Handling of restricted service area cause in non-restricting cases
By defining UE actions for handling 'restricted service area' indications via non-3GPP or SNPN access, the patent addresses ambiguity in 5G NR standards, ensuring stable network connections and resource management.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/CN2025/084634
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-04-02
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-25
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-09
AI Technical Summary
The ambiguity in UE behavior when receiving a 'restricted service area' indication via non-3GPP access or SNPN access is not defined in existing 5G NR standards, leading to undefined states and potential network instability.
Define specific UE actions when receiving a 'restricted service area' indication via non-3GPP or SNPN access, including entering the 5GMM-REGISTERED state, aborting the service request procedure, stopping timer T3517, and releasing allocated resources.
Provides clear and deterministic UE behavior, preventing undefined states and maintaining network stability by treating 'restricted service area' indications appropriately based on access type, ensuring consistent protocol flow and resource management.
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Figure CN2025084634_09102025_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
HANDLING OF RESTRICTED SERVICE AREA CAUSE IN NON-RESTRICTING CASESCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION (S)
[0001] This application claims priorities of Indian Patent Application Serial No. 202421027388, entitled “Handling of Restricted service area cause in non-restricting cases” and filed on April 2, 2024, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entiretyBACKGROUNDField
[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, and more particularly, to techniques of handling "restricted service area" indications received by a user equipment (UE) in scenarios where such indications are not applicable. Background
[0003] The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
[0004] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various telecommunication services such as telephony, video, data, messaging, and broadcasts. Typical wireless communication systems may employ multiple-access technologies capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources. Examples of such multiple-access technologies include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) systems, and time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) systems.
[0005] These multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunication standards to provide a common protocol that enables different wireless devices to communicate on a municipal, national, regional, and even global level. An example telecommunication standard is 5G New Radio (NR) . 5G NR is part of a continuous mobile broadband evolution promulgated by Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) to meet new requirements associated with latency, reliability, security, scalability (e.g., with Internet of Things (IoT) ) , and other requirements. Some aspects of 5G NR may be based on the 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard. There exists a need for further improvements in 5G NR technology. These improvements may also be applicable to other multi-access technologies and the telecommunication standards that employ these technologies.SUMMARY
[0006] The following presents a simplified summary of one or more aspects in order to provide a basic understanding of such aspects. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated aspects, and is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of all aspects nor delineate the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
[0007] In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus may be a UE. The UE receives a SERVICE REJECT message from a network. The SERVICE REJECT message includes a 5G Mobility Management (5GMM) cause value indicating a restricted service area. The UE determines that the SERVICE REJECT message is received via a non-3GPP access other than a wireline access. In response to this determination, the UE performs at least one action. The UE may enter a 5GMM-REGISTERED state. The UE may abort a service request procedure. The UE may stop a timer associated with the service request procedure. The UE may locally release resources allocated for the service request procedure.
[0008] To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the one or more aspects comprise the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative features of the one or more aspects. These features are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of various aspects may be employed, and this description is intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wireless communications system and an access network.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a base station in communication with a UE in an access network.
[0011] FIG. 3 illustrates an example logical architecture of a distributed access network.
[0012] FIG. 4 illustrates an example physical architecture of a distributed access network.
[0013] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a communication system that includes various access networks and devices for accessing a core network.
[0014] FIG. 6 is a flow chart of a method for wireless communication.DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the concepts described herein may be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well known structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring such concepts.
[0016] Several aspects of telecommunications systems will now be presented with reference to various apparatus and methods. These apparatus and methods will be described in the following detailed description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings by various blocks, components, circuits, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively referred to as “elements” ) . These elements may be implemented using electronic hardware, computer software, or any combination thereof. Whether such elements are implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system.
[0017] By way of example, an element, or any portion of an element, or any combination of elements may be implemented as a “processing system” that includes one or more processors. Examples of processors include microprocessors, microcontrollers, graphics processing units (GPUs) , central processing units (CPUs) , application processors, digital signal processors (DSPs) , reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processors, systems on a chip (SoC) , baseband processors, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) , programmable logic devices (PLDs) , state machines, gated logic, discrete hardware circuits, and other suitable hardware configured to perform the various functionality described throughout this disclosure. One or more processors in the processing system may execute software. Software shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software components, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executables, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.
[0018] Accordingly, in one or more example aspects, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or encoded as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes computer storage media. Storage media may be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can comprise a random-access memory (RAM) , a read-only memory (ROM) , an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM) , optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, other magnetic storage devices, combinations of the aforementioned types of computer-readable media, or any other medium that can be used to store computer executable code in the form of instructions or data structures that can be accessed by a computer.
[0019] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wireless communications system and an access network 100. The wireless communications system (also referred to as a wireless wide area network (WWAN) ) includes base stations 102, UEs 104, an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) 160, and another core network 190 (e.g., a 5G Core (5GC) ) . The base stations 102 may include macrocells (high power cellular base station) and / or small cells (low power cellular base station) . The macrocells include base stations. The small cells include femtocells, picocells, and microcells.
