Configuration of RRC profile through UE type indication

Abstract

An apparatus may be configured to receive, from a network element, information to be used for masking an indication of user equipment type information of the user equipment; encode the indication of the user type information using masked bits based on the received information; transmit, to an access node, an initial access request message comprising the masked bits; and receive, from the access node, an initial access response message comprising an indication of a radio resource control, RRC, profile assigned by the access node to the user equipment based on the user type information indicated by the masked bits.

Description

CONFIGURATION OF RRC PROFILE THROUGH UE TYPEINDICATIONTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Various example embodiments generally relate to the field of wireless communication. Some example embodiments relate to configuration of a radio resource control (RRC) profile to a user equipment (UE) based on UE type indication.BACKGROUND

[0002] Cellular mobile telecommunication systems are built on top of protocols that control how the data is transmitted between UEs and networks. These protocols are often divided into user plane (UP) and control plane (CP) sections. The user plane is dedicated to the actual task of transmitting user data between a user and the network and the control plane is dedicated to ensuring that the user plane remains operational. In other words, the CP is used for establishing the UP, and it is the task of CP to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of the UP.

[0003] The primary protocol used for the CP in UMTS / LTE / NR is the RRC (e.g., as defined in 3GPP TS 25.331 (UMTS), TS 36.331 (LTE) and TS 38.331 (NR). The RRC define mechanisms for setting up the connection, establishing the other (UP) protocol layers and reconfiguring their parameters, as well as various procedures intended to keep both UP and CP operations.SUMMARY

[0004] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0005] Example embodiments of the present disclosure enable to assign a basic RRC profile to a UE based on UE type indication information provided during initial access procedure. This may facilitate a faster setup when a UE transfers froman idle mode to a connected mode. This and other benefits may be achieved by the features of the independent claims. Further example embodiments are provided in the dependent claims, the description, and the drawings.

[0006] According to a first aspect, an apparatus for user equipment is disclosed. The apparatus may comprise: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to receive, from a network element, information to be used for masking an indication of user equipment type information of the user equipment; encode the indication of the user type information using masked bits based on the received information; transmit, to an access node, an initial access request message comprising the masked bits; and receive, from the access node, an initial access response message comprising an indication of a radio resource control, RRC, profile assigned by the access node to the user equipment based on the user type information indicated by the masked bits.

[0007] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the information received from the network element comprises temporary mobile subscription identifier, TMSI, information allocated for the user equipment during registration to a network; and the apparatus is caused to obtain a mask for encoding the indication of user equipment type information based on a predefined subset of bits within the TMSI information; and create the masked bits based on the determined mask.

[0008] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the TMSI information received from the network element comprises a 5thgeneration system architecture evolution TMSI, 5G-S-TMSI.

[0009] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the predefined subset of bits is selected using a total number of bits of the TMSI information representing a unique identifier allocated for the user equipment; and wherein the masked bits comprise pattern bits determined based on the mask.

[0010] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the received TMSI information comprises the 5G-S-TMSI extended with additional bits, and wherein the predefined subset of bits is further selected using the additional bits.

[0011] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the received TMSI information comprises 5G-S-TMSI extended with additional bits dedicated for encoding the indication of the user equipment type information; and wherein the predefined subset of bits is selected within the additional bits.

[0012] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the apparatus is further caused to determine a first part of the TMSI information to be transmitted in the RRC connection request message including rightmost 39 bits of the TMSI information; and wherein the masked bits are included in the first part of the TMSI information transmitted in the RRC connection request message.

[0013] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the apparatus is further caused to transmit, to the access node, an initial access complete message comprising at least one of a remaining part of the TMSI information or an acknowledgement of the received indication of the RRC profile.

[0014] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the transmitted initial access request message further comprises an indication of an establishment cause of a RRC connection, and wherein the received indication of the RRC profile configuration is further based on the indicated establishment cause.

[0015] According to a second aspect, a method is disclosed. The method may comprise: receiving, from a network element, information to be used for masking an indication of user equipment type information of a user equipment; encoding the indication of the user type information using masked bits based on the received information; transmitting, to an access node, an initial access request message comprising the masked bits; and receiving, from the access node, an initial access response message comprising an indication of a radio resource control, RRC, profile assigned by the access node to the user equipment based on the user type information indicated by the masked bits.

[0016] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the information received from the network element comprises temporary mobile subscription identifier, TMSI, information allocated for the user equipment during registration to a network; and the method comprises obtaining a mask for encoding the indication of user equipment type information based on a predefined subset ofbits within the TMSI information; and creating the masked bits based on the determined mask.

[0017] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the TMSI information received from the network element comprises a 5thgeneration system architecture evolution TMSI, 5G-S-TMSI.

[0018] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the predefined subset of bits is selected using a total number of bits of the TMSI information representing a unique identifier allocated for the user equipment; and wherein the masked bits comprise pattern bits determined based on the mask.

[0019] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the received TMSI information comprises the 5G-S-TMSI extended with additional bits, and wherein the predefined subset of bits is further selected using the additional bits.

[0020] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the received TMSI information comprises 5G-S-TMSI extended with additional bits dedicated for encoding the indication of the user equipment type information; and wherein the predefined subset of bits is selected within the additional bits.

[0021] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the method further comprises determining a first part of the TMSI information to be transmitted in the RRC connection request message including rightmost 39 bits of the TMSI information; and wherein the masked bits are included in the first part of the TMSI information transmitted in the RRC connection request message.

[0022] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the method further comprises transmitting, to the access node, an initial access complete message comprising at least one of a remaining part of the TMSI information or an acknowledgement of the received indication of the RRC profile.

[0023] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the transmitted initial access request message further comprises an indication of an establishment cause of a RRC connection, and wherein the received indication of the RRC profile configuration is further based on the indicated establishment cause.

[0024] According to a third aspect, an apparatus for an access node is disclosed. The apparatus may comprise: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause theapparatus at least to receive, from a user equipment, an initial access request message encoded with an indication of user equipment type information using masked bits; receive, from a network element, assistance information for decoding the masked bits; determine the user equipment type information based on the assistance information and the masked bits by using a secure look up function; and transmit, to the user equipment, an initial access response message comprising an indication of a radio resource control, RRC, profile assigned for the user equipment based on the determined user equipment type information.

[0025] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the apparatus is further caused to determine capabilities of the user equipment based on the determined user equipment type information; and wherein the RRC profile is assigned based on the determined capabilities of the user equipment.

[0026] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the apparatus is caused to request, from the network element, capability information associated with the user equipment type information to determine the capabilities; receive, from the network element, the requested capability information; and assign the RRC profile based on the received capability information.

[0027] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the received initial access request message further comprises an indication of an establishment cause for a RRC connection; and wherein the RRC profile is further assigned based on the indication of the establishment cause.

[0028] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the indication of the RRC profile comprises at least one of one or more RRC profile configurations or one or more RRC profile identifiers.

[0029] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the assistance information is received at least one of: in response to a request transmitted by the apparatus to the network element for providing the assistance information; periodically; or in response to a trigger detected by the network element.

[0030] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the initial access request message comprises a first part of a temporary mobile subscription identifier,TMSI, information of the user equipment, and the masked bits are included in the first part of the TMSI information.

[0031] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the first part of the TMSI information is based on a 5G-S-TMSI.

[0032] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the first part of the TMSI information comprises an extension of the 5G-S-TMSI including additional bits used for the masking.

[0033] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the apparatus is caused to receive, from the user equipment, an initial access complete message comprising at least one of an acknowledgement of the RRC profile or a remaining part of the TMSI information.

