Terminal, network node, and communication method

Abstract

A terminal according to the present invention is capable of single registration for a first-generation wireless system and a second-generation wireless system. The terminal includes: a control unit that individually stores and manages registration context and a terminal identifier in the first-generation wireless system and registration context and a terminal identifier in the second-generation wireless system; and a communication unit that communicates in the first-generation wireless system or the second-generation wireless system. When the control unit is in idle mode and executes a communication switch from one generation wireless system to the other generation wireless system, the control unit confirms whether registration in the other generation wireless system is valid and executes, if result of the confirmation is valid, the communication switch without executing registration in the other generation wireless system.

Description

Terminal, Network Node, and Communication Method

[0001] The present invention relates to a terminal, a network node, and a communication method in a communication system.

[0002] In a wireless communication system NR (New Radio) (also referred to as "5G") and a successor system of NR (e.g., "6G") based on the 3GPP (registered trademark) standard, technologies that meet requirements such as a large-capacity system, high data transmission speed, low latency, simultaneous connection of a large number of terminals, low cost, power saving, etc. are being studied.

[0003] In NR, a network architecture including a 5G Core (5G Core Network) corresponding to the EPC (Evolved Packet Core), which is the core network in the LTE (Long Term Evolution) network architecture, and an NG-RAN (Next Generation - Radio Access Network) corresponding to the E-UTRAN (Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network), which is the RAN (Radio Access Network) in the LTE network architecture, is being studied (e.g., Non-Patent Document 1).

[0004] On the other hand, in the transition period when the 3rd generation (3G) mobile communication system and the 4th generation (4G) mobile communication system coexist, when a terminal switches the RAT between 3G and 4G (e.g., between UMTS and LTE) in the idle state, the Idle mode Signaling Reduction (ISR) technology has been used to omit or simplify the re-procedure of location registration. In ISR, the 3G core and the 4G core share the location registration context for the same terminal to some extent, and the terminal also uses a specific management flag and a temporary identifier in combination to suppress unnecessary re-registration signaling.

[0005] 3GPP TS 38.300 V18.4.0 (2024-12)

[0006] When 5G core networks (5GC) and 6G core networks (6GC) are operated independently, terminals will need to re-register each time they switch between 5G and 6G, leading to increased signaling load and terminal power consumption. Furthermore, in the case of operation without dual registration (simultaneous registration with both 5GC and 6GC), i.e., single registration, there is a possibility of frequent RAT (Radio Access Technology) switching even in idle states, depending on service needs. As a result, registration processing may occur frequently with each RAT switch.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the above points, and aims to improve the efficiency of terminal registration and paging processes in single registration operation to 5G and 6G core networks.

[0008] According to the disclosed technology, a terminal capable of single registration for a first-generation wireless system and a second-generation wireless system is provided, comprising: a control unit that individually stores and manages a registration context and terminal identifier in the first-generation wireless system and a registration context and terminal identifier in the second-generation wireless system; and a communication unit that communicates in the first-generation wireless system or the second-generation wireless system, wherein, when the control unit performs a communication switch from one-generation wireless system to the other-generation wireless system in idle mode, it checks whether the registration in the other-generation wireless system is valid, and if the result of the check is valid, the terminal performs the communication switch without performing registration to the other-generation wireless system.

[0009] According to the disclosed technology, it is possible to streamline processes such as terminal registration and paging in single-registration operations for 5G and 6G core networks.

[0010] This figure shows an example configuration of a wireless communication system in an embodiment of the present invention (1). This figure shows an example configuration of a wireless communication system in an embodiment of the present invention (2). This figure shows an example of a single registration configuration in an embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows an example of a sequence diagram in an embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of a base station 10 and a network node 30 in an embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of a terminal 20 in an embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of a base station 10 and a terminal 20 in an embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows an example of the configuration of a vehicle 2001 in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are examples, and the embodiments to which the present invention is applied are not limited to those described below.

[0012] In the operation of the wireless communication system according to the embodiment of the present invention, existing technologies may be used as appropriate. However, such existing technologies may be, for example, existing LTE or existing NR, but are not limited to existing LTE or NR.

[0013] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present invention described below, terms such as SS (Synchronization signal), PSS (Primary SS), SSS (Secondary SS), PBCH (Physical broadcast channel), PRACH (Physical random access channel), PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel), PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel), PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel), and PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel), which are used in existing LTE systems, will be used. This is for convenience of description, and similar signals, functions, etc., may be called by other names. Also, the above terms in NR correspond to NR-SS, NR-PSS, NR-SSS, NR-PBCH, NR-PRACH, etc. However, even if a signal is used in NR, it is not necessarily explicitly stated as "NR-".

[0014] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present invention, the duplex system may be a TDD (Time Division Duplex) system, an FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) system, or any other system (for example, a Flexible Duplex).

[0015] Furthermore, in embodiments of the present invention, "configuring" wireless parameters means that predetermined values ​​are pre-configured, or that wireless parameters notified from the base station 10 or terminal 20 are configured. Also, in the following description, " / " means "and / or" unless otherwise specified, or unless it is clear from the context that it has a different meaning.

[0016] Figure 1 shows an example configuration (1) of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a base station 10 and a terminal 20, as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 shows one base station 10 and one terminal 20, but this is an example, and there may be multiple base stations 10 and terminals 20.