[0020] The base stations 102 configured for 4G LTE (collectively referred to as Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) ) may interface with the EPC 160 through backhaul links 132 (e.g., SI interface) . The base stations 102 configured for 5G NR (collectively referred to as Next Generation RAN (NG-RAN) ) may interface with core network 190 through backhaul links 184. In addition to other functions, the base stations 102 may perform one or more of the following functions: transfer of user data, radio channel ciphering and deciphering, integrity protection, header compression, mobility control functions (e.g., handover, dual connectivity) , inter cell interference coordination, connection setup and release, load balancing, distribution for non-access stratum (NAS) messages, NAS node selection, synchronization, radio access network (RAN) sharing, multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS) , subscriber and equipment trace, RAN information management (RIM) , paging, positioning, and delivery of warning messages. The base stations 102 may communicate directly or indirectly (e.g., through the EPC 160 or core network 190) with each other over backhaul links 134 (e.g., X2 interface) . The backhaul links 134 may be wired or wireless.
[0021] The base stations 102 may wirelessly communicate with the UEs 104. Each of the base stations 102 may provide communication coverage for a respective geographic coverage area 110. There may be overlapping geographic coverage areas 110. For example, the small cell 102’ may have a coverage area 110’ that overlaps the coverage area 110 of one or more macro base stations 102. A network that includes both small cell and macrocells may be known as a heterogeneous network. A heterogeneous network may also include Home Evolved Node Bs (eNBs) (HeNBs) , which may provide service to a restricted group known as a closed subscriber group (CSG) . The communication links 120 between the base stations 102 and the UEs 104 may include uplink (UL) (also referred to as reverse link) transmissions from a UE 104 to a base station 102 and / or downlink (DL) (also referred to as forward link) transmissions from a base station 102 to a UE 104. The communication links 120 may use multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology, including spatial multiplexing, beamforming, and / or transmit diversity. The communication links may be through one or more carriers. The base stations 102 / UEs 104 may use spectrum up to 7 MHz (e.g., 5, 10, 15, 20, 100, 400, etc. MHz) bandwidth per carrier allocated in a carrier aggregation of up to a total of Yx MHz (x component carriers) used for transmission in each direction. The carriers may or may not be adjacent to each other. Allocation of carriers may be asymmetric with respect to DL and UL (e.g., more or fewer carriers may be allocated for DL than for UL) . The component carriers may include a primary component carrier and one or more secondary component carriers. A primary component carrier may be referred to as a primary cell (PCell) and a secondary component carrier may be referred to as a secondary cell (SCell) .
[0022] Certain UEs 104 may communicate with each other using device-to-device (D2D) communication link 158. The D2D communication link 158 may use the DL / UL WWAN spectrum. The D2D communication link 158 may use one or more sidelink channels, such as a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH) , a physical sidelink discovery channel (PSDCH) , a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) , and a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) . D2D communication may be through a variety of wireless D2D communications systems, such as for example, FlashLinQ, WiMedia, Bluetooth, ZigBee, Wi-Fi based on the IEEE 802.11 standard, LTE, or NR.
[0023] The wireless communications system may further include a Wi-Fi access point (AP) 150 in communication with Wi-Fi stations (STAs) 152 via communication links 154 in a 5 GHz unlicensed frequency spectrum. When communicating in an unlicensed frequency spectrum, the STAs 152 / AP 150 may perform a clear channel assessment (CCA) prior to communicating in order to determine whether the channel is available.
[0024] The small cell 102’ may operate in a licensed and / or an unlicensed frequency spectrum. When operating in an unlicensed frequency spectrum, the small cell 102’ may employ NR and use the same 5 GHz unlicensed frequency spectrum as used by the Wi-Fi AP 150. The small cell 102’ , employing NR in an unlicensed frequency spectrum, may boost coverage to and / or increase capacity of the access network.
[0025] A base station 102, whether a small cell 102’ or a large cell (e.g., macro base station) , may include an eNB, gNodeB (gNB) , or another type of base station. Some base stations, such as gNB 180 may operate in a traditional sub 6 GHz spectrum, in millimeter wave (mmW) frequencies, and / or near mmW frequencies in communication with the UE 104. When the gNB 180 operates in mmW or near mmW frequencies, the gNB 180 may be referred to as an mmW base station. Extremely high frequency (EHF) is part of the RF in the electromagnetic spectrum. EHF has a range of 30 GHz to 300 GHz and a wavelength between 1 millimeter and 10 millimeters. Radio waves in the band may be referred to as a millimeter wave. Near mmW may extend down to a frequency of 3 GHz with a wavelength of 100 millimeters. The super high frequency (SHF) band extends between 3 GHz and 30 GHz, also referred to as centimeter wave. Communications using the mmW / near mmW radio frequency band (e.g., 3 GHz -300 GHz) has extremely high path loss and a short range. The mmW base station 180 may utilize beamforming 182 with the UE 104 to compensate for the extremely high path loss and short range.
[0026] The base station 180 may transmit a beamformed signal to the UE 104 in one or more transmit directions 108a. The UE 104 may receive the beamformed signal from the base station 180 in one or more receive directions 108b. The UE 104 may also transmit a beamformed signal to the base station 180 in one or more transmit directions. The base station 180 may receive the beamformed signal from the UE 104 in one or more receive directions. The base station 180 / UE 104 may perform beam training to determine the best receive and transmit directions for each of the base station 180 / UE 104. The transmit and receive directions for the base station 180 may or may not be the same. The transmit and receive directions for the UE 104 may or may not be the same.