[0034] According to a fourth aspect, a method is disclosed. The method comprises: receive, from a user equipment, an initial access request message encoded with an indication of user equipment type information using masked bits; receiving, from a network element, assistance information for decoding the masked bits; determining the user equipment type information based on the assistance information and the masked bits by using a secure look up function; and transmitting, to the user equipment, an initial access response message comprising an indication of a radio resource control, RRC, profile assigned for the user equipment based on the determined user equipment type information.

[0035] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the method comprises determining capabilities of the user equipment based on the determined user equipment type information; and wherein the RRC profile is assigned based on the determined capabilities of the user equipment.

[0036] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the method comprises requesting, from the network element, capability information associated with the user equipment type information to determine the capabilities; receiving, from the network element, the requested capability information; and assigning the RRC profile based on the received capability information.

[0037] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the received initial access request message further comprises an indication of an establishmentcause for a RRC connection; and wherein the RRC profile is further assigned based on the indication of the establishment cause.

[0038] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the indication of the RRC profile comprises at least one of one or more RRC profile configurations or one or more RRC profile identifiers.

[0039] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the assistance information is received at least one of: in response to a request transmitted to the network element for providing the assistance information; periodically; or in response to a trigger detected by the network element.

[0040] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the initial access request message comprises a first part of a temporary mobile subscription identifier, TMSI, information of the user equipment, and the masked bits are included in the first part of the TMSI information.

[0041] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the first part of the TMSI information is based on a 5G-S-TMSI.

[0042] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the first part of the TMSI information comprises an extension of the 5G-S-TMSI including additional bits used for the masking.

[0043] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the method comprises receiving, from the user equipment, an initial access complete message comprising at least one of an acknowledgement of the RRC profile or a remaining part of the TMSI information.

[0044] According to a fifth aspect, an apparatus for a network element is disclosed. The apparatus may comprise: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to transmit, to a user equipment, information to be used for masking an indication of user equipment type information of the user equipment within an initial access request message; and transmit, to an access node, assistance information for decoding masked bits included by the user equipment based on the transmitted information in the initial access request message.

[0045] According to an example embodiment of the fifth aspect, the assistance information is transmitted at least one of: in response to a request received from the access node; periodically; or in response to a trigger detected by the apparatus.

[0046] According to an example embodiment of the fifth aspect, the apparatus is caused to receive, from the access node, a request for capability information associated with user equipment type information; retrieve the capability information associated with user equipment type information from a database stored by the apparatus; and transmit, to the access node, the requested capability information.

[0047] According to an example embodiment of the fifth aspect, the information transmitted to the user equipment comprises temporary mobile subscription identifier, TMSI, information allocated for the user equipment during registration to a network.

[0048] According to an example embodiment of the fifth aspect, the TMSI information comprises 5G-S-TMSI.

[0049] According to an example embodiment of the fifth aspect, the 5G-S-TMSI is extended with additional bits to be used for the masking.

[0050] According to a sixth aspect, a method is disclosed. The method may comprise: transmitting, to a user equipment, information to be used for masking an indication of user equipment type information of the user equipment within an initial access request message; and transmitting, to an access node, assistance information for decoding masked bits included by the user equipment based on the transmitted information in the initial access request message.

[0051] According to an example embodiment of the fifth aspect, the assistance information is transmitted at least one of: in response to a request received from the access node; periodically; or in response to a trigger detected by a network element.

[0052] According to an example embodiment of the sixth aspect, the method comprises receiving, from the access node, a request for capability informationassociated with user equipment type information; retrieving the capability information associated with user equipment type information from a stored database; and transmit, to the access node, the requested capability information.

[0053] According to an example embodiment of the sixth aspect, the information transmitted to the user equipment comprises temporary mobile subscription identifier, TMSI, information allocated for the user equipment during registration to a network.

[0054] According to an example embodiment of the sixth aspect, the TMSI information comprises 5G-S-TMSI.

[0055] According to an example embodiment of the sixth aspect, the 5G-S-TMSI is extended with additional bits to be used for the masking.

[0056] According to a seventh aspect, an apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus may comprise means for performing the method according to the second, fourth or sixth aspect, or any example embodiment s) thereof, as provided in the description and / or the claims.

[0057] According to an eight aspect, a computer program, a computer program product, or a (non-transitory) computer-readable medium is disclosed. The computer program, computer program product, or (non-transitory) computer- readable medium may comprise instructions, which when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus at least to perform the method according to the second, fourth or sixth aspect, or any example embodiment(s) thereof, as provided in the description and / or the claims.

[0058] Example embodiments of the present disclosure can thus provide apparatuses, methods, computer programs, computer program products, or computer readable media for improving various aspects of RRC profile configurations. Any example embodiment may be combined with one or more other example embodiments. These and other aspects of the present disclosure will be apparent from the example embodiment s) described below. According to some aspects, there is provided the subject matter of the independent claims. Some further aspects are defined in the dependent claims.DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0059] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the example embodiments and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate example embodiments and, together with the description, help to explain the example embodiments. In the drawings:

[0060] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a communication network;

[0061] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of an apparatus configured to practice one or more example embodiments;

[0062] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a structure for TMSI information according to an example embodiment;

[0063] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a structure for TMSI information with extension bits according to an example embodiment.

[0064] FIG. 5 illustrates another example of a structure for TMSI information with extension bits according to an example embodiment.

[0065] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of decoding UE type information from masked bits using a secure look up function according to an example embodiment;

[0066] FIG. 7 illustrates another example of decoding UE type information from masked bits using a secure look up function according to an example embodiment;

[0067] FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a message sequence chart between a UE and network for an initial access procedure according to an example embodiment;

[0068] FIG. 9 illustrates another example of a message sequence chart between a UE and network for an initial access procedure according to an example embodiment;

[0069] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a message sequence chart between a UE and network for an initial access procedure with preinitialized access information for decoding, according to an example embodiment;

[0070] FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a method for providing an indication of UE type information during initial access procedure according to an example embodiment;

[0071] FIG. 12 illustrates an example of a method for assigning a RRC profile based on an indication of a UE type information, according to an example embodiment; and

[0072] FIG. 13 illustrates an example of a method for assisting in assignment of a RRC profile based on an indication of a UE type information, according to an example embodiment.

[0073] Like references are used to designate like parts in the accompanying drawings.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0074] Reference will now be made in detail to example embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The detailed description provided below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of the present examples and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present example may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the functions of the example and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the example. However, the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different examples.

[0075] One of key objectives of 3GPP discussions is aimed at identifying the shortcomings of 5G (5thgeneration) protocol design and recognizing areas of improvements that can lead to the foundation of design for 6G (6thgeneration) technology. The current 5G RRC protocol has evolved through several releases to contain a stable structure, but remains mostly monolithic and complex, with inherent procedural delays imposed for basic operations. Moreover, the same RRC configuration is often repeated many times for the same UE, which may result in an inefficient use of the radio resources.

[0076] In addition, facilitating increased energy efficiency has become one of the primary prerequisites of 6G network protocol design. Therefore, the 6G RRC protocol design is aimed to be built in a natively energy efficient manner. Moreover, 6G networks are expected to support a diverse range of applications with dissimilar requirements like augmented / virtual reality (AR / VR), massive twinning, immersive smart cities, holographic communications, and remote surgery. Massive twinning refers to a creation of a digital twin from humans, physical objects, and processes by capturing and modeling the physical world with sufficient fidelity. Theseapplications, among others, would inherently benefit from a modular structured design which enables efficient RRC operations with low latency.