[0017] Base station 10 is a communication device that provides one or more cells and communicates wirelessly with terminal 20. The physical resources of the wireless signal are defined in the time domain and the frequency domain. The time domain may be defined by the number of OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) symbols, and the frequency domain may be defined by the number of subcarriers or resource blocks. Base station 10 transmits synchronization signals and system information to terminal 20. Synchronization signals are, for example, NR-PSS and NR-SSS. System information is transmitted, for example, in NR-PBCH and is also called broadcast information. Synchronization signals and system information may also be called SSB (SS / PBCH block). As shown in Figure 1, base station 10 transmits control signals or data to terminal 20 via DL (Downlink) and receives control signals or data from terminal 20 via UL (Uplink). Both base station 10 and terminal 20 are capable of transmitting and receiving signals using beamforming. Furthermore, both the base station 10 and the terminal 20 can apply MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) communication to DL or UL. Also, both the base station 10 and the terminal 20 may communicate via Carrier Aggregation (CA) through secondary cells (SCell) and primary cells (PCell). Additionally, the terminal 20 may communicate via Dual Connectivity (DC) through the primary cell of base station 10 and the primary secondary cell group cell (PSCell) of another base station 10.

[0018] Terminal 20 is a communication device equipped with wireless communication capabilities, such as a smartphone, mobile phone, tablet, wearable device, or M2M (Machine-to-Machine) communication module. As shown in Figure 1, Terminal 20 receives control signals or data from the base station 10 via DL and transmits control signals or data to the base station 10 via UL, thereby utilizing various communication services provided by the wireless communication system. Terminal 20 also receives various reference signals transmitted from the base station 10 and performs propagation path quality measurement based on the reception results of said reference signals.

[0019] Furthermore, various requirements are being considered for the next generation of 6G. For example, these requirements may include ultra-broadband communication, mission-critical communication, ultra-massive connection, universal coverage, intelligent connection, and ubiquitous sensing.

[0020] Furthermore, these requirements may include ultra-high-speed communication, large-capacity communication, ultra-wide coverage, ultra-low power consumption, low cost, ultra-low latency, ultra-high reliability communication, ultra-high connectivity, and sensing.

[0021] To meet these requirements, the new concept aims for extensibility (e.g., making it more effective for future use), ease of operation, customizability (e.g., making it easier to operate), and sustainability (e.g., cost reduction, a more robust configuration, and resilience). Furthermore, guaranteed communication, ensuring a minimum level of performance at all times, is being considered.

[0022] Figure 2 shows an example configuration (2) of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 shows an example configuration of a wireless communication system when DC (Dual connectivity) is performed. As shown in Figure 2, a base station 10A that will be an MN (Master Node) and a base station 10B that will be an SN (Secondary Node) are provided. Base stations 10A and 10B are each connected to the core network. Terminal 20 can communicate with both base station 10A and base station 10B.

[0023] A cell group provided by base station 10A, which is an MN (Mobile Network), is called an MCG (Master Cell Group), and a cell group provided by base station 10B, which is an SN (Mobile Network), is called an SCG (Secondary Cell Group). In a data center, an MCG consists of one PCell and one or more SCells, and an SCG consists of one PSCell (Primary SCG Cell) and one or more SCells.

[0024] (Example) This section describes a method for streamlining terminal registration and paging processes in single-registration operation to 5G and 6G core networks. In this example, the ISR technology introduced during the 3G / 4G transition is extended to be applicable to a 5G / 6G single-registration environment, and by simplifying the registration process when switching between 5G and 6G in single-registration, it is possible to reduce the load on both terminals and the network. For example, the registration context of the core network (5GC or 6GC) that the terminal was previously registered with is retained for a certain period, and in idle mode, when migrating to the other core network, if the retained registration context is valid, the registration process is omitted. In other words, even in single-registration operation, the terminal manages registration contexts for two (or more) generations of wireless systems that it can register with, and reuses them as needed.

[0025] Figure 3 shows an example of the configuration of single registration in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 3, in single registration for 5G and 6G, in areas that support both 5G and 6G, the terminal (UE) registers with only one of the following: a 5G wireless system to a 5GC via a 5G RAN MN (Master Node) / 5G RAN SN (Secondary Node), or a 6G wireless system to a 6GC via a 6G RAN. Furthermore, 5G and 6G may be referred to as first and second generation wireless systems, and registration to the 5G and 6G core networks may be referred to as registration to the first and second generation wireless systems.

[0026] (Dual Context Management in Single Registration) Terminal 20 performs single registration to 5GC, obtains the registration context in 5GC (e.g., a temporary identifier (e.g., Globally Unique Temporary Identity (5G-GUTI) / Tracking Area Identity (TAI))), and retains it on its own device. Furthermore, when switching to 6GC, Terminal 20 obtains the registration context in 6GC (e.g., a temporary identifier (6G-GUTI) / Tracking Area Identity (TAI)), but retains the registration context in 5GC for a certain period (within the validity period before the registration context expires).

[0027] (Re-registration omitted during RAT switching) When terminal 20 switches back from 6GC to 5GC in an idle state, if the previously held old 5G-GUTI is still valid, it avoids performing the registration process again. In addition, terminal 20 simply sends a notification to 5GC indicating that it is already registered, and then resumes communication on 5G.

[0028] Similarly, when terminal 20 switches back from 5GC to 6GC in an idle state, if the previously held old 6G-GUTI is still valid, it avoids performing the registration process again. Furthermore, terminal 20 simply sends a notification to 6GC indicating that registration is already in progress, and then resumes communication on 6G.

[0029] (Paging and Registration Management) The network node 30 of the core network (e.g., AMF) preferentially pages terminal 20 to the RAT where it was last located, and if there is no response, it may resend the paging to the other RAT. This makes it possible to call terminals efficiently and avoids sending redundant paging to both RATs simultaneously.

