SIM and a second SIM. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the exemplary embodiments may also apply to devices that have more than two SIMs. In some embodiments, the multi-SIM UE is equipped with three SIMs. The multi-SIM UE may utilize the same hardware, software and / or firmware components to perform operations related to the network connections associated with two or more SIMs. For example, the multi-SIM UE may be configured to use the same transceiver to perform operations related to both network connections. Although many UEs equipped with an NPN SIM for NPN access also include at least one additional SIM, e.g. , a cellular SIM, in some embodiments, the UE may be equipped with only a single SIM that is a NPN SIM.

[0021] Fig. 1 shows a network arrangement 100 according to the exemplary embodiments. The network arrangement 100 includes a UE 110. Those skilled in the art will understand that the UE 110 may be any type of electronic component that is configured to communicate via a network, e.g. , mobile phones, tablet computers, smartphones, phablets, embedded devices, wearable devices, Cat-M devices, Cat-Mi devices, MTC devices, eMTC devices, other types of Internet of Things (loT) devices, etc. An actual network arrangement may include any number of UEs being used by any number of users. Thus, the example of a single UE 110 is only provided for illustrative purposes.

[0022] The UE 110 may communicate with one or more networks. In the example of the network configuration 100, the networks with which the UE 110 may wirelessly communicate are a 5G New Radio (NR) radio access network (5G NR-RAN) 120, an LTE radio access network (LTE-RAN) 122, a legacy access network (legacy RAN) and wireless local access network (WLAN) 126. However, the UE 110 may also communicate with other types of networks and the UE 110 may also communicate with networks over a wired connection. Therefore, the UE 110 may include a 5G NR chipset to communicate with the 5G NR-RAN 120, an LTE chipset to communicate with the LTE-RAN 122, a legacy chipset to communicate with the legacy RAN 124 and an ISM chipset to communicate with the WLAN 126. In some aspects of these exemplary embodiments, the 5G NR-RAN 120 may be a non-public network (NPN) , e.g. , a standalone NPN (SNPN) .

[0023] The UE 110 may be a multi-SIM UE and establish multiple independent network connections that may exist simultaneously. For example, the UE 110 may establish a first network connection using a first SIM and a second networkconnection with a network using a second SIM. The first network connection and the second network connection may be independent from one another and exist simultaneously. In the example of the network configuration 100, the UE 110 is camped on the gNB 120A of the 5G NR-RAN 120 for a first network connection. In some embodiments, the 5G NR-RAN 120 is a NPN and the first network connection is a link to a node, e.g. , gNB, deployed for NPN operations. However, in some of the present embodiments, the UE 110 may also be camped on a node of another network in multi-SIM operation. In some embodiments, the UE 110 may establish a first network connection to the 5G NR-RAN 120 (e.g. , a public 5G network) using a cellular SIM and a second network connection to the NPN via a corresponding base station.

[0024] The 5G NR-RAN 120, the LTE-RAN 122 and the legacy RAN 124 may be portions of cellular networks that may be deployed by mobile network operators (MNOs) (e.g., Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, etc. ) . The 5G NR-RAN 120 may also be a portion of a private network (NPN) that may be deployed by a private organization, a government organization, etc. These networks 120, 122, 124 may include, for example, base stations (Node Bs, eNodeBs, HeNBs, eNBS, gNBs, gNodeBs, macrocells, microcells, small cells, femtocells, etc. ) that are configured to send and receive traffic from UEs that are equipped with the appropriate cellular chip set. When the 5G NR-RAN 120 is a NPN, the base stations may be, e.g. , onboarding gNBs (O-gNBs) or gNBs deployed for NPN operations. The WLAN 126 may include any type of wireless local area network (WiFi, Hot Spot, IEEE 802. llx networks, etc. ) .

[0025] The base stations (e.g., the gNB 120A, the eNB 122A, the base station 124A) may include one or more communication interfaces to exchange data and / or information with camped UEs,the corresponding RAN, the cellular core network 130, the internet 140, etc. Further, the base stations may include a processor configured to perform various operations. For example, the processor of the base station may be configured to perform operations for providing access to a NPN. However, reference to a processor is merely for illustrative purposes. The operations of the base station may also be represented as a separate incorporated component of the base station or may be a modular component coupled to the base station, e.g., an integrated circuit with or without firmware. For example, the integrated circuit may include input circuitry to receive signals and processing circuitry to process the signals and other information. In addition, in some base stations, the functionality of the processor is split among two or more processors such as a baseband processor and an applications processor. The exemplary embodiments may be implemented in any of these or other configurations of a base station.

[0026] Any association procedure may be performed for the UE 110 to connect to the 5G NR-RAN 120, the LTE-RAN 122 and the legacy RAN 124. To provide an example, the 5G NR-RAN 120 may be associated with a particular cellular service provider where the UE 110 and / or the user thereof has a contract and credential information (e.g., stored on each of SIM A and SIM B) . In the case of a multi-SIM UE, each SIM will independently connect to the corresponding network. Upon detecting the presence of the 5G NR-RAN 120, the UE 110 may transmit the corresponding credential information to associate with the 5G NR-RAN 120.More specifically, the UE 110 may associate with a specific cell (e.g., the gNB 120A of the 5G NR-RAN 120) . Similar association procedures may be performed for the UE 110 to connect to the LTE-RAN 122 and the legacy RAN 124.