[0077] Therefore, an objective for 6G RRC concept is to build up and maintain RRC configurations in a layered, scalable, and robust manner. A modular design for the RRC protocol may enable fast transitions between distinct operational modes such as power saving, MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) with minimum signaling overheads and delays. Such a design can accrue multitude of benefits for both the UE and the network including reduced latency due to the efficient data transmission, lower power consumption and more effective resource utilization.

[0078] According to an example embodiment, a method is provided for assignment of a basic RRC configuration to a UE during an initial access, such as the RRC connection setup, based on the UE type. A UE may provide an indication of the UE type encoded to an initial access request transmitted to an access node. The indication may be encoded using masked bits based on instructions received from a network element. The network element may further provide instructions to the access node for decoding the masked bits. The access node may then assign the basic RRC profile to the UE based on the received indication of the UE type, and indicate to the UE the RRC profile during the initial access procedure.

[0079] This may enable the UE to access the network faster. The faster access to the network may be especially beneficial for devices which demand low latency operation. Additionally, low performance devices which may need only the basic RRC configuration to proceed with operation while facilitating low energy consumption may benefit from the faster assignment of a basic RRC profile.

[0080] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a communication network. Communication network 100 may comprise one or more access nodes 104, 106. Access node(s) 104, 106 may be part of a radio access network (RAN) configured to enable a device, represented throughout the description by UE 102, to access communication services provided by core network 108. In connection with communication network 100, access node(s) 104, 106 and core network 108 may be collectively referred to as the ‘network’. UE 102 may comprise a user device, a terminal apparatus, a terminal device, a mobile device, or the like. UE 102 may beconfigured to communicate with access node(s) 104, 106 over a radio interface, which may be also referred to as an air interface. Access nodes 104, 106 may be also referred to as network devices. A terminal device may comprise a device which ends a communications link and is the point at which a signal enters or leaves a network.

[0081] The radio interface may be configured for example based on the 5G NR (New Radio) standard defined by the 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3 GPP), or any future standard or technology (e.g., 6G). Access nodes 104, 106 may comprise, for example, 5thgeneration access nodes (gNB) and / or 6thgeneration access nodes (6G gNB). An access node may be implemented with a split architecture, wherein functions of the access node is divided into two physical entities, a central unit (CU) of the access node, e.g., a gNB-CU, and a distributed unit of the access node, e.g., gNB-DU. A central unit of an access node may be associated with, e.g., configured to control, one or more distributed units (DU) of the access node. The central unit may be configured to handle radio resource control (RRC) operations. A radio resource control (RRC) layer of the access node may be responsible for managing radio resources, for example the configuration and activation of carrier aggregation. Radio unit(s) of the distributed unit(s) may be configured to transmit / receive data to / from UE(s) over the radio interface. A central unit may be referred to as a central node and a distributed unit may be referred to as a distributed node.

[0082] Transmission by an access node to UE 102 may be called downlink (DL) transmission. Transmission by UE 102 to an access node may be called uplink (UL) transmission. UE 102 may be therefore configured to operate as a transmitter for uplink transmissions and as a receiver for downlink transmissions. Access node(s) 104, 106 may be configured to operate as a receiver for uplink transmissions and as a transmitter for downlink transmissions. Communication network 100 may comprise a wireless communication network or a mobile communication network, such as for example a cellular communication network.

[0083] Core network 108 may be implemented with various network functions (NF), including, for example, one or more user plane functions (UPF) and one or more access and mobility management functions (AMF). A UPF may be configured to handle user data part of a communication session. A UPF may thus provide aninterconnect point between the radio access network and a data network configured to provide application services to UE 102 via core network 108 and the radio access network. For example, a UPF may be configured to handle encapsulation and decapsulation of user plane protocol(s), such as the GPRS (general packet radio service) tunnelling protocol for the user plane (GTP-U). An AMF may be configured to receive connection and session request related data from UE 102 (e.g., via an access node). An AMF may be configured to control connection and mobility management in communication network 100.

[0084] An access node 104, 106 may be configured to communicate with UEs via one or more cells. For example, access node 104 may be configured to serve UEs at one or more first cells and access node 106 may be configured to serve UEs at one or more second cells. A cell may be configured to serve UEs at a certain geographical area at a certain radio frequency, or, a range of radio frequencies around a centre frequency of the cell.

[0085] RRC of UE 102 may be implemented based on different radio resource control states. When UE 102 is powered up, it may be in a disconnected mode or an idle mode (e.g., RRC IDLE). UE 102 may enter or switch to a connected mode (e.g., RRC CONNECTED) for example through connection establishment to the network. When UE 102 is in the connected mode, UE 102 may have an RRC connection with the network and signaling radio bearer(s) may be configured to enable exchange of RRC data between UE 102 and the network. If UE 102 is not active for a certain time, UE 102 may suspend the RRC connection and change a state from the connected mode to an inactive mode (e.g., RRC INACTIVE). Suspending the RRC connection may therefore comprise transitioning from the connected mode to the inactive mode.

[0086] In the idle mode, UE 102 may not be associated with an RRC context. From the network point of view there may not be a connection between the radio access network and core network 108 for UE 102. Therefore, UE 102 may not be able to communicate application data with the network. For example, UE 102 may be in a sleep-mode and only intermittently wake-up, for example for receiving paging messages. In the idle mode, UE 102 may, however, perform cell re-selection and / or other idle state operations, for example.

[0087] In the connected mode, UE 102 may be associated with an RRC context. In the connected mode, UE 102 may communicate with core network 108 via the radio access network, for example access node 104. The RRC context may comprise parameters configured to enable UE 102 and the network, e.g., access node 104, to communicate RRC data. In the connected mode, UE 102 may perform radio resource management (RRM) measurements, for example in relation to a mobility (handover) procedure.

[0088] In the inactive mode, UE 102 may stay registered to the network, but the connection to the radio access network (e.g., access node 104) may be suspended. However, the radio access network may store UE context, which enables the connection to be quickly resumed. The UE context may comprise parameters configured to enable UE 102 and the network, e.g., access node 104, to communicate user plane data (e.g., application data). Connection to the core network may be maintained.

[0089] RRC data may be configured to be delivered via signaling radio bearer(s) (SRB). SRB(s) may be specific type of a radio bearer(s) configured to carry signaling messages, e.g., RRC and / or non-access stratum (NAS) messages.

[0090] To initiate data transfer, a UE in idle mode needs to establish a connection to the network, e.g., to an access node. The connection establishment may be executed through a RRC setup procedure.

[0091] A temporary mobile subscriber identity (TMSI) is a temporary identifier assigned to a UE by the network (e.g., core network 108) to uniquely identify the UE within a tracking area, such as a specific AMF region. TMSI may be used, for example, for tasks like paging and service requests within the network. The TMSI may be, for example, a 5G-S-TMSI (5G system architecture evolution (SAE) TMSI) consisting of a bit string of 48 bits.

[0092] The RRC setup procedure may be based on a RRC setup request message and a RRC setup complete message. The RRC setup request message is transmitted by UE to access node to request the establishment of an RRC connection. The RRC setup request message may be also called a RRC connection request message. The RRC setup request message may comprise a first part of the TMSI information, e.g., the rightmost 39 bits of the 5G-S-TMSI (ng-5G-S-TMSI-Partl). The RRC setupcomplete message may comprise a second part of the TMSI information, e.g., the leftmost 9 bits of the 5G-S-TMSI (ng-5G-S-TMSI-Part2).

[0093] Contents of the RRC setup request message may be set by the UE. For example, if upper layers provide the TMSI information (e.g. 5G-S-TMSI), the UE may set a UE identity to the first part of the TMSI (e.g., ng-5G-S-TMSI-Partl). If the upper layers do not provide the TMSI information, the UE may draw a 39-bit random value in the range 0..239'1and set the UE identity to this value. UE identity may be included to facilitate contention resolution by lower layers. The RRC setup message may be delivered via SRB0, for example, using the common control channel (CCCH) logical channel.