[0030] (ISR extension when moving between TA lists) Even if terminal 20 performs a Tracking Area Update (TAU) during single registration, it will continue to maintain dual management as long as the registration context of the other network (6G or 5G) is valid. This allows terminal 20 to continue the ISR effect of not requiring initial registration again, even if it performs a TA update on 5G or 6G, as long as the other core context does not expire. In the existing 3G / 4G ISR specification, terminal 20's ISR was sometimes cleared when it moved and entered a different TA list.

[0031] (Core Network Interoperability and Utilization of Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning Models) Network nodes 30 (e.g., AMF, SMF) of the core network (5GC / 6GC) may mutually share information regarding terminals 20, such as connection status (registration enabled / disabled), resource status (e.g., communication quality for resources allocated to terminal 20), and location information (location of base station (RAT) and time). Furthermore, network nodes 30 (e.g., AMF, SMF) of the core network (5GC / 6GC) may use artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI / ML model) to learn and predict the movement speed, direction, and traffic patterns of terminal 20, thereby determining the appropriate paging destination (base station (RAT)), adjusting the re-registration timing, determining the RAT to be used preferentially, and optimizing the timing of sending paging. This makes it possible to optimize processes such as location registration across multiple RATs by combining inter-core network cooperation and terminal context retention in single-registration operation.

[0032] The details of the processing in this embodiment will be explained below using a sequence diagram. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence diagram in an embodiment of the present invention. In this sequence diagram, even when a 5G cell (5G base station 10C) and a 6G cell (6G base station 10D) coexist in the same area, the terminal 20 does not register simultaneously, but registers with only one of the core networks. The processing of each step will be explained below.

[0033] S101: Terminal 20 performs initial registration with 5GC40A via 5G base station 10C.

[0034] S102: Terminal 20 acquires 5G-GUTI from 5GC40A.

[0035] S103: Terminal 20 stores the 5G-GUTI and TAI (Tracking Area Identity) as the 5G registration context in its internal table.

[0036] S104: 5GC40A and 6GC40B may mutually share shared information regarding the terminal 20, such as the connection status (whether registration is valid or invalid), resource status (e.g., communication quality for resources reserved for the terminal 20), and location information (e.g., the location of the base station (RAT) and the time). For example, 5GC40A may transmit the shared information regarding the terminal 20 in 5GC40A to 6GC40B. Also, for example, 6GC40B may transmit the shared information regarding the terminal 20 in 6GC40B to 5GC40A.

[0037] S105: Terminal 20 performs 5G communication via 5G base station 10C.

[0038] S106: Terminal 20 decides to switch from 5G to 6G.

[0039] S107: Terminal 20 performs initial registration with 6GC40B via 6G base station 10D.

[0040] S108: Terminal 20 acquires 6G-GUTI from 6GC40B.

[0041] S109: Terminal 20 stores the 6G-GUTI and TAI (Tracking Area Identity) as a 6G registration context in its internal table. Furthermore, even after acquiring the 6G-GUTI, Terminal 20 does not immediately discard the 5G-GUTI, but stores it for a certain period based on timer management, etc. When the timer expires, Terminal 20 deletes the invalid 6G registration context.

[0042] S110: Terminal 20 performs 6G communication via 6G base station 10D.

[0043] S111: Terminal 20 decides to switch from 6G to 5G while idle.

[0044] S112: When the terminal 20 migrates from 6GC to 5GC in the idle state, it determines whether the 5G registration context / 5G-GUTI stored in the device is valid (within the expiration date). If it is determined to be valid (within the expiration date), it does not send registration signaling to the network. Further, before executing communication switching, the terminal 20 may send a simple notification indicating the switching from 6G communication to 5G communication to 5GC40A / 6GC40B.

[0045] S113: The terminal 20 executes 5G communication again via the 5G base station 10C.

[0046] Also, regarding paging optimization, when the core network (5GC40A / 6GC40B) executes paging to the terminal 20, it may send paging preferentially to the core network where the terminal 20 was last camped. For example, the core network (5GC40A / 6GC40B) identifies whether the RAT (base station) that the terminal 20 was using immediately before is the 5G base station 10A or the 6G base station 10B, sends paging to the identified RAT, and only if there is no response, sends paging to the other RAT. Here, the identification may be executed based on the shared information shared in S104. Thereby, it is possible to suppress duplicate signaling and execute a call to the terminal 20.

[0047] (Modification Example 1) The method described in Example 1 may be applied not only when 5G and 6G are operated within the same operator but also when the operators are different (for example, 5G is operator A and 6G is a case where the network of operator B is used for roaming). After registering in each core network, the terminal (UE) may store the registration context / unique identifier (including 5G-GUTI, 6G-GUTI) of each core network in association with the operator identifier (for example, PLMN identifier).

[0048] (Modification Example 2) The method described in Example 1 is not limited to 5G / 6G and may be similarly applied when multiple generations such as 6G / 7G are operated in parallel in the future or when registration is performed simultaneously in three or more generations (triple registration, etc.).

[0049] (Effects) As described above, by dually managing 5G-GUTI and 6G-GUTI in single-registration operation, it is possible to prevent the re-execution of the registration procedure when switching between 5G and 6G in idle mode, thereby reducing terminal power consumption and core network signaling. In other words, as described above, it is possible to streamline terminal registration and paging processes in single-registration operation to the 5G and 6G core networks.

[0050] (Device Configuration) Next, an example of the functional configuration of the base station 10, network node 30, and terminal 20 that perform the processing and operations described above will be explained. The base station 10, network node 30, and terminal 20 include the functions to perform the embodiments described above. However, the base station 10, network node 30, and terminal 20 may each have only some of the functions in the embodiments.