[0027] In addition to the networks 120, 122, 124 and 126 the network arrangement 100 also includes a cellular core network 130, the Internet 140, an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) 150, and a network services backbone 160. The cellular core network 130 may be considered to be the interconnected set of components that manages the operation and traffic of the cellular network. The cellular core network 130 also manages the traffic that flows between the cellular network and the Internet 140. The IMS 150 may be generally described as an architecture for delivering multimedia services to the UE 110 using the IP protocol. The IMS 150 may communicate with the cellular core network 130 and the Internet 140 to provide the multimedia services to the UE 110. The network services backbone 160 is in communication either directly or indirectly with the Internet 140 and the cellular core network 130. The network services backbone 160 may be generally described as a set of components (e.g., servers, network storage arrangements, etc.) that implement a suite of services that may be used to extend the functionalities of the UE 110 in communication with the various networks .

[0028] Fig. 2 shows an exemplary UE 110 according to various exemplary embodiments. The UE 110 will be described with regard to the network arrangement 100 of Fig. 1. The UE 110 may represent any electronic device and may include a processor 205, a memory arrangement 210, a display device 215, an input / output (I / O) device 220, a transceiver 225, and other components 230. The other components 230 may include, for example, an audio input device, an audio output device, a battery that provides a limited power supply, a data acquisition device, ports to electrically connect the UE 110 to other electronic devices,sensors to detect conditions of the UE 110, etc. The UE 110 may include multiple SIMs, e.g., two or more, where at least one SIM enabled access to a NPN.

[0029] The processor 205 may be configured to execute a plurality of engines for the UE 110. For example, the engines may include an NPN access engine 235 for performing various operations related to accessing an NPN, e.g., activating / deactivating an NPN SIM, performing a cell search, etc., to be described in detail below.

[0030] The above referenced engine being an application (e.g., a program) executed by the processor 205 is only exemplary. The functionality associated with the engine may also be represented as a separate incorporated component of the UE 110 or may be a modular component coupled to the UE 110, e.g., an integrated circuit with or without firmware. For example, the integrated circuit may include input circuitry to receive signals and processing circuitry to process the signals and other information. The engine may also be embodied as one application or separate applications. In addition, in some UEs, the functionality described for the processor 205 is split among two or more processors such as a baseband processor and an application processor. The exemplary embodiments may be implemented in any of these or other configurations of a UE .

[0031] The memory 210 may be a hardware component configured to store data related to operations performed by the UE 110. As will be described in further detail below, the memory 210 may store data associated with the conditions of the UE 110 when a determination of the operating mode is performed. The display device 215 may be a hardware component configured to show datato a user while the I / O device 220 may be a hardware component that enables the user to enter inputs. The display device 215 and the I / O device 220 may be separate components or integrated together such as a touchscreen.

[0001] The transceiver 225 may be a hardware component configured to establish a connection with the LTE-RAN 120, the LTE-RAN 122, the legacy RAN 124 and the WLAN 126, etc. Accordingly, the transceiver 225 may operate on a variety of different frequencies or channels (e.g., set of consecutive frequencies) . The transceiver 225 includes circuitry configured to transmit and / or receive signals (e.g., control signals, data signals) . Such signals may be encoded with information implementing any one of the methods described herein. The processor 205 may be operably coupled to the transceiver 225 and configured to receive from and / or transmit signals to the transceiver 225. The processor 205 may be configured to encode and / or decode signals (e.g., signaling from a base station of a network) for implementing any one of the methods described herein .

[0032] TS 23.501 clause 5.30 specifies support for non-public networks (NPNs) . Various aspects of NPN operations are left to UE implementation including various details for activating and deactivating SNPN access mode (clause 5.30.2.4.1, clause 5.30.2.11) and network selection during onboarding (clause 5.30.2.4.2, clause 5.30.2.10.2.4, clause 5.30.2.10.2.5) .

[0033] It is currently left to UE implementation regarding when to activate or deactivate the SIM for a private network(NPN SIM) . A geofence refers to a region defined by a NPN within which a UE may access the NPN. The geofence may bedefined by, e.g., geographical coordinates (latitude / longitude) and a radius. In one example implementation, the UE activates the NPN SIM when the UE enters a geofence and deactivates the NPN SIM when the UE leaves the geofence. In one example, if an application associated with the NPN is running, e.g., a NPN- related email application, the NPN SIM may be activated automatically when the UE detects that it has entered a geofence. In another example, if the application associated with the NPN is invoked when the UE is already within the geofence, the SIM may be activated when the application is invoked and the UE detects that it is within the geofence.

[0034] However, with the UE implementation described above, time may be wasted after the UE enters the geofence while the UE attaches to the NPN. For example, upon activating the UE in the geofence, the UE needs to perform initial access procedures including, e.g., a cell search and registration, prior to exchanging user plane traffic. It may be preferable for the UE to perform some NPN-related operations prior to entering the geofence so that the UE may transmit / receive quickly upon entering the geofence.

[0035] According to some aspects of these exemplary embodiments, the UE may activate the private network SIM and perform a cell search for the NPN while located outside the geofence of the NPN so that, when the UE enters the geofence, the UE may quickly register and begin data transmission and / or reception operations. When an application associated with the NPN is invoked, the SIM may be activated if one or more conditions are met. In particular, conditions may be defined based on a motion status of the UE . In one example embodiment, the UE may activate the NPN SIM if the UE is within an allowablepredefined distance from the geofence, wherein the allowable distance may vary based on the motion status of the UE .

[0036] In one example embodiment, four different motion statuses may be identified, e.g., walking, running, driving or stationary. The motion status may be identified based on the current speed of the UE which may be estimated based on, e.g., GPS data. A range of speeds may be associated to each motion status. The predefined distance from the geofence within which the UE may activate the NPN SIM may be largest for the driving motion status, e.g., in anticipation of the UE quickly reaching the geofence. The predefined distance for the running motion status may be less than the predefined distance for the driving motion status, and less still for the walking motion status. If the stationary motion status is detected, the UE may not activate the NPN SIM.