[0094] The RRC setup request message may further comprise an establishment cause in accordance with the information received from upper layers. Access node is not expected to reject an RRC setup request due to unknown cause value being used by the UE. An establishment cause may be related to requesting a connection for an emergency, a high priority access, data, signalling, a voice call, a video call, a SMS message, or the like.

[0095] After receiving the RRC setup request, the access node may respond with a RRC setup message with configurations for the connection, e.g., related to one or more cells and SBR1. SRB1 may be configured to carry RRC messages and NAS messages prior to establishment of SRB2 for carrying NAS messages after security activation. The UE may then acknowledge the configurations by transmitting the RRC setup complete message to the access node.

[0096] UE radio capability ID (identifier) introduced by RACS (radio capabilities signalling optimization feature) can be used after a NAS (non-access stratum) security setup procedure is completed and a masking algorithm is not used to hide the transmitted information from possible interceptions in transferring of UE type information via LCID (logical channel identity). Because the UE radio capability ID introduced by RACS contains UE specific information, the UE specific information can only be used after the NAS security setup procedure is completed in the RRC connection setup when a UE transfers from the IDLE mode to the CONNECTED mode.

[0097] Therefore, it would be beneficial to introduce a mechanism where it is possible to use a specific field sent by the UE which identifies the UE type(s) the UE is capable of acting as. The specific field may be included in an initial access request message, such as the initial RRC setup request. Based on the indicated UE type(s), access node may be configured to derive generic UE capabilities based on predefined and stored UE capability tables as well as to assign a basic RRC profile to the UE based on the UE type indication information provided during the initial RRC setup request message (e.g., msg3). Further, a mechanism to hide or mask the UE type indication inside the information transferred during the RRC setup request message is provided. This enables to reduce the possibility of sniffing attacks or interception of information.

[0098] In one example, the indication of UE type information may be included in the first part of the TMSI information, such as inside the 39 bits of the ng-5G-S- TMSI-Partl or a corresponding 6G-S-TMSI-Partl. Further, the UE type can be identified using certain predefined masked bits inside this field.

[0099] In one example, derivation of the UE type may be based on a secure look up (SLU) function with the aid of assistance information provided by the AMF. The assistance information may comprise information needed to decode the masked bits.

[0100] In one example, the establishment cause can be given in the initial access request (e.g. RRC setup request) as signalling to negotiate a UE type so that the access node may not need to allocate a high bandwidth connection.

[0101] In one example, upon derivation of the UE type from the first part of the TMSI during the initial establishment of a connection, the network may use this information to determine basic UE capabilities for that UE type based on predefined UE capability tables stored by the network. The UE capability tables may be stored, for example, at the access node or at a network element storing UE context (e.g., AMF).

[0102] In one example, after the UE type and the capabilities are derived, the access node can immediately give a “kernel” like RRC profile to the UE during the RRC setup without waiting for NAS security setup procedure.

[0103] In one example, UE can be configured to transmit delta UE capabilities on top of the default basic capabilities of the UE type during RRC reconfiguration whenever needed. Delta UE capabilities may refer to additional capabilities of the UE. Upon receiving the delta UE capabilities, the network can update the UE capabilities and assign a new RRC profile if deemed necessary by the network.

[0104] A UE type, or a UE category, may be used to specify UE capabilities. UE categories may be defined, for example, based on a maximum Layer 1 (LI) data rate, minimum supported MIMO layers and / or minimum Layer 2 (L2) buffering capabilities. Examples of UE types in NR comprise normal UEs (e.g., smartphones having varying UE capabilities), RedCap (reduced capability) UEs (with more limited UE capabilities than smartphones), loT (internet-of-things) devices and wearables (e.g., sensor devices), ambient loT devices (e.g. extremely low energy requiring massive machine-type communications (mMTC) devices), vehicular UEs and XR devices (e.g., wearable devices for AR / VR / XR purposes which may require tethering, high data rates and low latencies).

[0105] Further, in 6G, there may be an enhanced range of applications with unique characteristics, for example, in the fields of AR / VR, massive twinning, immersive smart cities, holographic communications, remote surgery, ambient-IoT and vehicle-to-anything (V2X). These applications, among others, may require more customized UE types optimized for the use cases. Therefore, the provided UE type information enables the network to identify the differentiating aspects of UE performance and allocate a more suitable RRC configuration than without knowing the UE type.

[0106] A RRC profile may be an indexed or labelled group of parameters that characterize a related type of connection. A RRC profile may refer to a stored RRC configuration with a set of RRC configuration parameters grouped on the network side. The set of RRC configuration parameters may be specific to UE capabilities.

[0107] Communication network 100 may comprise other network function(s), network device(s), or protocol(s), in addition, or alternative to, those illustrated in FIG. 1. A network device may be configured to implement functionality of one or more network functions. A network device may be also referred to as a network element. Even though some embodiments have been described in the context of 5G,it is appreciated that embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this example network. Example embodiments may be therefore applied in any present or future communication networks.

[0108] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of an apparatus configured to practice one or more example embodiments. Apparatus 200 may comprise a device such as UE 102, a network element (e.g. AMF), an access node 104 or 106, an access point, a base station (e.g., gNB or 6G gNB), a radio network node, or a split portion thereof (e.g., a central or distributed unit of an access node), a network device, a terminal device, a mobile device or in general any apparatus configured to implement functionality described herein.

[0109] Apparatus 200 may comprise at least one processor 202. The at least one processor 202 may comprise, for example, one or more of various processing devices, such as for example a co-processor, a microprocessor, a controller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a processing circuitry with or without an accompanying DSP, or various other processing devices including integrated circuits such as, for example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a hardware accelerator, a specialpurpose computer chip, or the like.

[0110] Apparatus 200 may further comprise at least one memory 204. The memory 204 may be configured to store, for example, computer program code or the like, for example operating system software and application software. Memory 204 may comprise one or more volatile memory devices, one or more non-volatile memory devices, and / or a combination thereof. For example, the memory may be embodied as magnetic storage devices (such as hard disk drives, magnetic tapes, etc.), optical magnetic storage devices, or semiconductor memories (such as mask ROM, PROM (programmable ROM), EPROM (erasable PROM), flash ROM, RAM (random access memory), etc.). Memory 204 is provided as an example of a (non-transitory) computer readable medium. The term “non-transitory,” as used herein, is a limitation of the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not a signal) as opposed to a limitation on data storage persistency (e.g., RAM vs. ROM).

[0111] Apparatus 200 may further comprise a communication interface 208 configured to enable apparatus 200 to transmit and / or receive information.Communication interface 208 may comprise an external communication interface, such as for example a radio interface between UE 102 and access node(s) 104, 106, or a communication interface between a central unit and distributed unit(s) of an access node (e.g., an Fs-U and / or Fs-C interface). Communication interface 208 may comprise one or more radio transmitters or receivers, which may be coupled to one or more antennas or apparatus 200, or be configured to be coupled to one or more antennas external to apparatus 200.

[0112] Apparatus 200 may further comprise other components and / or functions such as a user interface (not shown) comprising at least one input device and / or at least one output device. The input device may take various forms such a keyboard, a touch screen, or one or more embedded control buttons. The output device may for example comprise a display, a speaker, or the like.

[0113] When apparatus 200 is configured to implement some functionality, some component and / or components of apparatus 200, such as for example the at least one processor 202 and / or the at least one memory 204, may be configured to implement this functionality. Furthermore, when the at least one processor 202 is configured to implement some functionality, this functionality may be implemented using program code 206 comprised, for example, in the at least one memory 204.