[0027] The EPC 160 may include a Mobility Management Entity (MME) 162, other MMEs 164, a Serving Gateway 166, a Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) Gateway 168, a Broadcast Multicast Service Center (BM-SC) 170, and a Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway 172. The MME 162 may be in communication with a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 174. The MME 162 is the control node that processes the signaling between the UEs 104 and the EPC 160. Generally, the MME 162 provides bearer and connection management. All user Internet protocol (IP) packets are transferred through the Serving Gateway 166, which itself is connected to the PDN Gateway 172. The PDN Gateway 172 provides UE IP address allocation as well as other functions. The PDN Gateway 172 and the BM-SC 170 are connected to the IP Services 176. The IP Services 176 may include the Internet, an intranet, an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) , a PS Streaming Service, and / or other IP services. The BM-SC 170 may provide functions for MBMS user service provisioning and delivery. The BM-SC 170 may serve as an entry point for content provider MBMS transmission, may be used to authorize and initiate MBMS Bearer Services within a public land mobile network (PLMN) , and may be used to schedule MBMS transmissions. The MBMS Gateway 168 may be used to distribute MBMS traffic to the base stations 102 belonging to a Multicast Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) area broadcasting a particular service, and may be responsible for session management (start / stop) and for collecting eMBMS related charging information.
[0028] The core network 190 may include a Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 192, other AMFs 193, a location management function (LMF) 198, a Session Management Function (SMF) 194, and a User Plane Function (UPF) 195. The AMF 192 may be in communication with a Unified Data Management (UDM) 196. The AMF 192 is the control node that processes the signaling between the UEs 104 and the core network 190. Generally, the SMF 194 provides QoS flow and session management. All user Internet protocol (IP) packets are transferred through the UPF 195. The UPF 195 provides UE IP address allocation as well as other functions. The UPF 195 is connected to the IP Services 197. The IP Services 197 may include the Internet, an intranet, an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) , a PS Streaming Service, and / or other IP services.
[0029] The base station may also be referred to as a gNB, Node B, evolved Node B (eNB) , an access point, a base transceiver station, a radio base station, a radio transceiver, a transceiver function, a basic service set (BSS) , an extended service set (ESS) , a transmit reception point (TRP) , or some other suitable terminology. The base station 102 provides an access point to the EPC 160 or core network 190 for a UE 104. Examples of UEs 104 include a cellular phone, a smart phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a laptop, a personal digital assistant (PDA) , a satellite radio, a global positioning system, a multimedia device, a video device, a digital audio player (e.g., MP3 player) , a camera, a game console, a tablet, a smart device, a wearable device, a vehicle, an electric meter, a gas pump, a large or small kitchen appliance, a healthcare device, an implant, a sensor / actuator, a display, or any other similar functioning device. Some of the UEs 104 may be referred to as IoT devices (e.g., parking meter, gas pump, toaster, vehicles, heart monitor, etc. ) . The UE 104 may also be referred to as a station, a mobile station, a subscriber station, a mobile unit, a subscriber unit, a wireless unit, a remote unit, a mobile device, a wireless device, a wireless communications device, a remote device, a mobile subscriber station, an access terminal, a mobile terminal, a wireless terminal, a remote terminal, a handset, a user agent, a mobile client, a client, or some other suitable terminology.
[0030] Although the present disclosure may reference 5G New Radio (NR) , the present disclosure may be applicable to other similar areas, such as LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) , Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) , Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) , or other wireless / radio access technologies.
[0031] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a base station 210 in communication with a UE 250 in an access network. In the DL, IP packets from the EPC 160 may be provided to a controller / processor 275. The controller / processor 275 implements layer 3 and layer 2 functionality. Layer 3 includes a radio resource control (RRC) layer, and layer 2 includes a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, and a medium access control (MAC) layer. The controller / processor 275 provides RRC layer functionality associated with broadcasting of system information (e.g., MIB, SIBs) , RRC connection control (e.g., RRC connection paging, RRC connection establishment, RRC connection modification, and RRC connection release) , inter radio access technology (RAT) mobility, and measurement configuration for UE measurement reporting; PDCP layer functionality associated with header compression / decompression, security (ciphering, deciphering, integrity protection, integrity verification) , and handover support functions; RLC layer functionality associated with the transfer of upper layer packet data units (PDUs) , error correction through ARQ, concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly of RLC service data units (SDUs) , re-segmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functionality associated with mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing of MAC SDUs onto transport blocks (TBs) , demultiplexing of MAC SDUs from TBs, scheduling information reporting, error correction through HARQ, priority handling, and logical channel prioritization.
[0032] The transmit (TX) processor 216 and the receive (RX) processor 270 implement layer 1 functionality associated with various signal processing functions. Layer 1, which includes a physical (PHY) layer, may include error detection on the transport channels, forward error correction (FEC) coding / decoding of the transport channels, interleaving, rate matching, mapping onto physical channels, modulation / demodulation of physical channels, and MIMO antenna processing. The TX processor 216 handles mapping to signal constellations based on various modulation schemes (e.g., binary phase-shift keying (BPSK) , quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) , M-phase-shift keying (M-PSK) , M-quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM) ) . The coded and modulated symbols may then be split into parallel streams. Each stream may then be mapped to an OFDM subcarrier, multiplexed with a reference signal (e.g., pilot) in the time and / or frequency domain, and then combined together using an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) to produce a physical channel carrying a time domain OFDM symbol stream. The OFDM stream is spatially precoded to produce multiple spatial streams. Channel estimates from a channel estimator 274 may be used to determine the coding and modulation scheme, as well as for spatial processing. The channel estimate may be derived from a reference signal and / or channel condition feedback transmitted by the UE 250. Each spatial stream may then be provided to a different antenna 220 via a separate transmitter 218TX. Each transmitter 218TX may modulate an RF carrier with a respective spatial stream for transmission.