[0037] Fig. 3 shows a diagram including a UE 302 located a distance 306 outside a geofence 304 according to various exemplary embodiments. When the distance 306 is less than a predefined value 'x' associated with a current motion status of the UE, the UE may activate its NPN SIM. When the distance is greater than 'x' the UE may maintain the NPN SIM in the dormant state .

[0038] It should be understood that a category for the UE motion status (e.g., driving, running, walking) need not be explicitly detected. For example, instead of various ranges of speeds being associated with respective motion statuses, in another embodiment, the allowable distance for activating the NPN SIM may vary based on the current UE speed, e.g., as the UE speed decreases, the allowable distance increases.

[0039] In another example embodiment, prior to checking a distance and motion status, the UE may check whether the mobile country code (MCC) of the serving 3GPP PLMN matches to the geofence country. If the MCC does not match, the UE may not activate the NPN SIM.

[0040] Fig. 4 shows a flowchart 400 for NPN SIM activation and deactivation outside a NPN geofence according to various exemplary embodiments. The flowchart 400 is described with regard to a UE installed with multiple SIMs, e.g., a cellular SIM and a NPN SIM. In 405, the UE is camped on a network using the cellular SIM while the NPN SIM is dormant, e.g. , deactivated. The UE is currently outside the geofence. In 410, the UE invokes the application for the NPN.

[0041] In 415, the UE checks whether the MCC of the camped cellular PLMN of the primary SIM matches with the country of the NPN. If the country code does not match, the method proceeds to 445 wherein the NPN SIM is not activated, the NPN PLMN scan is not initiated and the process ends.

[0042] If the country code of the camped cellular PLMN matches the country of the NPN, in 420, the UE determines a current motion status. If the UE motion status is determined to be stationary, the method proceeds to 445 wherein the NPN SIM is not activated, the NPN PLMN scan is not initiated and the process ends.

[0043] If the UE motion status is determined to be walking, in 435, the UE determines whether its distance from the geofence boundary is less than a predefined value associated with thewalking motion status. In one example, the predefined value 'x' may be 200 meters. If the UE distance is not less than 200 meters, the method proceeds to 445 wherein the NPN SIM is not activated, the NPN PLMN scan is not initiated and the process ends. If the UE distance is less than 200 meters, the method proceeds to 440 and the UE activates the NPN SIM and initiates the NPN PLMN scan.

[0044] If the UE motion status is determined to be running, in 430, the UE determines whether its distance from the geofence boundary is less than a predefined value associated with the running motion status. In one example, the predefined value 'x' may be 400 meters. If the UE distance is not less than 400 meters, the method proceeds to 445 wherein the NPN SIM is not activated, the NPN PLMN scan is not initiated and the process ends. If the UE distance is less than 400 meters, the method proceeds to 440 and the UE activates the NPN SIM and initiates the NPN PLMN scan.

[0045] If the UE motion status is determined to be driving, in 425, the UE determines whether its distance from the geofence boundary is less than a predefined value associated with the driving motion status. In one example, the predefined value 'x' may be 1 kilometer. If the UE distance is not less than 1 km, the method proceeds to 445 wherein the NPN SIM is not activated, the NPN PLMN scan is not initiated and the process ends. If the UE distance is less than 1 km, the method proceeds to 440 and the UE activates the NPN SIM and initiates the NPN PLMN scan.

[0046] According to further aspects of these exemplary embodiments, scenarios are described in which the UE may refrainfrom activating the NPN SIM according to the embodiments described above even when located within the geofence.

[0047] In one exemplary embodiment, if the UE is in an emergency call / service when the UE activates the NPN application and / or enters the geofence, the NPN SIM may not be activated and / or no NPN scan is performed. In another exemplary embodiment, when a mobile network operator (MNO) based foreground application is in use, the NPN SIM may not be activated and / or no NPN scan is performed. In another exemplary embodiment, the UE may perform a best effort based NPN scan so that user experience is not impacted.

[0048] In some scenarios, even when a UE is within a geofence, the NPN coverage may be poor and / or it may not be necessary to have NPN coverage. In one example, an underground parking lot within the geofence of the NPN may have poor NPN coverage. In another example, coverage holes may exist in the geofenced area for various reasons understood by those skilled in the art. NPN operation frequencies are typically high band and may be subject to additional path loss relative to some cellular frequencies. Certain NPNs may be deployed only indoors (inside buildings or office) .

[0049] In another exemplary embodiment, when GPS coverage is not available, the NPN SIM activation or scan is not invoked based only on assisted GPS (A-GPS) . In some exemplary embodiments, the UE may use information gathered from WiFi or Bluetooth to conservatively start the NPN scan. For example, the information may be location information derived from the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection. In another example, the information may relate to the Wi-Fi connection and / or Bluetooth connection suchas the Wi-Fi access point to which the UE is connected, a Bluetooth device to which the UE is connected, etc. For example, the UE may understand that when connected to a specific Wi-Fi access point, that NPN coverage is available or unavailable .

[0050] In some exemplary embodiments, the UE may maintain a database of information it learns regarding NPN coverage and activate / deactivate the SIM based on this information. In one example, if the UE learns that the NPN is available only at certain elevations, then the UE may perform NPN activation / deactivation based on its current elevation. With this learning added to the database, the UE may trigger NPN only at the elevation where previous service was identified.

[0051] In some exemplary embodiments, the NPN may have coverage indoors and not outdoors. In this scenario, an aggressive scan may be initiated only when certain WiFi AP association is achieved which is associated with the office. Until then more conservative scans may be performed.