[0114] The functionality described herein may be performed, at least in part, by one or more computer program product components such as software components. According to an example embodiment, apparatus 200 comprises a processor or processor circuitry, such as for example a microcontroller, configured by the program code 206, when executed, to execute the embodiments of the operations and functionality described herein. Program code 206 is provided as an example of instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor 202, cause performance of apparatus 200.

[0115] Alternatively, or in addition, the functionality described herein can be performed, at least in part, by one or more hardware logic components. For example, and without limitation, illustrative types of hardware logic components that can be used include field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), applicationspecific integrated circuits (ASICs), application-specific standard products(ASSPs), system-on-a-chip systems (SOCs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), graphics processing units (GPUs), or the like.

[0116] Apparatus 200 may be configured to perform, or cause performance of, method(s) described herein or comprise means for performing method(s) described herein. In one example, the means comprises the at least one processor 202, the at least one memory 204 including instructions (e.g., program code 206) configured to, when executed by the at least one processor 202, cause apparatus 200 to perform the method(s). In general, computer program instructions may be executed on means providing generic processing functions. Such means may be embedded for example in a personal computer, a smart phone, a network device, or the like. The method(s) may be thus computer-implemented, for example, based on algorithm(s) executable by the generic processing functions, an example of which is the at least one processor 202. The means may comprise transmission or reception means, for example one or more radio transmitters or receivers, which may be coupled or be configured to be coupled to one or more antennas. Apparatus 200 may comprise, for example, a network device, for example, an access node, an access point, a core network element, a base station, or a central / distributed unit thereof. Although apparatus 200 is illustrated as a single device, it is appreciated that, wherever applicable, functions of apparatus 200 may be distributed to a plurality of devices.

[0117] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a structure for TMSI information according to an example embodiment. The TMSI information may be transmitted by a network element to a UE (e.g., UE 102). In one example, the network element may be AMF. The TMSI information may comprise information to be used by the UE for encoding an indication of UE type information of the UE. The UE may then transmit, based on the given information, data encoded with the indication of the UE type information to an access node (e.g., access node 104) during an initial access.

[0118] The TMSI information may be, for example, based on a 5G-S-TMSI structure. The 5G-S-TMSI 300 may comprise an AMF set ID field 302. The AMF set ID field 302 may comprise a 10-bit value that identifies a specific AMF set within the network. The 5G-S-TMSI 300 may further comprise an AMF pointer field 304. The AMF pointer field 304 may be a 6-bit value indicating a position ofthe AMF within the identified set. The 5G-S-TMSI 300 also comprises a 5G-TMSI field 306 having a bit value representing the temporary mobile subscriber identity. The 5G-TMSI field 306 may comprise, for example, a 32-bit value for the TMSI.

[0119] The indication of the UE type information can be encoded by the UE using the total number of bits of the 5G-TMSI field 306 without any extension (e.g., 32 bits). For example, a mask may be defined to convey the required information by selecting a certain number of bits within the existing 32 bits in the 5g-TMSI field. The mask may be defined by the network element. In one example, 8 bits within the existing 32 bits of the field can be selected, such as bits 1,4,11,17,19,22,27,32, or a particular subset within these bits. However, it is noted that this is one example, and the selected bits can be any random bits known by the UE and the network. Further, the number of selected bits may depend on configuration, and can be more or less than the example 8 bits. Based on the selected bits for masking, TMSI pattern bits may be created for encoding the indication of the UE type information. Depending on the use case, e.g. in case of 6G, the TMSI pattern bits may be also referred to as 6G-TMSI pattern bits. This approach may be fully backward compatible with modifications required only at the network.

[0120] The UE may determine a first part of the TMSI information to be transmitted with the RRC setup request message to the access node (e.g., 5G-S- TMSI-Partl 310). In one example, the UE may select the rightmost 39 bits, comprising e.g., the 5G-TMSI 306, the AMF pointer 304, and 1 bit from the AMF set ID 302 to be included in the first part of the TMSI information. The masked TMSI pattern bits are included within the 39 bits transmitted in the first part of the TMSI. The leftmost 9 bits (remaining bits of the AMF set ID 302) may be transmitted by the UE to the access node as the second part of the TMSI information with the RRC complete message (e.g., 5G-S-TMSI-Part2 308). The number of selected bits to be transmitted in the first and / or the second part of the TMSI information may depend on a configured size for the respective message.

[0121] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a structure of TMSI information with extension bits, according to an example embodiment. The TMSI information structure with the extension bits may be based on, for example, the 5G-S-TMSI structure with the AMF set ID field 302, the AMF pointer field 304 and the 5G-TMSI field 306, as described in FIG. 3. However, instead of selecting bits within the bits of the 5G-TMSI field 306 for the TMSI pattern bits, the 5G-TMSI field 306 may be extended by appending a certain number of bits 400. In one example, the 5G-TMSI field may be extended with additional 8 bits. Depending on the use case, e.g. 6G, the extension field may be referred to as a 6G-S-TMSI-Extension 402. Further, the 5G-TMSI field (e.g., 32 bits) and the extension field (e.g., 8 bits) may be referred to as 6G-TMSI (e.g., 40 bits).

[0122] For example, the UE type indication may be encoded within rightmost 39 bits which includes a 31-bit portion of the 32-bit 5G-TMSI and the 6G-S-TMSI extension bits (8 bits). These 39 bits form the first part of the TMSI information to be transmitted by a UE (e.g., UE 102) to an access node (e.g., access node 104) in the RRC setup request message. The first part of the TMSI information may be referred to as 6G-S-TMSI-Partl 406. The remaining leftmost 17 bits (second part of the TMSI information, e.g., 6G-S-TMSI-Part2 404) would be communicated by the UE to the access node through the RRC setup complete message.

[0123] A mask can be defined by selecting a certain number of bits, e.g., 8 bits, within the total number of bits included in the first part of the TMSI information to hide the UE type indication. In other words, the mask may be defined by selecting, for example, bits 1,4,11,17,19,22,31,32, or a particular subset within these bits, to create the TMSI pattern bits. The mask may be defined by the network element and indicated to the UE in the TMSI information. The number of bits within the different fields and the number of selected bits may depend on a configuration of the TMSI information and the initial access procedure.

[0124] FIG. 5 illustrates another example of a structure for TMSI information with extension bits, according to an example embodiment. The TMSI information may comprise, for example, the AMF set ID field 302, the AMF pointer field 304 and the 5G-TMSI field 306, as described in FIG. 3. The 5G-TMSI field 306 may be further extended by appending a certain number of bits 400. In one example, the 5G-TMSI field 306 may be extended with additional 8 bits. Here, the extension bits are dedicated for containing the indication of the UE type information. Therefore, no modification may be needed for the existing bits of the 5G-TMSI field. The 5G-TMSI field and the extension bits may be collectively referred to as a 6G-TMSI field having, e.g., the total number of 40 bits.

[0125] The UE may transmit to the access node, in the first part of the TMSI information included in the RRC setup request, the extension bits encoded with the indication of the UE type information. The extension bits used for masking may be referred to as UE type indicator bits 500. The first part of the TMSI information (e.g., 6G-S-TMSI-Partl 406) may comprise the rightmost 39 bits of the TMSI information structure, or any other configured number of bits including the UE type indicator bits. The remaining bits, e.g., the leftmost 17 bits (second part of the TMSI information, e.g., 6G-S-TMSI-Part2 404) would then be communicated by the UE to the access node through the RRC setup complete message.