[0033] At the UE 250, each receiver 254RX receives a signal through its respective antenna 252. Each receiver 254RX recovers information modulated onto an RF carrier and provides the information to the receive (RX) processor 256. The TX processor 268 and the RX processor 256 implement layer 1 functionality associated with various signal processing functions. The RX processor 256 may perform spatial processing on the information to recover any spatial streams destined for the UE 250. If multiple spatial streams are destined for the UE 250, they may be combined by the RX processor 256 into a single OFDM symbol stream. The RX processor 256 then converts the OFDM symbol stream from the time-domain to the frequency domain using a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) . The frequency domain signal comprises a separate OFDM symbol stream for each subcarrier of the OFDM signal. The symbols on each subcarrier, and the reference signal, are recovered and demodulated by determining the most likely signal constellation points transmitted by the base station 210. These soft decisions may be based on channel estimates computed by the channel estimator 258. The soft decisions are then decoded and deinterleaved to recover the data and control signals that were originally transmitted by the base station 210 on the physical channel. The data and control signals are then provided to the controller / processor 259, which implements layer 3 and layer 2 functionality.
[0034] The controller / processor 259 can be associated with a memory 260 that stores program codes and data. The memory 260 may be referred to as a computer-readable medium. In the UL, the controller / processor 259 provides demultiplexing between transport and logical channels, packet reassembly, deciphering, header decompression, and control signal processing to recover IP packets from the EPC 160. The controller / processor 259 is also responsible for error detection using an ACK and / or NACK protocol to support HARQ operations.
[0035] Similar to the functionality described in connection with the DL transmission by the base station 210, the controller / processor 259 provides RRC layer functionality associated with system information (e.g., MIB, SIBs) acquisition, RRC connections, and measurement reporting; PDCP layer functionality associated with header compression / decompression, and security (ciphering, deciphering, integrity protection, integrity verification) ; RLC layer functionality associated with the transfer of upper layer PDUs, error correction through ARQ, concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly of RLC SDUs, re-segmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functionality associated with mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing of MAC SDUs onto TBs, demultiplexing of MAC SDUs from TBs, scheduling information reporting, error correction through HARQ, priority handling, and logical channel prioritization.
[0036] Channel estimates derived by a channel estimator 258 from a reference signal or feedback transmitted by the base station 210 may be used by the TX processor 268 to select the appropriate coding and modulation schemes, and to facilitate spatial processing. The spatial streams generated by the TX processor 268 may be provided to different antenna 252 via separate transmitters 254TX. Each transmitter 254TX may modulate an RF carrier with a respective spatial stream for transmission. The UL transmission is processed at the base station 210 in a manner similar to that described in connection with the receiver function at the UE 250. Each receiver 218RX receives a signal through its respective antenna 220. Each receiver 218RX recovers information modulated onto an RF carrier and provides the information to a RX processor 270.
[0037] The controller / processor 275 can be associated with a memory 276 that stores program codes and data. The memory 276 may be referred to as a computer-readable medium. In the UL, the controller / processor 275 provides demultiplexing between transport and logical channels, packet reassembly, deciphering, header decompression, control signal processing to recover IP packets from the UE 250. IP packets from the controller / processor 275 may be provided to the EPC 160. The controller / processor 275 is also responsible for error detection using an ACK and / or NACK protocol to support HARQ operations.
[0038] New radio (NR) may refer to radios configured to operate according to a new air interface (e.g., other than Orthogonal Frequency Divisional Multiple Access (OFDMA) -based air interfaces) or fixed transport layer (e.g., other than Internet Protocol (IP) ) . NR may utilize OFDM with a cyclic prefix (CP) on the uplink and downlink and may include support for half-duplex operation using time division duplexing (TDD) . NR may include Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) service targeting wide bandwidth (e.g. 80 MHz beyond) , millimeter wave (mmW) targeting high carrier frequency (e.g. 60 GHz) , massive MTC (mMTC) targeting non-backward compatible MTC techniques, and / or mission critical targeting ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) service.
[0039] A single component carrier bandwidth of 100 MHz may be supported. In one example, NR resource blocks (RBs) may span 12 sub-carriers with a sub-carrier bandwidth of 60 kHz over a 0.25 ms duration or a bandwidth of 30 kHz over a 0.5 ms duration (similarly, 50MHz BW for 15kHz SCS over a 1 ms duration) . Each radio frame may consist of 10 subframes (10, 20, 40 or 80 NR slots) with a length of 10 ms. Each slot may indicate a link direction (i.e., DL or UL) for data transmission and the link direction for each slot may be dynamically switched. Each slot may include DL / UL data as well as DL / UL control data. UL and DL slots for NR may be as described in more detail below with respect to FIGs. 5 and 6.