[0052] In some current implementations, only two SIMs may be active for the UE at a given time. IF the UE is actively using multi-SIM services using two cellular 3GPP SIM cards, then based on current implementations there is no way for the NPN SIM to be activated .

[0053] In other aspects of the exemplary embodiments, operations are described for activating the NPN SIM when two cellular SIMs are currently active. In these embodiments, one of the two cellular SIMs may be deactivated based on various rules or conditions as described below to allow the NPN SIM tobe activated when the UE enters a geofence. When the NPN SIM is deactivated (e.g. , when the UE leaves the geofence) , the settings for the two cellular SIMs may be restored.

[0054] In some exemplary embodiments, the UE may be enabled for automatically switching from a cellular SIM to the NPN SIM. In some exemplary embodiments, the UE has an option for automatic switching that may be toggled ON or OFF by a user of the UE . In one example, the UE may have an option to "Allow Data Switching." It should be understood that the phrase "Allow Data Switching" is provided for exemplary purposes only and any suitable label for this feature may be used. When this option is toggled ON, the UE has two cellular SIMS currently active, and a NPN SIM activation command is received (e.g., when the UE enters the geofence) , the UE may automatically switch to the NPN SIM according to the following exemplary embodiments. In some embodiments, the UE operations may depend on the settings for the cellular SIMs. In other embodiments, the UE operations may depend on radio conditions for the cellular SIMs.

[0055] In one exemplary embodiment, when the UE enters a geofence for a NPN with two cellular SIMs currently active, if "Allow Data Switching" is enabled, and if only one of the two cellular SIMs has "WiFi Calling" enabled, the UE may perform the following actions to activate the NPN SIM. First, the UE may shut off Tx / Rx for a first cellular SIM that has "WiFi Calling" enabled. The second cellular SIM that does not have "WiFi Calling" enabled may maintain its current settings. Second, the UE may activate the NPN SIM and make it Data Preferred. The first cellular SIM for which Tx / Rx was shut off may use the second cellular SIM or the NPN SIM for certain operations, e.g. , to register VoWiFi. Thus, in this embodiment, both cellular SIMsremain active and three total SIMs (including the NPN SIM) are active at the same time.

[0056] If, in the above scenario, both of the cellular SIMs have "WiFi Calling" enabled, then the UE may check which of the two SIMs is "Voice Preferred." The UE may shut off Tx / Rx for the SIM that is not "Voice Preferred."

[0057] In another example embodiment, when the UE enters a geofence for a NPN with two cellular SIMs currently active, if "Allow Data Switching" is enabled, the UE may perform the following actions to activate the NPN SIM. First, the UE checks congestion and radiofrequency (RF) conditions for the links enabled by the two cellular SIMs. Second, the UE may deactivate one of the two cellular SIMs based on the congestion and RF conditions. Third, the UE may activate the NPN SIM and make it Data Preferred.

[0058] In one example, a first cellular SIM having better congestion or RF conditions may remain activated and a second cellular SIM having worse congestion or RF conditions may be deactivated. In another example, if the radio links are high quality for both cellular SIMs, then another condition may be checked .

[0059] In another example embodiment, when the UE enters a geofence for a NPN with two cellular SIMs currently active, if "Allow Data Switching" is enabled, and if one of the two cellular SIMs is "Voice Preferred, " the UE may perform the following actions to activate the NPN SIM. First, the UE deactivates a first cellular SIM which is not "Voice Preferred." The second cellular SIM that is "Voice Preferred" may maintainits current settings. Second, the UE may activate the NPN SIM and make it Data Preferred.

[0060] In another embodiment, when the UE enters a geofence for a NPN with two cellular SIMs currently active, when either or both of the two cellular SIMs are in a voice call, if "Allow Data Switching" is enabled, the UE may refrain from invoking the NPN SIM. The UE may wait until the call ends before considering any of the automatic switching options described above.

[0061] The above embodiments may be used in combination, e.g., in order, wherein first the UE checks whether "WiFi Calling" is enabled for one of the cellular SIMs, next checks congestion and / or RF conditions, and lastly checks which cellular SIM is "Voice Preferred," as described in further detail with regard to the example flowchart 500 of Fig. 5 below.

[0062] When any of the above embodiments are used to activate the NPN SIM upon entering a geofence for a NPN with two cellular SIMs currently active, when the UE leaves the geofence, the UE may deactivate the NPN SIM, activate the cellular SIM that was deactivated (or re-enable Tx / Rx for this SIM) , and maintain the same settings as before the SIM was deactivated.

[0063] If "Allow Data Switching" is not set, the UE may prompt the user (e.g., show a pop-up) asking whether the NPN SIM should be activated. In one example, the pop-up may display the text "You have entered a Private NW geofence. Would you like to activate Private NW SIM" and provide Yes / No options. If the user selects Yes, the UE may display another pop-up with options for user to decide which 3GPP SIM should be deactivated. If the user selects No, the UE may maintain the two cellular SIMs.

[0064] In some exemplary embodiments, the UE may remember the preference of the user with respect to selecting a SIM to deactivate and / or maintain when more than two options are available. For example, if the user consistently selects "No" for activating the NPN SIM, the query for activating the NPN SIM will not pop up again while the two cellular SIMs are active.In another example, if the user selects "Yes" for activating the NPN SIM and consistently selects one of the two cellular SIMs, e.g., SIM2, for deactivation, the query for selecting a SIM to disable will not pop up again and SIM2 will automatically be deactivated.

[0065] Fig. 5 shows a flowchart 500 for NPN SIM activation when two cellular SIMs are currently activated according to various exemplary embodiments. The flowchart 500 is described with regard to a UE installed with multiple cellular SIMs, e.g., a first cellular SIM (SIM1) and a second cellular SIM (SIM2) , and a NPN SIM. In 505, the UE is in multi-SIM mode with two cellular SIMs that are active and while the NPN SIM is dormant, e.g., deactivated. The UE is currently outside the geofence. In 510, the UE enters the geofence and a NPN activation command is received.