[0126] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of decoding UE type information from masked bits using a secure look up function. Decoding with SLU may be performed by an access node, such as the access node 104. The secure lookup function 600 can be used to extract the masked bits with assistance information 604 communicated from AMF to the access node. The assistance information 604 from AMF may provide a masking algorithm. Input 602 for the SLU 600 comprising the masked bits may be based on, for example, TMSI pattern bits or UE type indicator bits received by the access node from a UE. The masked bits may be received, for example, in a RRC setup request message, as described in FIG. 3, FIG. 4 and / or FIG. 5.

[0127] Therefore, the access node can determine at least one of UE basic capabilities 608 and / or UE type(s) 606 based on the obtained TMSI pattern bits or the UE type indicator bits encoded with an indication of the UE type information. In one example, the access node may store a database of UE capabilities associated with UE type(s). The access node may further assign an initial RRC profile through decryption of the TMSI pattern bits or the UE type indicator bits.

[0128] FIG. 7 illustrates another example of decoding UE type information from masked bits using a secure look up function, according to an example embodiment.

[0129] Here, the SLU 600 may be initialized by AMF to an access node such that the assistance information exchange may not need to be carried out per UE as in FIG. 6. Assistance information exchange can be done periodically by the AMF orupon a trigger within the AMF, for example, when SLU table needs to be refreshed (e.g., due to security concerns). Input 602 for the SLU may comprise either the TMSI pattern bits, as disclosed in FIG 3 or FIG. 4, or the UE type indicator bits as disclosed in FIG. 5. Based on the input 602 and the preinitialized SLU 600, the access node can determine the UE type information, such as at least one of the UE type(s) 606 or UE basic capabilities 608. The access node can then assign an initial RRC profile for the UE based on the determined UE type information.

[0130] Optionally, a separate database can be used to store the UE capabilities. This may enable allowing more flexibility in terms of defining basic UE capabilities of each indicated UE type. This may also allow easier integration of the UE capabilities by updating the common database whenever a new UE type is introduced. The separate database for storing UE capabilities can be used in conjunction with the above described processed of FIG. 6 and FIG. 7. For example, after determining the UE type based on the masked bits, the access node may request the UE capabilities associated with the determined UE type from a network element storing the separate database. The network element may be, for example, the AMF.

[0131] FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a message sequence chart between a UE and network for an initial access according to an example embodiment. The UE may be, for example, UE 102. The network may comprise, for example, a gNB such as access node 104, and a network element, such as AMF 800.

[0132] At operation 802, the AMF 800 may allocate a TMSI to the UE 102 during registration to the network. The TMSI may be transmitted to the UE 102, for example, in an attach accept message at the operation 802. The attach accept message may comprise information to be used for masking an indication of user equipment type information of the user equipment. The information to be used for masking may be comprised in TMSI information in a form of masked bits. The TMSI information may comprise, for example, a 5G-S-TMSI or a corresponding 6G-S-TMSI. The message may be transmitted to the UE 102, for example, via the access node 104. The UE 102 may be in idle mode, and request for a connection to the access node / a cell of the access node (RAN2).

[0133] At operation 804, the UE 102 may initiate connection setup for a desired service.

[0134] At operation 806, the UE 102 may transmit a random-access channel (RACH) preamble (msgl) to the access node 104. The preamble may be transmitted by the UE 102 to the access node 104 over a PRACH (physical RACH) channel to obtain UL synchronization.

[0135] At operation 808, the UE 102 may receive a random-access response (RAR) from the access node 104.

[0136] At operation 810, the UE 102 may transmit an initial access request to the access node 104. The initial access request may be, for example, a RRC setup request message including an initial UE identity based on the TMSI information received at 802. For example, a first part of the 6G-S-TMSI may be structured by the UE 102 such that TMSI pattern bits are masked inside the first part of the 6G- S-TMSI (e.g., inside rightmost 39 bits of the 6G-S-TMSI). The masked TMSI pattern bits comprise an indication of UE type information of the UE 102.

[0137] At operation 812, the access node 104 obtains assistance information to interpret the masked bits contained in the initial access request received at 810. For example, the access node 104 may transmit a request for the assistance information to the AMF 800.

[0138] At operation 814, the AMF 800 provides the assistance information to the access node 104 to assist with the interpretation of the masked bits contained within the TMSI pattern bits.

[0139] At operation 816, the access node 104 may use SLU function to determine the UE type from TMSI pattern bits and AMF assistance information. The access node 104 can determine basic UE capabilities and a parameter configuration to assign an appropriate basic RRC profile to the UE based on the UE capabilities of the requesting UE 102.

[0140] In one example, a basic RRC profile may comprise one or more of the following radio configuration parameters:- Master cell group (MCG) configuration for primary cell (PCell) comprising at least one of:- RLC and MAC configuration parameters for SRB1- MAC cell group configuration comprising of power head room, buffer status report and / or scheduling configurations- PHY cell group configuration comprising of HARQ codebook parameters- PCell configuration of common and dedicated bandwidth parts (BWP) - PDCCH (physical downlink control channel) configuration including search space tables- PDSCH (physical downlink shared channel) configuration including time domain resource allocation tables- TCI (transmission configuration indicator) state list comprising of TCI states used for PDCCH and PDSCH reception- PUCCH (physical uplink control channel) resources and PUSCH (physical uplink shared channel) configurations including time domain resource allocation tables- UL frequency hopping patterns- Common RACH configuration-CSI (channel state information) measurement configuration for beam management and power control operations including initializing MIMO configuration.

[0141] The configurations included in the basic RRC profile may be fine tuned by the access node 104 based on the determined UE type.

[0142] At operation 818, UE context setup procedure may be performed between the access node 104 and core network (e.g. AMF 800). The context may include information about various bearers like SRB.

[0143] At operation 820, the access node 102 sends an initial access response message to the UE 102. The initial access response message may comprise an indication of a RRC profile assigned for the UE 102 based on the obtained indication of UE type information. The initial access response can comprise, for example, RRC setup information (msg 4) with the basic RRC profile configuration(s) and / or RRC profile ID(s) to the UE 102.

[0144] At operation 822, the UE 102 may activate integrity protection and ciphering.

[0145] At operation 824, the UE 102 may transmit an initial access complete message to the access node 104. The initial access complete message indicates, for example, that the RRC setup is completed (msg5). The transmitted message may comprise an acknowledgement of the indicated RRC profile, for example, in a form the assigned RRC profile ID. The transmitted message may further comprise a second part of the 6G-S-TMSI (e.g., remaining 9 bits not included in the first part).

[0146] FIG. 9 illustrates another example of a message sequence chart between a UE and network for an initial access according to an example embodiment. The UE may be, for example, UE 102. The network may comprise, for example, a gNB such as access node 104, and a network element, such as AMF 700.

[0147] At operation 900, the AMF 800 may allocate a TMSI to the UE 102 during registration to the network. The TMSI may be transmitted to the UE 102, for example, in an attach accept message at the operation 900. The attach accept message may comprise information to be used for masking an indication of user equipment type information of the user equipment. The information to be used for masking may be comprised in TMSI information in a form of masked bits. In this example, the TMSI information may comprise, for example, a 5G-S-TMSI or a corresponding 6G-S-TMSI including extension bits to be used for the masking. The message may be transmitted to the UE 102, for example, via the access node 104. The UE 102 may be in idle mode, and request for a connection to the access node / a cell of the access node (RAN2).

[0148] In one example, the masked bits may be selected within a total number of bits representing a value of the TMSI and the extension bits. The masked bits may be selected such that they will be included in a first part of the 6G-S-TMSI (or 5G- S-TMSI) to be transmitted in an initial access request structured by the UE 102.