[0040] The NR RAN may include a central unit (CU) and distributed units (DUs) . A NR BS (e.g., gNB, 5G Node B, Node B, transmission reception point (TRP) , access point (AP) ) may correspond to one or multiple BSs. NR cells can be configured as access cells (ACells) or data only cells (DCells) . For example, the RAN (e.g., a central unit or distributed unit) can configure the cells. DCells may be cells used for carrier aggregation or dual connectivity and may not be used for initial access, cell selection / reselection, or handover. In some cases DCells may not transmit synchronization signals (SS) in some cases DCells may transmit SS. NR BSs may transmit downlink signals to UEs indicating the cell type. Based on the cell type indication, the UE may communicate with the NR BS. For example, the UE may determine NR BSs to consider for cell selection, access, handover, and / or measurement based on the indicated cell type.
[0041] FIG. 3 illustrates an example logical architecture of a distributed RAN 300, according to aspects of the present disclosure. A 5G access node 306 may include an access node controller (ANC) 302. The ANC may be a central unit (CU) of the distributed RAN. The backhaul interface to the next generation core network (NG-CN) 304 may terminate at the ANC. The backhaul interface to neighboring next generation access nodes (NG-ANs) 310 may terminate at the ANC. The ANC may include one or more TRPs 308 (which may also be referred to as BSs, NR BSs, Node Bs, 5G NBs, APs, or some other term) . As described above, a TRP may be used interchangeably with “cell. ”
[0042] The TRPs 308 may be a distributed unit (DU) . The TRPs may be connected to one ANC (ANC 302) or more than one ANC (not illustrated) . For example, for RAN sharing, radio as a service (RaaS) , and service specific ANC deployments, the TRP may be connected to more than one ANC. A TRP may include one or more antenna ports. The TRPs may be configured to individually (e.g., dynamic selection) or jointly (e.g., joint transmission) serve traffic to a UE.
[0043] The local architecture of the distributed RAN 300 may be used to illustrate fronthaul definition. The architecture may be defined that support fronthauling solutions across different deployment types. For example, the architecture may be based on transmit network capabilities (e.g., bandwidth, latency, and / or jitter) . The architecture may share features and / or components with LTE. According to aspects, the next generation AN (NG-AN) 310 may support dual connectivity with NR. The NG-AN may share a common fronthaul for LTE and NR.
[0044] The architecture may enable cooperation between and among TRPs 308. For example, cooperation may be preset within a TRP and / or across TRPs via the ANC 302. According to aspects, no inter-TRP interface may be needed / present.
[0045] According to aspects, a dynamic configuration of split logical functions may be present within the architecture of the distributed RAN 300. The PDCP, RLC, MAC protocol may be adaptably placed at the ANC or TRP.
[0046] FIG. 4 illustrates an example physical architecture of a distributed RAN 400, according to aspects of the present disclosure. A centralized core network unit (C-CU) 402 may host core network functions. The C-CU may be centrally deployed. C-CU functionality may be offloaded (e.g., to advanced wireless services (AWS) ) , in an effort to handle peak capacity. A centralized RAN unit (C-RU) 404 may host one or more ANC functions. Optionally, the C-RU may host core network functions locally. The C-RU may have distributed deployment. The C-RU may be closer to the network edge. A distributed unit (DU) 406 may host one or more TRPs. The DU may be located at edges of the network with radio frequency (RF) functionality.
[0047] FIG. 5 is a diagram 500 illustrating a communication system that includes various access networks and devices for accessing a 5G Core Network (5GCN) 550. In this example, a UE 504 can connect to the 5GCN 550 through a base station 502 in a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) or through a base station 506 in a Stand-alone Non-Public Network (SNPN) . The base station 502 in the PLMN and the base station 506 in the SNPN are both connected to the 5GCN 550.
[0048] Additionally, the UE 504 can access the 5GCN 550 through a non-3GPP access point 522. The non-3GPP access point 522 is in communication with the 5GCN 550. Further, a 5G residential gateway (5G-RG) 512 and a fixed network residential gateway (FN-RG) 514 communicate with the 5GCN 550 via a Wireline Access Gateway Function (W-AGF) 518. The 5G-RG 512 and the FN-RG 514 are in communication with the W-AGF 518 that is connected to the 5GCN 550. A computing device 505 or the UE 504 can access the 5GCN 550 through the 5G-RG 512 or the FN-RG 514. The 5GCN 550 includes, among other components, an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 560.
[0049] The AMF 560, as part of the 5GCN 550, may determine whether a UE, such as the UE 504, is within an allowed or non-allowed area. If the AMF 560 determines that the UE 504 is in a non-allowed area, and if a service type information element (IE) within a SERVICE REQUEST message sent by the UE 504 is set to "signalling" or "data, " the AMF 560 sends a SERVICE REJECT message to the UE 504 with a 5G Mobility Management (5GMM) cause value set to #28, which indicates "Restricted service area. " However, if the service type IE in the SERVICE REQUEST message is set to "mobile terminated services, " "emergency services, " "emergency services fallback, " "high priority access, " or "elevated signalling, " the AMF 560 continues processing the request unless other reasons prevent acceptance.