[0066] In 515, the UE checks whether "Allow Data Switching" is enabled. If "Allow Data Switching" is not enabled, in 520, the user is prompted, e.g., one or more popups may be provided to the user, for selecting whether to activate the NPN SIM and / or which cellular SIM to disable.

[0067] If "Allow Data Switching" is enabled, in 525, the UE checks whether a voice call is active on either cellular SIM.If the voice call is active, in 530, the UE waits until the call ends prior to initiating any operations to activate the NPN SIM. If no call is active and / or when the call ends, in 535, the UE checks whether any subscriber has WiFi calling enabled. If one subscriber has WiFi calling enabled, in 540, Tx / Rx for this subscriber is disabled while the SIM remains active. The NPN SIM is activated. If a service is invoked on the SIM, the cellular connection of another SIM may be used for the service on the disabled SIM. If both subscribers have WiFi calling enabled, in 545, the UE checks which SIM is "Voice Preferred". Tx / Rx for this subscriber is disabled while the SIM remains active for whichever SIM is not "Voice Preferred."

[0068] If no subscribers have WiFi calling enabled, in 550, the UE checks the radio conditions for the links enabled by the respective first and second cellular SIMs. If either of the links is congested, in 555, the SIM enabling the congested link may be deactivated and the NPN SIM may be activated. If no link is congested, in 560, the UE checks which SIM is "Voice Preferred." The SIM that is not "Voice Preferred" is deactivated and the NPN SIM may be activated.

[0069] In another aspect of the exemplary embodiments, a cell fencing database may be used for NPN SIM activation. In these example embodiments, the cell fencing database may associate a 3GPP cell (e.g., for a public cellular 5G network) with NPN coverage such that, when the UE is camped on the 3GPP cell, NPN coverage may be inferred based on the coverage area of the 3GPP cell and the known (geofenced) coverage area of the NPN. In some cases, a 3GPP cell may have a coverage area completely contained within the NPN coverage. These 3GPP cells may be referred to as collocated cells. In other cases, a 3GPP cellmay have a coverage area partially overlapping with the NPN coverage or adjacent to the NPN coverage. These 3GPP cells may be referred to as boundary cells. In some example embodiments, if the UE is camped on a collocated 3GPP cell, the UE may be enabled for activating the NPN SIM. In other example embodiments, if the UE is camped on a boundary 3GPP cell, the UE may infer proximity to the NPN coverage and, if one or more conditions are satisfied, the UE may be enabled for activating the NPN SIM.

[0070] It should be understood that 3GPP cell refers to a cell deployed by a public land mobile network (PLMN) , which may also be referred to herein as a 3GPP network. However, this is only intended to differentiate between a cell deployed by a PLMN and a cell deployed by a private entity and those skilled in the art will understand that NPN cells may also be deployed according to 3GPP specification.

[0071] In some exemplary embodiments, the UE may enter a first cell fencing mode when location information, e.g., GPS data, is not currently available for the UE . In the first mode, the UE may activate the NPN SIM when the UE camps on a collocated 3GPP cell. In another exemplary embodiment, the UE may enter a second cell fencing mode when location information is currently available for the UE . In the second mode, the UE may activate the NPN SIM when the UE is outside the geofenced NPN coverage but is camped on a boundary cell if one or more conditions is satisfied. In one example, the condition may relate to a mobility direction of the UE, e.g. , towards the NPN coverage .

[0072] In some exemplary embodiments, the cell fencing database may be used to enable the UE for NPN SIM activation. Upon enabling the NPN SIM for activation, the UE may prompt the user to select whether the NPN SIM should be activated.

[0073] The present embodiments for cell fencing may be useful in various scenarios. In one example scenario, the UE has no location information available, e.g. , via GPS or WiFi, for determining the UE is within the geofenced NPN coverage. In this case, the UE is still able to access the NPN by inferring that it is within the NPN coverage. In another example scenario, a user has manually deactivated the NPN SIM and enabled two 3GPP cellular SIMs while within NPN coverage. In this case, the UE may prompt the user to activate the NPN SIM, e.g., when the UE changes 3GPP cells. In another example scenario, the UE is close to the border of the geofence and moves in and out of NPN coverage frequently. In this case, the UE may enable the activation of the NPN SIM when the UE is camped on a boundary 3GPP cell and is moving toward NPN coverage .

[0074] Fig. 6 shows a diagram 600 including a UE 602 moving through a cell fencing area where 3GPP cells overlap with NPN coverage 604 according to various exemplary embodiments. In this example, a first 3GPP cell 606 fully overlaps in coverage with the geofenced NPN coverage area 604 (e.g. , 3GPP cell 606 is a collocated cell) . A second 3GPP cell 608 partially overlaps in coverage with the NPN (e.g. , 3GPP cell 608 is a boundary cell) . A third 3GPP cell 610 has no overlap in coverage with the NPN. The UE 602 may move throughout the NPN coverage 604 maintaining a link enabled by the NPN SIM. The UE 602 may be a multi-SIM UE and simultaneously maintain a cellular link withthe 3GPP NR RAN, e.g., a PLMN. As the UE moves through the NPN coverage 604 and out of NPN coverage 604 the UE may camp to the first 3GPP cell 606, the second 3GPP cell 608 or the third 3GPP cell 610.

[0075] In some exemplary embodiments, the UE may be used to collect cell fencing data which may be provided to the NPN operator, e.g., a server. Data may be collected from multiple UEs enabled to access the NPN and this data may be merged according to NPN preferences. The cell fencing database may be assembled by the NPN operator and pushed to NPN UEs to enable the UEs to access the NPN via the cell fencing techniques described herein.