[0149] In one example, the masked bits may be comprised exclusively within the extension bits. In other words, the extension bits may be dedicated for indication of the UE type information. In this case, the extension bits may be referred to as UE type indicator bits.

[0150] The TMSI information transmitted in the attach accept message may comprise an indication of which bits to use for masking, wherein the bits arecomprised in the extension bits and / or the bits representing the TMSI value for masking.

[0151] After reception of the attach accept message, the UE 102 may perform operations 804, 806 and 808 as described in FIG.8.

[0152] Thereafter, at operation 902, the UE 102 transmits an initial access request to the access node 104. The initial access request may be, for example, a RRC setup request message including an initial UE identity based on the TMSI information received at 900. Here, the UE 102 may structure a first part of the 6G-S-TMSI to be transmitted in the initial access request such that the extension bits are included in the transmitted information. The first part of the 6G-S-TMSI may comprise, for example, rightmost 39 bits of the 6G-S-TMSI. However, the number of the included bits may depend on a given configuration.

[0153] In one example, the initial access request may include TMSI pattern bits comprising the indication of the UE type information masked inside the first part of the 6G-S-TMSI. The TMSI pattern bits are determined by the UE based on bits selected from the total number of bits representing the TMSI value and the extension bits and indicated by the AMF in the TMSI information.

[0154] In one example, the initial access request may contain the masked UE type indicator bits (extension bits) which are a self-containing indication of the UE type information.

[0155] The procedure may then continue with operations 812, 814, 816, 818, 820 and 822, as already described in FIG. 8.

[0156] At operation 904, the UE 102 may transmit an initial access complete message to the access node 104. The initial access complete message may indicate, for example, that the RRC setup is completed (msg5). The transmitted message may comprise an acknowledgement of the indicated RRC profile, for example, in a form the assigned RRC profile ID. The transmitted message may further comprise a second part of the 6G-S-TMSI (e.g., remaining 17 bits not included in the first part of the 6G-S-TMSI).

[0157] In FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the operations 812, 814 and 816 are per UE. However, the SLU can also be preinitialized by AMF 800 to the access node 104such that the steps for providing the assistance information may not need to be carried out per UE.

[0158] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a message sequence chart between a UE and network for an initial access procedure with preinitialized assistance information for decoding. The UE may be, for example, UE 102. The network may comprise, for example, a gNB such as access node 104, and a network element, such as AMF 800.

[0159] Operations 802, 804, 806, 808 and 810 correspond to the respective operations already described in FIG. 8 and are therefore not repeated herein.

[0160] After the access node 104 has received the initial access request comprising the masked TMSI pattern bits, the access node 104 may use the SLU to determine UE type from the TMSI pattern bits, at operation 1000. The SLU may have been initialized by the AMF 800 in a common way such that the assistance information exchange does not have to be carried out per UE. The assistance information exchange may have been performed, for example, periodically. Alternatively, or in addition, the assistance information exchange may be performed in response to a trigger detected by the AMF 800. For example, the AMF 800 may be configured to provide the assistance information to the access node 104 when SLU table needs to be refreshed, for example, due to security concerns.

[0161] Optionally, a separate database can be used to store information about UE capabilities at 1002. This may allow more flexibility in terms of defining basic UE capabilities of each indicated UE type. This also allows easier integration of the UE capabilities by updating the database whenever a new UE type is introduced.

[0162] At operation 1004, the access node 104 may request the basic UE capabilities for the determined UE type with a UE context request transmitted to the AMF 800. The AMF 800 may retrieve the requested information from the database 1002. At operation 1006, the AMF 800 may respond with the UE context comprising the basic UE capabilities as per the UE type.

[0163] At operation 818, UE context setup procedure may be performed between the access node 104 and core network (e.g. AMF 800). The context may include information about various bearers like SRB.

[0164] At operation 1008, the access node 104 may determine a basic RRC profile for the UE 102 based on the received basic UE capabilities.

[0165] The procedure may then continue with operations 820, 822 and 824 as described in FIG. 8.

[0166] The procedure of FIG. 10 with the preinitialized SLU and / or use of the database of UE capabilities stored at the AMF 800 is also applicable to the procedure of FIG. 9 wherein the indication of the UE type information is encoded using the extension bits.

[0167] FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a method 1100 for providing an indication of UE type information during initial access procedure according to an example embodiment. The method 1100 may be performed by a device, e.g. UE 102, or by an apparatus configured to control the functioning thereof, when installed therein.

[0168] At 1102, the method may comprise receiving, from a network element, information to be used for masking an indication of user equipment type information of the user equipment. The information may be included or associated with TMSI information determined by the network element for the UE.

[0169] At 1104, the method may comprise encoding the indication of the user type information using masked bits based on the received information.

[0170] At 1106, the method may comprise transmitting, to an access node, an initial access request message comprising the masked bits.

[0171] At 1108, the method may comprise receiving, from the access node, an initial access response message comprising an indication of a RRC profile assigned by the access node to the user equipment based on the user type information indicated by the masked bits.

[0172] FIG. 12 illustrates an example of a method 1200 for assigning a RRC profile based on an indication of a UE type information, according to an example embodiment. The method 1200 may be performed by a device, e.g. access node 104, or an apparatus configured to control the functioning thereof, when installed therein.

[0173] At 1202, the method may comprise receiving, from a user equipment, an initial access request message encoded with an indication of user equipment type information using masked bits.

[0174] At 1204, the method may comprise receiving, from a network element, assistance information for decoding the masked bits.

[0175] At 1206, the method may comprise determining the user equipment type information based on the assistance information and the masked bits by using a secure look up function.

[0176] At 1208, the method may comprise transmitting, to the user equipment, an initial access response message comprising an indication of a RRC profile assigned for the user equipment based on the determined user equipment type information.

[0177] FIG. 13 illustrates an example of a method 1300 for assisting in assignment of a RRC profile based on an indication of a UE type information, according to an example embodiment. The method 1300 may be performed by a device, e.g. an network element, or an apparatus configured to control functioning thereof, when installed therein. In one example, the network element may comprise AMF.

[0178] At 1302, the method may comprise transmitting, to a user equipment, information to be used for masking an indication of user equipment type information of the user equipment within an initial access request message. The information may be included or associated with TMSI information determined by the network element for the UE.

[0179] At 1304, the method may comprise transmitting, to an access node, assistance information for decoding masked bits included by the user equipment based on the transmitted information in the initial access request message.

[0180] Further features of the methods directly result for example from functionality of UE 102, access node(s) 104, 106, or network elements of core network 108 as described throughout the description, claims, and drawings, and are therefore not repeated here. An apparatus, for example a device such as UE 102, an access node, or other network entity such as AMF, may be configured to perform or cause performance of any aspect of the method(s) described herein. Further, a computer program, a computer program product, or a (non-transitory) computer- readable medium may comprise instructions for causing, when executed by anapparatus, the apparatus to perform any aspect of the method(s) described herein. Further, an apparatus may comprise means for performing any aspect of the method(s) described herein. According to an example embodiment, the means comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform any aspect of the method(s).

[0181] Any range or device value given herein may be extended or altered without losing the effect sought. Also, any embodiment may be combined with another embodiment unless explicitly disallowed.

[0182] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as examples of implementing the claims and other equivalent features and acts are intended to be within the scope of the claims.

[0183] It will be understood that the benefits and advantages described above may relate to one embodiment or may relate to several embodiments. The embodiments are not limited to those that solve any or all of the stated problems or those that have any or all of the stated benefits and advantages. It will further be understood that reference to 'an' item may refer to one or more of those items.