[0050] Service area restrictions typically apply only to 3GPP access and wireline access. When a UE, such as the UE 504, accesses the 5GCN 550 over 3GPP access, or when a 5G-RG 512 or a W-AGF 518 acting on behalf of an FN-RG 514 (or on behalf of an N5GC device) accesses 5GCN 550 over wireline access, cause value #28 indicates the UE is in a restricted service area. In such a cases, the UE enters the state 5GMM-REGISTERED. NON-ALLOWED-SERVICE, awaits release of the N1 NAS signalling connection, and initiates a registration process.
[0051] In a first scheme, a potential issue arises when the UE receives the 5GMM cause value #28 from other types of access networks, such as non-3GPP access via the non-3GPP access point 522, or from an SNPN via the base station 506. In these scenarios, according to the first scheme, the behavior of the UE is not defined, leading to ambiguity in the response. In particular, it is identified that the first scheme defines the UE behavior in response to receiving 5GMM cause value #28, which indicates a “restricted service area, ” when the UE receives such message via wireline access or 3GPP access. However, the behavior of the UE is not defined and is ambiguous when the UE receives 5GMM cause value #28 via non-3GPP access, or via SNPN access. Thus, a potential issue arises when, for example, the UE 504 attempts to access the 5GCN 550 through the non-3GPP access point 522 or through the SNPN via the base station 506 and receives 5GMM cause value #28 ("Restricted service area" ) .
[0052] To address this ambiguity, in a second scheme, a UE operates according to the following rules: When #28 is received from a cell belonging non-3GPP access and / or SNPN and / or from a 5G access network other than a wireline access network and 5GMM cause #28 received by the W-AGF acting on behalf of the FN-CRG or FN-BRG, then UE shall perform one or more following actions: - enter state 5GMM-REGISTERED and / or - abort the service request procedure and / or - stop timer T3517 and / or - locally release any resources allocated for the service request procedure.
[0053] That is, the second scheme considers cause #28 received from non-3GPP access other than wireline access, or from an SNPN, as an abnormal case. In the second scheme, the UE 504 treats the reception of cause #28 over non-3GPP access or SNPN access as a trigger to enter a state consistent with abnormal-case handling. Once the UE 504 deems this an abnormal case, it may enter the 5GMM-REGISTERED state, abort any ongoing service request procedure, stop timer T3517 if running, and locally release resources allocated for the service request procedure.
[0054] By defining these steps in the event that cause #28 is received outside its intended scope of 3GPP or wireline access, the UE 504 no longer remains in an undefined condition. Instead, it uses a predictable fallback procedure. The fallback categorizes cause #28 as one of the enumerated abnormal causes, as described in the standard’s handling for unexpected 5GMM cause values. As a result, the UE 504 transitions to 5GMM-REGISTERED, aborts the attempt to complete a service request, and frees any temporarily reserved resources. This behavior allows the UE 504 to avoid an unintended restriction state, because the presence of cause #28 in non-3GPP or SNPN access contexts is not indicative of a valid service area restriction in those deployments.
[0055] Under this approach, the overall protocol flow remains consistent with the normal service request logic defined for 5GMM. The UE 504, accessing the 5GCN 550 through the base station 502 in a PLMN or a wireline access network, complies with existing 3GPP behavior whenever the cause #28 is properly applied to a 3GPP or wireline service area restriction. At the same time, the UE 504 has a well-defined fallback if cause #28 is sent under non-3GPP or SNPN circumstances. Normal operations can resume without leaving the UE 504 in an undefined state. This definition clarifies 5GMM state transitions and the handling of timer T3517, thereby avoiding procedural loops or deadlocks when a restricted service area cause is employed in ways not intended by the specification.
[0056] The service area restrictions feature in 5G systems applies specifically to 3GPP access and wireline access scenarios. When a UE accesses the 5GCN over 3GPP access, or when a 5G-RG or a W-AGF acting on behalf of a Fixed Network Cable Residential Gateway (FN-CRG) (or on behalf of an N5GC device) accesses the 5GCN over wireline access, specific service area restrictions may be enforced. That is, the treatment of 5GMM cause #28 follows the normal service area restriction handling in two specific scenarios: when a UE accesses the 5GCN over 3GPP access, or when a 5G-RG 512 or the W-AGF 518 acting on behalf of an FN-CRG accesses the 5GCN over wireline access. In these cases, the receiving entity enters the 5GMM-REGISTERED. NON-ALLOWED-SERVICE state and follows the standard service area restriction procedures.
[0057] The handling of 5GMM cause #28, which indicates a "Restricted service area, " requires different treatment based on the access type through which it is received. When this cause value is received through non-3GPP access other than wireline access, or when received by the W-AGF acting on behalf of a Fixed Network Broadband Residential Gateway (FN-BRG) , it is treated as an abnormal case. This treatment differs from the standard handling applied when the same cause value is received through 3GPP access or wireline access channels (5G-RG, FN-CRG, N5GC device) .
[0058] As described supra, in the abnormal case scenario, the UE 504 follows a specific set of actions. The UE 504 enters the 5GMM-REGISTERED state, aborts any ongoing service request procedure, stops timer T3517 if it is running, and releases any resources that were allocated for the service request procedure locally. This behavior provides a clear and deterministic response when the restricted service area indication is received in contexts where it should not normally appear.