[0076] Fig. 7 shows a flowchart 700 for collecting cell fencing data for a cell fencing database according to various exemplary embodiments. The flowchart 700 is described with regard to a UE installed with at least one cellular SIM and a NPN SIM. In 705, the UE is in a scenario for data collection for the cell fencing database. The UE is in NPN coverage and is within the geofenced NPN coverage area. The UE has location services, e.g., GPS, enabled.

[0077] In 710, the UE collects cell fencing data. The cell fencing data may comprise 3GPP cell information and GPS information in view of the NPN coverage. For example, the UE may collect GPS information while camped on various cells within and / or outside the NPN coverage. This information may be used to, e.g. , identify collocated 3GPP cells (fully within the NPN coverage) , identify boundary 3GPP cells (partially within the NPN coverage) , and identify 3GPP cells outside the NPN coverage.

[0078] The above steps 705-710 may be performed by a number of UEs in a multi-UE data collection operation. In 715, the UE shares the cell fencing data with a server. The server may merge the data from each individual UE in the multi-UE data collection operation. For example, the data may be added to the APACS NPN database. Based on an analysis of the data, the server may condense the data into cell fencing parameters in a cell fencing database that may be pushed to a UE for performing cell fencing operations. In 720, the UE receives cell fencing parameters and / or a full cell fencing database from the NPN. For example, the cell fencing parameters may associate a 3GPP cell with NPN coverage such that, even if location information is not available at the UE, the UE may infer NPN availability based on a 3GPP cell to which the UE is camped. The cell fencing parameters may also associate a 3GPP cell with a boundary of NPN coverage such that, even if location information is not available at the UE, the UE may infer NPN proximity based on a 3GPP cell to which the UE is camped.

[0079] The cell fencing database may be used to infer proximity to the geofence, e.g., when the UE is camped on a boundary cell as described above, or NPN coverage within the geofence, e.g., when the UE is camped on a collocated cell. Based on this information, the NPN SIM may be activated / deactivated based on the 3GPP cell to which the UE is currently camped. In some exemplary embodiments, when the 3GPP cell is fully within the NPN coverage, the user may be prompted to activate the NPN SIM, even when no location information is available. When location information is available, and the UE is not yet within NPN coverage, the UE may, in some cases, activate the NPN SIM if the cell fencing information and / orlocation information indicates the UE may soon be in geofenced NPN coverage.

[0080] Fig. 8 shows a flowchart 800 for cell fencing assistance for enabling a NPN SIM according to various exemplary embodiments. The flowchart 800 is described with regard to a UE installed with at least one cellular SIM and a NPN SIM and having a cell fencing database for a NPN. The UE may further be enabled with a location determining service via, e.g., GPS or WiFi. In 805, the UE checks whether location information, e.g., GPS, is available. If location information is not available, in 810, a first cell fencing mode is enabled, e.g., cell fencing without GPS support. In this cell fencing mode (e.g., cell fencing preferred) , the UE may infer NPN access if it is camped on a collocated 3GPP cell (fully within the NPN geofence) . In 815, the UE checks whether it is camped on a collocated 3GPP cell based on the cell fencing database. If the UE is not camped on such a 3GPP cell, the UE may continue monitoring as it changes serving cells. If the UE proceeds to camp to such a cell, the method proceeds to 840 and the NPN SIM may be enabled and activated upon user selection. If location data becomes available, the UE may switch to a second mode (e.g., cell fencing assist mode) .

[0081] Returning to 805, if location information is available, in 820, the UE enables the second mode. In the second mode, cell fencing is performed with location support, e.g., GPS. In 825, the UE checks whether it is within NPN coverage, e.g., via GPS or via cell fencing. If the UE is within NPN coverage, the method proceeds to 840 and the NPN SIM may be enabled and activated upon user selection. If the UE is not within NPN coverage, in 830, the UE checks whether it isnear the geofence and within a cell fence, e.g., a boundary cell. If the UE is not near the geofence and / or within a cell fence, the UE may continue monitoring as it changes serving cells. If the UE is near the geofence, in 835, the UE may check whether its mobility direction is toward the boundary of the geofence. If the mobility direction is not toward the boundary of the geofence, the UE may continue monitoring. If the mobility direction is toward the boundary of the geofence, the method proceeds to 840 and the NPN SIM may be enabled and activated upon user selection.

[0082] According to another aspect of the exemplary embodiments, rules may be defined for traffic routing between 3GPP cellular SIM(s) and NPN SIM(s) when a multi-SIM UE has both SIMs activated within NPN coverage. In some embodiments, the traffic routing rules may be designed to enhance the privacy of the NPN. In some embodiments, the traffic routing rules may be designed to enhance the performance for the UE . In these embodiments, the UE may be eguipped with two default data SIMs (DDS) where any data could be pushed through.

[0083] In some embodiments, a privacy-preferred option may be provided for NPNs run by, e.g., a private organization or a government-based organization. The privacy preferred option may enable private communications in a professional environment while offloading certain types of communications to a 3GPP SIM ( cellular SIM) .

[0084] Traffic may be routed via either the 3GPP cellular SIM or the NPN SIM based on the type of traffic. In one example embodiment, if any work-related or NPN-specific application is initiated, the NPN SIM is used to route the user plane traffic.In another example embodiment, if any other Social Networking app (other than work-related / NPN-specif ic) is initiated by the user, the 3GPP SIM is used to route the user plane traffic. In another example embodiment, if the user initiates any personal email application, the 3GPP SIM is used to route the user plane traffic. In another example embodiment, if any other Slicespecific app for which the Routing descriptor is defined over 3GPP Access and not over NPN, the 3GPP sim is used to route the user plane traffic. In another example embodiment, the NPN SIM is used for any other user plane traffic.