[0184] The steps or operations of the methods described herein may be carried out in any suitable order, or simultaneously where appropriate. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from any of the methods without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein. Aspects of any of the example embodiments described above may be combined with aspects of any of the other example embodiments described to form further example embodiments without losing the effect sought.

[0185] The term 'comprising' is used herein to mean including the method, blocks, or elements identified, but that such blocks or elements do not comprise an exclusive list and a method or apparatus may contain additional blocks or elements.

[0186] As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “at least one of ” and similarwording, where the list of two or more elements are joined by “and” or “or”, mean at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all the elements.

[0187] Although subjects may be referred to as ‘first’ or ‘second’ subjects, this does not necessarily indicate any order or importance of the subjects. Instead, such attributes may be used solely for the purpose of making a difference between subjects.

[0188] As used in this application, the term ‘circuitry’ may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) hardware-only circuit implementations (such as implementations in only analog and / or digital circuitry) and (b) combinations of hardware circuits and software, such as (as applicable) :(i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuit(s) with software / firmware and (ii) any portions of hardware processor(s) with software (including digital signal processor(s)), software, and memory(ies) that work together to cause an apparatus, such as a mobile phone or server, to perform various functions) and (c) hardware circuit(s) and or processor(s), such as a microprocessor s) or a portion of a microprocessor(s), that requires software (e.g., firmware) for operation, but the software may not be present when it is not needed for operation. This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims.

[0189] As a further example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers an implementation of merely a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry also covers, for example and if applicable to the particular claim element, a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device or a similar integrated circuit in server, a cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0190] It will be understood that the above description is given by way of example only and that various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art. The above specification, examples and data provide a complete description of the structure and use of exemplary embodiments. Although various embodiments have been described above with a certain degree of particularity, or with reference to one or more individual embodiments, those skilled in the art could make numerousalterations to the disclosed embodiments without departing from scope of this specification.

Claims

CLAIMS1. An apparatus for user equipment, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: receive, from a network element, information to be used for masking an indication of user equipment type information of the user equipment; encode the indication of the user type information using masked bits based on the received information; transmit, to an access node, an initial access request message comprising the masked bits; and receive, from the access node, an initial access response message comprising an indication of a radio resource control, RRC, profile assigned by the access node to the user equipment based on the user type information indicated by the masked bits.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information received from the network element comprises temporary mobile subscription identifier, TMSI, information allocated for the user equipment during registration to a network; and the apparatus is caused to: obtain a mask for encoding the indication of user equipment type information based on a predefined subset of bits within the TMSI information; and create the masked bits based on the determined mask.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the TMSI information received from the network element comprises a 5thgeneration system architecture evolution TMSI, 5G-S-TMSI.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 or 3, wherein the predefined subset of bits is selected using a total number of bits of the TMSI information representing a unique identifier allocated for the user equipment; andwherein the masked bits comprise pattern bits determined based on the mask.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the received TMSI information comprises the 5G-S-TMSI extended with additional bits, and wherein the predefined subset of bits is further selected using the additional bits.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 or 3, wherein the received TMSI information comprises 5G-S-TMSI extended with additional bits dedicated for encoding the indication of the user equipment type information; and wherein the predefined subset of bits is selected within the additional bits.

7. The apparatus of any of claims 2 to 6, further caused to: determine a first part of the TMSI information to be transmitted in the RRC connection request message including rightmost 39 bits of the TMSI information; and wherein the masked bits are included in the first part of the TMSI information transmitted in the RRC connection request message.

8. The apparatus of a claim 7, further caused to: transmit, to the access node, an initial access complete message comprising at least one of a remaining part of the TMSI information or an acknowledgement of the received indication of the RRC profile.

9. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the transmitted initial access request message further comprises an indication of an establishment cause of a RRC connection, and wherein the received indication of the RRC profile configuration is further based on the indicated establishment cause.

10. An apparatus for an access node, comprising: at least one processor; andat least one memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: receive, from a user equipment, an initial access request message encoded with an indication of user equipment type information using masked bits; receive, from a network element, assistance information for decoding the masked bits; determine the user equipment type information based on the assistance information and the masked bits by using a secure look up function; and transmit, to the user equipment, an initial access response message comprising an indication of a radio resource control, RRC, profile assigned for the user equipment based on the determined user equipment type information.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further caused to: determine capabilities of the user equipment based on the determined user equipment type information; and wherein the RRC profile is assigned based on the determined capabilities of the user equipment.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, caused to: request, from the network element, capability information associated with the user equipment type information to determine the capabilities; receive, from the network element, the requested capability information; and assign the RRC profile based on the received capability information.

13. The apparatus of any of claims 10 to 12, wherein the received initial access request message further comprises an indication of an establishment cause for a RRC connection; and wherein the RRC profile is further assigned based on the indication of the establishment cause.

14. The apparatus of any of claims 10 to 13, wherein the indication of the RRC profile comprises at least one of one or more RRC profile configurations or one or more RRC profile identifiers.

15. The apparatus of any of claims 10 to 14, wherein the assistance information is received at least one of: in response to a request transmitted by the apparatus to the network element for providing the assistance information; periodically; or in response to a trigger detected by the network element.

16. The apparatus of any of claims 10 to 15, wherein the initial access request message comprises a first part of a temporary mobile subscription identifier, TMSI, information of the user equipment, and the masked bits are included in the first part of the TMSI information.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first part of the TMSI information is based on a 5G-S-TMSI.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first part of the TMSI information comprises an extension of the 5G-S-TMSI including additional bits used for the masking.

19. The apparatus of any of claims 16 to 18, further caused to: receive, from the user equipment, an initial access complete message comprising at least one of an acknowledgement of the RRC profile or a remaining part of the TMSI information.

20. An apparatus for a network element, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory comprising instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:transmit, to a user equipment, information to be used for masking an indication of user equipment type information of the user equipment within an initial access request message; and transmit, to an access node, assistance information for decoding masked bits included by the user equipment based on the transmitted information in the initial access request message.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the assistance information is transmitted at least one of: in response to a request received from the access node; periodically; or in response to a trigger detected by the apparatus.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 or 21, caused to: receive, from the access node, a request for capability information associated with user equipment type information; retrieve the capability information associated with user equipment type information from a database stored by the apparatus; and transmit, to the access node, the requested capability information.

23. The apparatus of any of claims 20 to 21, wherein the information transmitted to the user equipment comprises temporary mobile subscription identifier, TMSI, information allocated for the user equipment during registration to a network.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the TMSI information comprises 5G-S-TMSI.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the 5G-S-TMSI is extended with additional bits to be used for the masking.

26. A method, comprising: receiving, from a network element, information to be used for masking an indication of user equipment type information of the user equipment; encoding the indication of the user type information using masked bits based on the received information; transmitting, to an access node, an initial access request message comprising the masked bits; and receiving, from the access node, an initial access response message comprising an indication of a radio resource control, RRC, profile assigned by the access node to the user equipment based on the user type information indicated by the masked bits.

27. A method, comprising: receiving, from a user equipment, an initial access request message encoded with an indication of user equipment type information using masked bits; receiving, from a network element, assistance information for decoding the masked bits; determining the user equipment type information based on the assistance information and the masked bits by using a secure look up function; and transmitting, to the user equipment, an initial access response message comprising an indication of a radio resource control, RRC, profile assigned for the user equipment based on the determined user equipment type information.

28. A method, comprising: transmitting, to a user equipment, information to be used for masking an indication of user equipment type information of the user equipment within an initial access request message; and transmitting, to an access node, assistance information for decoding masked bits included by the user equipment based on the transmitted information in the initial access request message.

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