[0051] <Base Station 10 and Network Node 30> Figure 5 shows an example of the functional configuration of a base station 10 and a network node 30. As shown in Figure 5, the base station 10 has a transmitting unit 110, a receiving unit 120, a setting unit 130, and a control unit 140. The functional configuration shown in Figure 5 is merely an example. The functional classifications and names of the functional units can be anything as long as they can perform the operations according to the embodiment of the present invention. The network node 30 may have the same functional configuration as the base station 10. Furthermore, a network node 30 having multiple different functions on the system architecture may be composed of multiple network nodes 30 separated by function.

[0052] The transmitting unit 110 includes the function of generating a signal to be transmitted to the terminal 20 or other network node 30 and transmitting the signal by wire or wireless. The receiving unit 120 includes the function of receiving various signals transmitted from the terminal 20 or other network node 30 and obtaining information from the received signal, for example, information from a higher layer. A communication unit including the transmitting unit 110 and the receiving unit 120 may be configured.

[0053] The setting unit 130 stores pre-configured setting information and various setting information to be transmitted to the terminal 20 in a storage device, and reads them from the storage device as needed.

[0054] The control unit 140 performs the processing described in the embodiment. The signal transmission function in the control unit 140 may be included in the transmission unit 110, and the signal reception function in the control unit 140 may be included in the reception unit 120.

[0055] <Terminal 20> Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of terminal 20. As shown in Figure 6, terminal 20 has a transmitting unit 210, a receiving unit 220, a setting unit 230, and a control unit 240. The functional configuration shown in Figure 6 is merely an example. Any functional classification and name of functional unit is acceptable as long as it can perform the operations according to the embodiment of the present invention. Furthermore, a communication device that acts as a resource holder may have a functional configuration similar to that of terminal 20.

[0056] The transmitting unit 210 creates a transmission signal from the transmission data and transmits the transmission signal wirelessly. The receiving unit 220 wirelessly receives various signals and obtains signals from higher layers from the received physical layer signals. The receiving unit 220 also has the function of receiving NR-PSS, NR-SSS, NR-PBCH, DL / UL control signals or reference signals transmitted from the network node 30. A communication unit including the transmitting unit 210 and the receiving unit 220 may be configured.

[0057] The setting unit 230 stores various setting information received from the network node 30 by the receiving unit 220 in its storage device and reads it from the storage device as needed. The setting unit 230 also stores pre-configured setting information.

[0058] The control unit 240 performs the processing described in the embodiment. The signal transmission function in the control unit 240 may be included in the transmission unit 210, and the signal reception function in the control unit 240 may be included in the reception unit 220.

[0059] (Hardware Configuration) The block diagrams (Figures 5 and 6) used in the description of the above embodiments show functional units. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. Furthermore, the method of realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using one device that is physically or logically coupled, or it may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are directly or indirectly connected (for example, using wired or wireless connections). A functional block may be realized by combining the one device or the multiple devices with software.

[0060] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, decision, determination, calculation, calculation, processing, derivation, investigation, exploration, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, resolution, selection, selection, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, assumption, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating (mapping), and assigning. For example, a functional block (configuration part) that enables transmission is called a transmitting unit or transmitter. In all cases, as mentioned above, the method of implementation is not particularly limited.

[0061] For example, the network node 30, terminal 20, etc. in one embodiment of the present disclosure may function as a computer that processes the wireless communication method of the present disclosure. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a base station 10 and terminal 20 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The network node 30 may have the same hardware configuration as the base station 10. The above-mentioned base station 10 and terminal 20 may be physically configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, a storage device 1002, an auxiliary storage device 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, etc.

[0062] In the following explanation, the term "device" can be read as "circuit," "device," "unit," etc. The hardware configuration of the base station 10 and terminal 20 may include one or more of the devices shown in the figure, or it may be configured without some of the devices.

[0063] Each function in the base station 10 and terminal 20 is realized by loading predetermined software (programs) onto hardware such as the processor 1001 and storage device 1002, which allows the processor 1001 to perform calculations, control communication by the communication device 1004, and control at least one of data reading and writing in the storage device 1002 and auxiliary storage device 1003.

[0064] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer, for example, by running an operating system. The processor 1001 may consist of a central processing unit (CPU) that includes interfaces with peripheral devices, control devices, arithmetic units, registers, etc. For example, the control unit 140, control unit 240, etc., described above may be implemented by the processor 1001.

[0065] Furthermore, the processor 1001 reads programs (program code), software modules, or data from at least one of the auxiliary storage device 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the storage device 1002, and executes various processes accordingly. The program used is one that causes the computer to execute at least a part of the operations described in the above embodiment. For example, the control unit 140 of the base station 10 shown in Figure 5 may be implemented by a control program stored in the storage device 1002 and operated by the processor 1001. Also, for example, the control unit 240 of the terminal 20 shown in Figure 6 may be implemented by a control program stored in the storage device 1002 and operated by the processor 1001. Although the above-described processes have been explained as being executed by one processor 1001, they may be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips. The program may also be transmitted from the network via a telecommunications line.

[0066] The storage device 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may consist of at least one of the following: ROM (Read Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The storage device 1002 may also be called a register, cache, main memory, etc. The storage device 1002 can store executable programs (program code), software modules, etc., for implementing a communication method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0067] The auxiliary storage device 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium and may consist of at least one of the following: an optical disc such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disk, a digital multipurpose disk, a Blu-ray® disk), a smart card, flash memory (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy® disk, a magnetic strip, etc. The above-mentioned storage medium may also be a database, server, or other suitable medium that includes at least one of the storage device 1002 and the auxiliary storage device 1003.