[0085] In another aspect of these exemplary embodiments, an experience preferred option may be provided. The experience preferred option may provide options for routing traffic based on considerations such as, e.g., the type of application and whether a SIM is preferred for the application, scheduling / loading conditions, or quality of service (QoS) . In some cases, in the event of a failure or poor conditions on either the NPN SIM or the cellular SIM, data activity may be continued .

[0086] In some embodiments, for applications that are part of a subscription in certain networks, the UE may select between the NPN SIM and the cellular SIM in the following ways. In one embodiment, when the application is initiated with the NPN SIM, the user may be prompted (e.g., by a pop-up) to select a default SIM for the application. In another embodiment, the application may have a profile associated therewith that may indicate a network over which the traffic should be routed.

[0087] If, while the application is running, the preferred SIM is in the deactivated state, the user may initiate the appon the foreground and the corresponding preferred SIM may be activated while deactivating the NPN SIM. If, while the application is running, the preferred SIM is in the activated state, if the background data bytes are greater than the foreground app, then the NPN SIM may be used (assuming the data plan is economical) . If not, then all data traffic may be routed toward the cellular SIM.

[0088] In further embodiments, scheduling / loading conditions may be considered. In one embodiment, if loading conditions or scheduling rate is below a threshold in NPN SIM, traffic may be switched to the cellular 3GPP SIM. In another embodiment, the UE could also analyze higher layer behavior (TCP window size, inter-arrival time between successful packets) to further understand the network congestion behavior.

[0089] In further embodiments, the UE may be configured with QoS for data traffic. If the UE is configured with QoS for data traffic for similar traffic profiles, the traffic routing may be configured to follow the SIM which has a better 5QI value.

[0090] In current implementations, one NPN is mapped to one SIM and there is no priority. In the future, multiple NPNs could be available in a given location. To save power in scanning (cell search) , the UE may scan only critical or supported NPNs via a certain priority list.

[0091] According to another aspect of these exemplary embodiments, NPN system selection scanning may be optimized. During initial selection, e.g., when airplane mode is toggled off, the UE is rebooted, or a manual scan is initiated, the scanning may be performed on the NPN SIM in the following order.

[0092] First, the UE scans for previously camped NPNs . Second, the UE scans for NPN (s) in the previously camped NR frequency. Third, the UE scans for NPN(s) based on the active application last used. Fourth, the UE scans for NPN(s) based on historic data, e.g. , NPNs previously scanned in the current geographical location. Fifth, the UE scans for NPN(s) outside the previously camped NR frequency in the same frequency range. Sixth, the UE scans for NPN ( s ) outside of the same frequency range .

[0093] In another aspect of the exemplary embodiments, the UE may provide location direction assistance to the user. In these embodiments, the UE provides the user with the option to locate the NPN within a current city based on Geofencing data available for Subscribed NPN. In case multiple NPNs are available for the subscribed SUB, the UE may provide an option to select one NPN. In some cases, the user may manually select an NPN if user moves frequently in and out of NPN coverage, e.g., if the user is working on border of the geofence. This process may be optimized when, e.g., the user is in close proximity to the NPN or if the user wants to know the location where the NPN application may be used.

[0094] Fig. 9 shows a flowchart 900 for NPN location assistance according to various exemplary embodiments. The flowchart 900 is described with regard to a UE installed with a NPN SIM. In 905, the UE initiates the NPN application. In 910, the UE checks the NPN proximity against its own location.

[0095] If the UE is in the geofence, in 915, the UE enables the NPN SIM. The UE may perform a cell search, register withthe NPN, and access NPN services. The NPN SIM remains enabled as long as the UE remains in the geofence. In 920, the UE leaves the geofence and checks whether the UE still has NPN coverage outside the geofence. If the UE still has NPN coverage outside the geofence, in 925, the UE gives the user the option to manually select the NPN for which it has coverage. If the UE does not have network coverage outside the geofence, in 930, the UE provides the user with the option to stay in NPN mode. For example, the NPN SIM may stay activated and the method may return to 910. This option may be useful for a user that, for example, frequently moves in and out of the geofence due to work .

[0096] Returning to 910, if the UE has NPN proximity but is outside the geofence, in 935, the UE checks whether it has NPN coverage available to camp. If the UE does not currently have coverage, the UE may wait until it has NPN coverage. When the UE has NPN coverage available to camp outside the geofence, in 940, the UE measures the signal of the NPN frequencies. If the signal is greater than a threshold, in 945, the UE enables the user to manually select the NPN. This option may enable the NPN before reaching the destination so that the link with the NPN may be established quickly upon entering the geofence.

[0097] If the signal is not greater than a threshold, in 950, the UE checks whether multiple NPNs are available. If multiple NPNs are not available (e.g., if only one NPN is available) , in 955, the UE enables the user to manually select the NPN. If multiple NPNs are available, in 960, the UE checks whether a fence location is available for the multiple NPNs. If only one fence location is available, in 965, the UE provides the user the option for directions to the available NPN. If multiplefence locations are available, in 970, the UE provides the user with options to select an NPN to get directions to the selected NPN.Examples

[0098] In a first example, a method is performed by a user equipment (UE) , the method comprising receiving user plane traffic while at least one of a first subscriber identification module (SIM) enabling access to a non-public network (NPN) and a second SIM enabling access to a public land mobile network (PLMN) are active, based on predefined rules or settings associating a type of user plane traffic with either the first SIM or the second SIM, or based on traffic conditions on the first SIM or the second SIM, determining whether the user plane traffic is to be routed via the first SIM or the second SIM and routing the user plane traffic via the determined first SIM or the second SIM.