[0059] Through this defined behavior, the system maintains consistent handling of service area restrictions where they are intended to apply, while providing clear procedures for cases where the restriction indication appears in unexpected contexts. The second scheme helps prevent undefined states and maintains the stability of the network connection, particularly when the UE 504 or other devices attempt to access the 5GCN 550 through various access types.
[0060] More specifically, when the UE 504 receives 5GMM cause value #28 via non-3GPP access (excluding wireline access) or via an SNPN, the UE 504 enters the 5GMM-REGISTERED state. This action provides that the UE 504 maintains a basic level of registration with the network, even though the service request that triggered the cause value is not being fully processed. Entering the 5GMM-REGISTERED state allows the UE 504 to remain connected to the network and be prepared for further actions, such as a new registration procedure if necessary.
[0061] If a service request procedure was ongoing at the time the 5GMM cause value #28 was received, the UE 504 aborts the service request procedure. The service request procedure is initiated when the UE 504 attempts to establish a connection for services. By aborting this procedure, the UE 504 stops any further attempts to establish the connection based on the initial request, thereby preventing potential loops or conflicts that could arise from continuing the procedure. Aborting the service request also avoids unnecessary signaling and resource usage.
[0062] The UE 504 also stops the timer T3517 if it is running. Timer T3517 is used in the service request procedure to manage the timing of the request and response between the UE 504 and the network. When the service request is rejected with 5GMM cause values, such as with #28 under abnormal cases, the UE 504 stops timer T3517. By stopping this timer, the UE 504 avoids waiting for a response that will not arrive due to cause #28, which can free up resources and allow the UE 504 to initiate other procedures as needed.
[0063] The UE 504 proceeds to locally release any resources that were allocated for the aborted service request procedure. When the UE 504 initiates a service request, various resources (such as memory buffers, processing allocations, and signaling channels) may be reserved. By releasing these resources, the UE 504 frees up capacity and reduces the likelihood of resource exhaustion. This step is important for maintaining the operational efficiency of the UE 504 and the overall network.
[0064] In a third scheme, a UE operates according to the following rules: When 5GMM cause #28 is received other than below cases: - when the UE accesses 5GCN over 3GPP access; and / or - when the 5G-RG and / or the W-AGF acting on behalf of an FN-CRG (or on behalf of the N5GC device) access 5GCN over wireline access. then UE shall perform one or more following actions: - enter state 5GMM-REGISTERED and / or - abort the service request procedure and / or - stop timer T3517 and / or - locally release any resources allocated for the service request procedure.
[0065] In this example, when a UE 504 receives 5GMM cause #28 from an access network other than 3GPP access or wireline access, the handling can be expressed in terms of the access types where the cause value is not intended to apply. Specifically, this includes scenarios where the UE 504 receives the cause value from the non-3GPP access point 522 or from the base station 506 in an SNPN. This approach provides clarity by explicitly defining the cases where the standard service area restriction behavior should not be applied.
[0066] The third scheme recognizes that service area restrictions are designed specifically for 3GPP access and wireline access scenarios. When the UE 504 accesses the 5GCN 550 over 3GPP access through the base station 502, or when the 5G-RG 512 or the W-AGF 518 acting on behalf of an FN-CRG accesses the 5GCN 550 over wireline access, the normal service area restriction procedures apply. However, for all other access scenarios, the UE 504 requires different handling.
[0067] Under this scheme, when the UE 504 receives cause #28 outside of these intended contexts, it performs a sequence of well-defined actions. The UE 504 transitions to the 5GMM-REGISTERED state, maintaining its basic network registration. It then aborts any ongoing service request procedure, as continuing with the procedure would be inappropriate given the invalid context of the restriction indication. The UE 504 also stops timer T3517 if it is running, preventing unnecessary waiting periods associated with the service request procedure. Finally, the UE 504 releases any resources that were allocated for the service request procedure locally, maintaining efficient resource utilization.
[0068] FIG. 6 is a flow chart 600 of a method for wireless communication. The method may be performed by a UE (e.g., the UE 504) . In operation 602, the UE receives, from a network, a SERVICE REJECT message including a 5G Mobility Management (5GMM) cause value indicating a restricted service area. In certain configurations, the 5GMM cause value is #28. In operation 604, the UE determines that the SERVICE REJECT message is received via a non-3GPP access other than a wireline access. In certain configurations, the non-3GPP access comprises access via a non-3GPP access point.
[0069] In operation 606, in response to determining that the SERVICE REJECT message is received via a non-3GPP access other than a wireline access, the UE performs at least one action of: entering a 5GMM-REGISTERED state; aborting a service request procedure; stopping a timer associated with the service request procedure; and locally releasing resources allocated for the service request procedure. In certain configurations, after entering the 5GMM-REGISTERED state, the UE maintains a network registration while stopping attempts to establish a connection based on the service request procedure. In certain configurations, to the locally release resources, the UE releases memory buffers, processes allocations, or signals channels reserved for the service request procedure. In certain configurations, to abort the service request procedure, the UE stops further attempts to establish a connection based on the service request procedure.
[0070] In certain configurations, the UE determines that the SERVICE REJECT message is received from a Stand-alone Non-Public Network (SNPN) prior to performing the at least one action. In certain configurations, the service request procedure was initiated by sending a SERVICE REQUEST message to the network.