[0068] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transmitting / receiving device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also referred to as a network device, network controller, network card, communication module, etc. The communication device 1004 may be configured to include, for example, a high-frequency switch, duplexer, filter, frequency synthesizer, etc., in order to implement at least one of frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD). For example, the transmitting and receiving antenna, amplifier section, transmitting and receiving section, transmission path interface, etc., may be implemented by the communication device 1004. The transmitting and receiving section may be implemented in a physically or logically separated manner, with a transmitting section and a receiving section.

[0069] The input device 1005 is an input device that accepts input from an external source (e.g., a keyboard, mouse, microphone, switch, button, sensor, etc.). The output device 1006 is an output device that outputs to an external source (e.g., a display, speaker, LED lamp, etc.). The input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be configured as an integrated unit (e.g., a touch panel).

[0070] Furthermore, each device, such as the processor 1001 and the storage device 1002, is connected by a bus 1007 for communicating information. The bus 1007 may be configured using a single bus, or different buses may be configured for each device.

[0071] Furthermore, the base station 10 and terminal 20 may be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), and an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and some or all of each functional block may be realized by such hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these hardware components.

[0072] O-CU may be interpreted as CU, control device, communication device, aggregation device, central device, management device, etc. Each of these devices may be rephrased as a unit, node, etc. For example, O-CU may be interpreted as a central unit, aggregation node, etc.

[0073] O-DU may be interpreted as DU, control device, communication device, distributed device, high-PHY device, etc. Each of these devices may be rephrased as unit, node, etc. For example, O-DU may be interpreted as distributed unit, distributed node, etc.

[0074] O-RU may be interpreted as RU, radio equipment, RF (Radio Frequency) equipment, low PHY equipment, etc. Each piece of equipment may be rephrased as a unit, node, etc. For example, O-RU may be interpreted as a radio unit, radio node, etc.

[0075] SMO may be interpreted as a control device, communication device, or management device. Each of these devices may be rephrased as a unit, node, etc. For example, SMO may be interpreted as a management unit, management node, etc.

[0076] Non-Real Time RIC may be interpreted as RIC, non-real-time control device, control device, or communication device. Each of these devices may be rephrased as a unit, node, etc. For example, Non-Real Time RIC may be interpreted as a control unit, control node, etc.

[0077] Near-Real Time RIC may be interpreted as RIC, quasi-real-time control device, control device, or communication device. Each of these devices may be rephrased as a unit, node, etc. For example, Non-Real Time RIC may be interpreted as a control unit, control node, etc.

[0078] Figure 8 shows an example of the configuration of vehicle 2001. As shown in Figure 8, vehicle 2001 includes an operating unit 2002, a steering unit 2003, an accelerator pedal 2004, a brake pedal 2005, a shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, an axle 2009, an electronic control unit 2010, various sensors 2021 to 2029, an information service unit 2012, and a communication module 2013. Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be applied to a communication device mounted on vehicle 2001, for example, to the communication module 2013.

[0079] The operating unit 2002 consists of, for example, an engine, a motor, or a hybrid of an engine and a motor. The steering unit 2003 includes at least a steering wheel (also called a handle) and is configured to steer at least one of the front wheels and the rear wheels based on the operation of the steering wheel, which is operated by the user.

[0080] The electronic control unit 2010 consists of a microprocessor 2031, memory (ROM, RAM) 2032, and communication ports (IO ports) 2033. Signals from various sensors 2021 to 2029 installed in the vehicle 2001 are input to the electronic control unit 2010. The electronic control unit 2010 may also be called an ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

[0081] Signals from various sensors 2021 to 2029 include current signals from current sensor 2021 for sensing motor current, front and rear wheel rotation speed signals acquired by rotation speed sensor 2022, front and rear wheel air pressure signals acquired by air pressure sensor 2023, vehicle speed signals acquired by vehicle speed sensor 2024, acceleration signals acquired by acceleration sensor 2025, accelerator pedal depression signals acquired by accelerator pedal sensor 2029, brake pedal depression signals acquired by brake pedal sensor 2026, shift lever operation signals acquired by shift lever sensor 2027, and detection signals acquired by object detection sensor 2028 for detecting obstacles, vehicles, pedestrians, etc.

[0082] The Information Service Unit 2012 consists of various devices for providing (outputting) various types of information such as driving information, traffic information, and entertainment information, including a car navigation system, audio system, speakers, television, and radio, and one or more ECUs that control these devices. The Information Service Unit 2012 uses information acquired from external devices via a communication module 2013, etc., to provide various multimedia information and multimedia services to the occupants of the vehicle 2001. The Information Service Unit 2012 may include input devices that accept input from the outside (e.g., keyboard, mouse, microphone, switch, button, sensor, touch panel, etc.) and output devices that perform output to the outside (e.g., display, speaker, LED lamp, touch panel, etc.).

[0083] The driver assistance system unit 2030 consists of various devices that provide functions to prevent accidents or reduce the driver's workload, such as millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), cameras, positioning locators (e.g., GNSS), map information (e.g., high-definition (HD) maps, autonomous vehicle (AV) maps), gyro systems (e.g., IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), INS (Inertial Navigation System)), AI (Artificial Intelligence) chips, and AI processors, as well as one or more ECUs that control these devices. The driver assistance system unit 2030 also transmits and receives various information via the communication module 2013 to realize driver assistance functions or autonomous driving functions.