[0099] In a second example, the method of the first example, wherein, when the type of user plane traffic is application traffic for an application specific to the NPN, routing the user plane traffic via the first SIM.

[0100] In a third example, the method of the first example, wherein, when the type of user plane traffic is application traffic for a social media application, routing the user plane traffic via the second SIM.

[0101] In a fourth example, the method of the first example, wherein, when the type of user plane traffic is application traffic for a personal email application, routing the user plane traffic via the second SIM.

[0102] In a fifth example, the method of the first example, wherein, when the type of user plane traffic is application traffic for a slice specific application for which routing descriptors are defined over cellular access and not over NPN access, routing the user plane traffic via the second SIM.

[0103] In a sixth example, the method of the first example, wherein, when the type of user plane traffic is any type of user plane traffic not explicitly referenced in the predefined rules, routing the user plane traffic via the first SIM.

[0104] In a seventh example, the method of the first example, further comprising receiving a user selection of a default or preferred SIM for an application and routing the user plane traffic via the default or preferred SIM when the user plane traffic is for the application.

[0105] In an eighth example, the method of the seventh example, further comprising activating the default or preferred SIM when the default or preferred SIM is inactive when the user plane traffic is received.

[0106] In a ninth example, the method of the first example, further comprising, when the user plane traffic is for an application, checking a profile of the application for an association with the NPN for which access is enabled by the first SIM or the PLMN for which access is enabled by the second SIM and routing the user plane traffic based on the profile.

[0107] In a tenth example, the method of the first example, further comprising comparing loading conditions or a schedulingrate for a currently activated SIM to a respective threshold and switching from the currently activated SIM to a different SIM when the loading conditions or the scheduling rate is below the respective threshold.

[0108] In an eleventh example, the method of the first example, further comprising analyzing higher layer behavior for a currently activated SIM and switching to a different SIM if the higher layer behavior indicates congestion on the currently activated SIM.

[0109] In a twelfth example, the method of the first example, further comprising routing the user plane traffic via the SIM having a better 5QI value.

[0110] In a thirteenth example, a processor configured to perform any of the methods of the first through twelfth examples .

[0111] In a fourteenth example, a user equipment (UE) comprising a transceiver configured to communicate with a network and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and configured to perform any of the methods of the first through twelfth examples.

[0112] Those skilled in the art will understand that the above-described example embodiments may be implemented in any suitable software or hardware configuration or combination thereof. An example hardware platform for implementing the example embodiments may include, for example, an Intel x86 based platform with compatible operating system, a Windows OS, a Mac platform and MAC OS, a mobile device having an operating systemsuch as iOS , Android, etc . The example embodiments described above may be embodied as a program containing lines of code stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that, when compiled, may be executed on a processor or microprocessor .

[0113] Although this application described various embodiments each having different features in various combinations , those skilled in the art will understand that any of the features of one embodiment may be combined with the features of the other embodiments in any manner not speci fically disclaimed or which is not functionally or logically inconsistent with the operation of the device or the stated functions of the disclosed embodiments .

[0114] It is well understood that the use of personally identi fiable information should follow privacy policies and practices that are generally recogni zed as meeting or exceeding industry or governmental requirements for maintaining the privacy of users . In particular, personally identifiable information data should be managed and handled so as to minimi ze risks of unintentional or unauthori zed access or use , and the nature of authori zed use should be clearly indicated to users .

[0115] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modi fications may be made in the present disclosure , without departing from the spirit or the scope of the disclosure . Thus , it is intended that the present disclosure cover modifications and variations of this disclosure provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalent .

Claims

What is Claimed:

1. An apparatus of a user equipment (UE) , the apparatus comprising processing circuitry configured to: receive user plane traffic while at least one of a first subscriber identification module (SIM) enabling access to a nonpublic network (NPN) and a second SIM enabling access to a public land mobile network (PLMN) are active; based on predefined rules or settings associating a type of user plane traffic with either the first SIM or the second SIM, or based on traffic conditions on the first SIM or the second SIM, determine whether the user plane traffic is to be routed via the first SIM or the second SIM; and route the user plane traffic via the determined first SIM or the second SIM.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the type of user plane traffic is application traffic for an application specific to the NPN, routing the user plane traffic via the first SIM.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the type of user plane traffic is application traffic for a social media application, routing the user plane traffic via the second SIM.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the type of user plane traffic is application traffic for a personal email application, routing the user plane traffic via the second SIM.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the type of user plane traffic is application traffic for a slice specific application for which routing descriptors are defined over cellular access and not over NPN access, routing the user plane traffic via the second SIM.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the type of user plane traffic is any type of user plane traffic not explicitly referenced in the predefined rules, routing the user plane traffic via the first SIM.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: receive a user selection of a default or preferred SIM for an application; and route the user plane traffic via the default or preferred SIM when the user plane traffic is for the application.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: activate the default or preferred SIM when the default or preferred SIM is inactive when the user plane traffic is received .

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: when the user plane traffic is for an application, check a profile of the application for an association with the NPN for which access is enabled by the first SIM or the PLMN for which access is enabled by the second SIM; and route the user plane traffic based on the profile.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: compare loading conditions or a scheduling rate for a currently activated SIM to a respective threshold; andswitch from the currently activated SIM to a different SIM when the loading conditions or the scheduling rate is below the respective threshold.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: analyze higher layer behavior for a currently activated SIM; and switch to a different SIM if the higher layer behavior indicates congestion on the currently activated SIM.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: route the user plane traffic via the SIM having a better5QI value.

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