[0071] In certain configurations, prior to performing the at least one action, the UE determines that the SERVICE REJECT message is received from an access network other than: a 3GPP access network; and a wireline access network accessed by a 5G residential gateway or a Wireline Access Gateway Function acting on behalf of a Fixed Network Cable Residential Gateway. In certain configurations, prior to performing the at least one action, the UE determines that the SERVICE REJECT message is received by a Wireline Access Gateway Function acting on behalf of a Fixed Network Broadband Residential Gateway. In certain configurations, the UE initiates a new registration procedure after performing the at least one action.
[0072] It is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the processes / flowcharts disclosed is an illustration of exemplary approaches. Based upon design preferences, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the processes / flowcharts may be rearranged. Further, some blocks may be combined or omitted. The accompanying method claims present elements of the various blocks in a sample order, and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.
[0073] The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but is to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more. ” The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration. ” Any aspect described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects. Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “some” refers to one or more. Combinations such as “at least one of A, B, or C, ” “one or more of A, B, or C, ” “at least one of A, B, and C, ” “one or more of A, B, and C, ” and “A, B, C, or any combination thereof” include any combination of A, B, and / or C, and may include multiples of A, multiples of B, or multiples of C. Specifically, combinations such as “at least one of A, B, or C, ” “one or more of A, B, or C, ” “at least one of A, B, and C, ” “one or more of A, B, and C, ” and “A, B, C, or any combination thereof” may be A only, B only, C only, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C, where any such combinations may contain one or more member or members of A, B, or C. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. The words “module, ” “mechanism, ” “element, ” “device, ” and the like may not be a substitute for the word “means. ” As such, no claim element is to be construed as a means plus function unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for. ”
Claims
1.A method of wireless communication performed by a User Equipment (UE) , comprising:receiving, from a network, a SERVICE REJECT message including a 5G Mobility Management (5GMM) cause value indicating a restricted service area; andin response to determining that the SERVICE REJECT message is received via a non-3GPP access other than a wireline access, performing at least one action of:entering a 5GMM-REGISTERED state;aborting a service request procedure;stopping a timer associated with the service request procedure; andlocally releasing resources allocated for the service request procedure.2.The method of claim 1, wherein the 5GMM cause value is #28.3.The method of claim 1, wherein the non-3GPP access comprises access via a non-3GPP access point.4.The method of claim 1, further comprising:determining that the SERVICE REJECT message is received from a Stand-alone Non-Public Network (SNPN) prior to performing the at least one action.5.The method of claim 1, wherein the service request procedure was initiated by sending a SERVICE REQUEST message to the network.6.The method of claim 1, further comprising:prior to performing the at least one action, determining that the SERVICE REJECT message is received from an access network other than:a 3GPP access network; anda wireline access network accessed by a 5G residential gateway or a Wireline Access Gateway Function acting on behalf of a Fixed Network Cable Residential Gateway.7.The method of claim 1, further comprising:prior to performing the at least one action, determining that the SERVICE REJECT message is received by a Wireline Access Gateway Function acting on behalf of a Fixed Network Broadband Residential Gateway.8.The method of claim 1, wherein the entering the 5GMM-REGISTERED state comprises maintaining a network registration while stopping attempts to establish a connection based on the service request procedure.9.The method of claim 1, wherein the locally releasing resources comprises releasing memory buffers, processing allocations, or signaling channels reserved for the service request procedure.10.The method of claim 1, wherein the aborting the service request procedure comprises stopping further attempts to establish a connection based on the service request procedure.11.The method of claim 1, further comprising:initiating a new registration procedure after performing the at least one action.12.An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus being a user equipment (UE) , comprising:a memory; andat least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to:receive, from a network, a SERVICE REJECT message including a 5G Mobility Management (5GMM) cause value indicating a restricted service area; andin response to determining that the SERVICE REJECT message is received via a non-3GPP access other than a wireline access, perform at least one action of:entering a 5GMM-REGISTERED state;aborting a service request procedure;stopping a timer associated with the service request procedure; andlocally releasing resources allocated for the service request procedure.13.The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the 5GMM cause value is #28.14.The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the non-3GPP access comprises access via a non-3GPP access point.15.The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:determine that the SERVICE REJECT message is received from a Stand-alone Non-Public Network (SNPN) prior to performing the at least one action.16.The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the service request procedure was initiated by sending a SERVICE REQUEST message to the network.17.The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:prior to performing the at least one action, determine that the SERVICE REJECT message is received from an access network other than:a 3GPP access network; anda wireline access network accessed by a 5G residential gateway or a Wireline Access Gateway Function acting on behalf of a Fixed Network Cable Residential Gateway.18.The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:prior to performing the at least one action, determine that the SERVICE REJECT message is received by a Wireline Access Gateway Function acting on behalf of a Fixed Network Broadband Residential Gateway.19.The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the entering the 5GMM-REGISTERED state comprises maintaining a network registration while stopping attempts to establish a connection based on the service request procedure.20.A computer-readable medium storing computer executable code for wireless communication of a user equipment (UE) , comprising code to:receive, from a network, a SERVICE REJECT message including a 5G Mobility Management (5GMM) cause value indicating a restricted service area; andin response to determining that the SERVICE REJECT message is received via a non-3GPP access other than a wireline access, perform at least one action of:entering a 5GMM-REGISTERED state;aborting a service request procedure;stopping a timer associated with the service request procedure; andlocally releasing resources allocated for the service request procedure.
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