[0084] The communication module 2013 can communicate with the microprocessor 2031 and components of the vehicle 2001 via its communication port. For example, the communication module 2013 sends and receives data via the communication port 2033 between the moving parts 2002, steering parts 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, axle 2009, the microprocessor 2031 and memory (ROM, RAM) 2032 in the electronic control unit 2010, and sensors 2021-29 provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0085] The communication module 2013 is a communication device that can be controlled by the microprocessor 2031 of the electronic control unit 2010 and can communicate with external devices. For example, it can send and receive various types of information with external devices via wireless communication. The communication module 2013 may be located either inside or outside the electronic control unit 2010. The external device may be, for example, a base station or a mobile station.

[0086] The communication module 2013 may transmit at least one of the following to an external device via wireless communication: signals from the various sensors 2021-2028 input to the electronic control unit 2010, information obtained based on said signals, and information based on input from an external source (user) obtained via the information service unit 2012. The electronic control unit 2010, the various sensors 2021-2028, the information service unit 2012, etc., may also be called input units that accept input. For example, the PUSCH transmitted by the communication module 2013 may include the information based on the above input.

[0087] The communication module 2013 receives various information (traffic information, signal information, inter-vehicle information, etc.) transmitted from an external device and displays it on the information service unit 2012 provided in the vehicle 2001. The information service unit 2012 may also be called an output unit, which outputs information (for example, outputs information to devices such as displays and speakers based on the PDSCH (or data / information decoded from the PDSCH) received by the communication module 2013). The communication module 2013 also stores the various information received from the external device in a memory 2032 that can be used by the microprocessor 2031. Based on the information stored in the memory 2032, the microprocessor 2031 may control the operating unit 2002, steering unit 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, axles 2009, sensors 2021-2029, etc., provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0088] <Notes> (Note 1) A terminal capable of single registration for a first-generation wireless system and a second-generation wireless system, comprising: a control unit that individually stores and manages: a registration context and terminal identifier in the first-generation wireless system and a registration context and terminal identifier in the second-generation wireless system; and a communication unit that communicates with the first-generation wireless system or the second-generation wireless system, wherein, when the control unit performs a communication switch from one-generation wireless system to the other-generation wireless system in idle mode, it checks whether the registration in the other-generation wireless system is valid, and if the result of the check is valid, it performs the communication switch without performing registration to the other-generation wireless system. (Note 2) The terminal according to Note 1, wherein the communication unit transmits a notification indicating the communication switch to the other-generation wireless system before performing the communication switch. (Note 3) The terminal as described in Note 1, wherein when the control unit performs an update of the tracking area in one generation wireless system, if the registration in the other generation wireless system is valid, it does not perform registration in the other generation wireless system. (Appendix 4) A network node in a communication system that enables operation by single registration in a first-generation wireless system and a second-generation wireless system for the same terminal, the network node in the core network of the first-generation wireless system or the second-generation wireless system, comprising: a transmitting unit that transmits first shared information relating to registration, resource status and location for the terminal in the second-generation wireless system to the network node in the first-generation wireless system; a receiving unit that receives second shared information relating to registration, resource status and location for the terminal in the first-generation wireless system from the network node in the first-generation wireless system; and a control unit that determines, based on the first shared information and the second shared information, which base station to transmit paging to the terminal is a base station of the first-generation wireless system or a base station of the second-generation wireless system.(Note 5) The control unit determines, using the first shared information, the second shared information, and the terminal's speed, direction, and traffic pattern predicted using artificial intelligence or a machine learning model, to be a base station of the first generation wireless system or a base station of the second generation wireless system, or to determine the timing for transmitting the paging, as described in Note 4. (Appendix 6) A communication method performed by a terminal capable of single registration to a first-generation wireless system and a second-generation wireless system, comprising: the steps of individually storing and managing a registration context and terminal identifier in the first-generation wireless system and a registration context and terminal identifier in the second-generation wireless system; performing communication in the first-generation wireless system or the second-generation wireless system; and, when switching communication from one-generation wireless system to the other-generation wireless system during idle mode, checking whether registration in the other-generation wireless system is valid, and if the result of the check is valid, performing the communication switch without performing registration to the other-generation wireless system.

[0089] Any of the provisions of Appendix 1 to Appendix 6 can streamline the process of terminal registration and paging when operating with single registration to the 5G and 6G core networks.

[0090] (Supplement to Embodiments) Embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the disclosed invention is not limited to such embodiments, and those skilled in the art will understand various modifications, alterations, alternatives, substitutions, etc. Specific numerical examples have been used to facilitate understanding of the invention, but unless otherwise specified, these numerical values ​​are merely examples, and any appropriate values ​​may be used. The division of items in the above description is not essential to the present invention, and matters described in two or more items may be combined as needed, and matters described in one item may be applied to matters described in another item (as long as they do not contradict each other). The boundaries of functional units or processing units in the functional block diagram do not necessarily correspond to the boundaries of physical parts. The operation of multiple functional units may be physically performed by one part, or the operation of one functional unit may be physically performed by multiple parts. The processing procedures described in the embodiments may be rearranged as long as they do not contradict each other. For the convenience of explaining the processing, the base station 10 and terminal 20 have been described using functional block diagrams, but such devices may be realized in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. The software operated by the processor of the base station 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention and the software operated by the processor of the terminal 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be stored in any suitable storage medium such as random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), EPROM, EEPROM, register, hard disk (HDD), removable disk, CD-ROM, database, server, or other appropriate storage medium.

[0091] Furthermore, notification of information is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be carried out by other means. For example, notification of information may be carried out by physical layer signaling (e.g., DCI (Downlink Control Information), UCI (Uplink Control Information)), upper layer signaling (e.g., RRC (Radio Resource Control) signaling, MAC (Medium Access Control) signaling), broadcast information (MIB (Master Information Block), SIB (System Information Block)), other signals, or combinations thereof. Also, RRC signaling may be called RRC messages, and may be, for example, RRC Connection Setup messages, RRC Connection Reconfiguration messages, etc.

[0092] Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure refers to LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-A (LTE-Advanced), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4G (4th generation mobile communication system), 5G (5th generation mobile communication system), 6th generation mobile communication system (6G), xth generation mobile communication system (xG) (xG (where x is, for example, an integer or decimal)), FRA (Future Radio Access), NR (new Radio), New radio access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), W-CDMA (registered trademark), GSM (registered trademark), CDMA2000, UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20 may apply to at least one system utilizing UWB (Ultra-WideBand), Bluetooth®, or other appropriate systems, and to next-generation systems extended, modified, created, or defined based thereon. Alternatively, multiple systems may be applied in combination (e.g., a combination of at least one of LTE and LTE-A with 5G).

[0093] The processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc., of each aspect / embodiment described herein may be reordered, provided they are consistent with each other. For example, the methods described herein present various step elements in an exemplary order and are not limited to that specific order.

[0094] In this specification, specific operations performed by the base station 10 may, in some cases, be performed by its upper node. In a network consisting of one or more network nodes having a base station 10, it is clear that various operations performed for communication with the terminal 20 can be performed by the base station 10 and at least one of the other network nodes (for example, an MME or S-GW, but not limited to these). Although the above example illustrates the case where there is one other network node besides the base station 10, the other network node may be a combination of multiple other network nodes (for example, an MME and an S-GW).

[0095] The information or signals described in this disclosure may be output from a higher layer (or lower layer) to a lower layer (or higher layer). They may also be input and output via multiple network nodes.

[0096] Input and output information may be stored in a specific location (e.g., memory) or managed using a management table. Input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or appended to. Output information may be deleted. Input information may be transmitted to other devices.

[0097] The determination in this disclosure may be made by a value represented by one bit (0 or 1), by a Boolean value (true or false), or by a numerical comparison (for example, a comparison with a predetermined value).

[0098] Software should be broadly interpreted to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, procedures, functions, and so on, whether they are called software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or by any other name.

[0099] Furthermore, software, instructions, information, etc., may be transmitted and received via a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using at least one of wired technology (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, or digital subscriber line (DSL)) and wireless technology (such as infrared or microwave), then at least one of these wired and wireless technologies is included in the definition of a transmission medium.

[0100] The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of the various different techniques. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0101] In addition, terms used in this disclosure and terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings. For example, at least one of the channel and symbol may be a signal (signaling). Also, a signal may be a message. Furthermore, a component carrier (CC) may be called a carrier frequency, cell, frequency carrier, etc.

[0102] The terms “system” and “network” as used in this disclosure are interchangeable.

[0103] Furthermore, the information, parameters, etc., described in this disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a given value, or other corresponding information. For example, wireless resources may be indicated by an index.

[0104] The names used for the parameters described above are not restrictive in any way. Furthermore, the formulas and other expressions using these parameters may differ from those expressly disclosed in this disclosure. Various channels (e.g., PUCCH, PDCCH, etc.) and information elements can be identified by any suitable name, and therefore, the various names assigned to these various channels and information elements are not restrictive in any way.

[0105] In this disclosure, terms such as "Base Station (BS)", "wireless base station", "base station equipment", "fixed station", "NodeB", "eNodeB (eNB)", "gNodeB (gNB)", "access point", "transmission point", "reception point", "transmission / reception point", "cell", "sector", "cell group", "carrier", and "component carrier" may be used interchangeably. Base stations may also be referred to by terms such as macrocell, small cell, femtocell, and picocell.

[0106] A base station can accommodate one or more (e.g., three) cells. If a base station accommodates multiple cells, the entire coverage area of ​​the base station can be divided into multiple smaller areas, each of which may also be provided with communication services by a base station subsystem (e.g., a Remote Radio Head (RRH)). The terms “cell” or “sector” refer to part or all of the coverage area of ​​at least one of the base station and / or base station subsystems that provide communication services in that coverage.

[0107] In this disclosure, the transmission of information by a base station to a terminal may be interpreted as the base station instructing the terminal to perform control or operation based on the information.

[0108] In this disclosure, terms such as "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," and "terminal" may be used interchangeably.

[0109] A mobile station may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or several other appropriate terms.

[0110] At least one of the base station and the mobile station may be called a transmitting device, a receiving device, a communication device, etc. At least one of the base station and the mobile station may also be a device mounted on a mobile body, the mobile body itself, etc. The mobile body refers to a movable object, and its speed of movement is arbitrary. This also includes the case when the mobile body is stationary. The mobile body includes, but is not limited to, vehicles, transport vehicles, automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, connected cars, excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders, dump trucks, forklifts, trains, buses, handcarts, rickshaws, ships and other watercraft, airplanes, rockets, satellites, drones (registered trademark), multicopters, quadcopters, balloons, and items mounted on them. The mobile body may also be a mobile body that moves autonomously based on operation commands. It may be a vehicle (e.g., a car, an airplane, etc.), an unmanned mobile body (e.g., a drone, an autonomous vehicle, etc.), or a robot (manned or unmanned). Furthermore, at least one of the base station and the mobile station may include devices that do not necessarily move during communication operations. For example, at least one of the base station and the mobile station may be an IoT (Internet of Things) device such as a sensor.

[0111] Furthermore, the term "base station" in this disclosure may be interpreted as "user terminal." For example, the various aspects / embodiments of this disclosure may be applied to a configuration in which communication between a base station and a user terminal is replaced with communication between multiple terminals 20 (which may be called, for example, D2D (Device-to-Device), V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything)). In this case, the terminals 20 may have the functions that the base station 10 has. Also, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" may be interpreted as terms corresponding to inter-terminal communication (for example, "side"). For example, uplink channel, downlink channel, etc., may be interpreted as side channel.

[0112] Similarly, the term "user terminal" in this disclosure may be replaced with "base station." In this case, the base station may be configured to have the same functions as the user terminal described above.

[0113] As used in this disclosure, the terms “determining” and “determining” may encompass a wide variety of actions. “Determining” may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, or inquiring (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), or ascertaining. “Determining” may also include receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), inputting, outputting, or accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory). Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering something as having been "judged" or "decided" after resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering something as having been "judged" or "decided" after some action. Also, "judgment (decision)" can be reinterpreted as "assuming," "expecting," or "considering."

[0114] The terms “connected,” “coupled,” or any variation thereof, mean any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are “connected” or “coupled” with each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, “connection” may be reinterpreted as “access.” As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be “connected” or “coupled” with each other using at least one of one or more wires, cables, and printed electrical connections, and, in some non-limiting and non-exclusive examples, electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency domain, microwave domain, and optical (both visible and invisible) domain.

[0115] The reference signal can also be abbreviated as RS (Reference Signal), and may be called a pilot depending on the applicable standard.

[0116] In this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based solely on" unless otherwise specified. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based solely on" and "based at least on."

[0117] Any reference to elements using the designations “first,” “second,” etc., as used in this disclosure does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient way to distinguish between two or more elements. Accordingly, references to the first and second elements do not imply that only two elements may be employed, or that the first element must precede the second element in any way.

[0118] In the configuration of each of the above devices, "means" may be replaced with "part," "circuit," "device," etc.

[0119] Where the terms “include,” “including,” and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are intended to be inclusive, as is the term “comprising.” Furthermore, the term “or” as used in this disclosure is not intended to mean exclusive OR.

[0120] In this disclosure, if articles are added through translation, such as a, an, and the in English, this disclosure may include the fact that the noun following these articles is plural.

[0121] In this disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "combine" may be interpreted similarly to "different."

[0122] Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be used individually, in combination, or switched between as needed during implementation. Furthermore, notification of specific information (e.g., notification that "X is") is not limited to explicit notification, but may also be implicit (e.g., by not providing such notification).

[0123] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the intent and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the descriptions in the present disclosure are illustrative and not intended to be restrictive in any way.

[0124] This patent application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-017648, filed on February 5, 2025, and the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-017648 are incorporated herein by reference.

[0125] 10 Base station 110 Transmitter 120 Receiver 130 Setting unit 140 Control unit 20 Terminal 210 Transmitter 220 Receiver 230 Setting unit 240 Control unit 30 Network node 1001 Processor 1002 Storage device 1003 Auxiliary storage device 1004 Communication device 1005 Input device 1006 Output device

Claims

1. A terminal capable of single registration for a first-generation wireless system and a second-generation wireless system, comprising: a control unit that individually stores and manages the registration context and terminal identifier in the first-generation wireless system and the registration context and terminal identifier in the second-generation wireless system; and a communication unit that communicates with the first-generation wireless system or the second-generation wireless system, wherein, when the control unit performs a communication switch from one-generation wireless system to the other-generation wireless system in idle mode, it checks whether the registration in the other-generation wireless system is valid, and if the result of the check is valid, it performs the communication switch without performing registration to the other-generation wireless system.

2. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit transmits a notification indicating the communication switch to the other generation wireless system before performing the communication switch.

3. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein when the control unit performs an update of the tracking area in one generation wireless system, it does not perform registration in the other generation wireless system if the registration in the other generation wireless system is valid.

4. A network node in a communication system that enables operation by single registration in a first-generation wireless system and a second-generation wireless system for the same terminal, the network node being in the core network of the first-generation wireless system or the second-generation wireless system, comprising: a transmitting unit that transmits first shared information relating to registration, resource status and location for the terminal in the second-generation wireless system to the network node in the first-generation wireless system; a receiving unit that receives second shared information relating to registration, resource status and location for the terminal in the first-generation wireless system from the network node in the first-generation wireless system; and a control unit that determines, based on the first shared information and the second shared information, which base station to transmit paging to the terminal is a base station of the first-generation wireless system or a base station of the second-generation wireless system.

5. The network node according to claim 4, wherein the control unit determines, using the first shared information, the second shared information, and the terminal's movement speed, direction, and traffic pattern predicted using artificial intelligence or a machine learning model, to be a base station of the first generation wireless system or a base station of the second generation wireless system, or determines the timing for transmitting the paging.

6. A communication method performed by a terminal capable of single registration to a first-generation wireless system and a second-generation wireless system, comprising: the steps of individually storing and managing a registration context and terminal identifier in the first-generation wireless system and a registration context and terminal identifier in the second-generation wireless system; performing communication in the first-generation wireless system or the second-generation wireless system; and, when switching communication from one-generation wireless system to the other-generation wireless system during idle mode, checking whether registration in the other-generation wireless system is valid, and if the result of the check is valid, performing the communication switch without performing registration to the other-generation wireless system.

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