NTN User Equipment Access Control by Configured Service Areas
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge of managing service access behavior of user equipment (UE) within the coverage of a non-terrestrial network (NTN) cell, particularly when the service area is smaller than the cell coverage, is addressed by implementing a method to restrict or manage UE access based on configured areas and access rules.
Innovation Solution
A method is provided where a UE receives a service accessing configuration that includes information on intended and non-intended areas, determining its location within these areas, and adhering to service access rules to manage access accordingly, with configurations potentially overridden by dedicated messages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If NTN cell coverage spans multiple countries or administrative areas, then the coverage area is improved, but the ability to restrict or manage UE accessing behavior outside the service area deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the NTN cell coverage area into multiple service areas, each with its own service area identifier. The network configures the UE with a list of allowed service area identifiers, enabling granular control over which specific service areas the UE can access within the broader NTN cell coverage. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by maintaining large coverage while enabling precise access management.
Solution Approach 2:
The network performs preliminary configuration of service area restrictions before the UE attempts to access services. The UE receives and stores a configuration message containing service area identifiers and access rules in advance. When the UE needs to access a service, it checks its location against the pre-configured service area list, enabling efficient access control without real-time network intervention for each access attempt.
2Measurement precision
If the service area is smaller than the coverage of the serving NTN cell, then the service access control precision is improved, but the complexity of managing service accessing behavior worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the service area management functionality from the core network and implements it in the UE through dedicated configuration messages. The network provides the UE with service area identifiers and access rules, and the UE autonomously performs location checks against these configurations. This extraction reduces network management complexity while maintaining precise service area control.
Solution Approach 2:
The UE is enabled to autonomously determine whether it is located within an allowed service area by checking its current location against the pre-configured service area identifiers. The UE independently enforces access control rules without requiring continuous network verification, reducing the operational complexity for network operators while achieving precise service area management.
3Reliability
If the UE determines its location and checks service access rules, then the unauthorized access prevention is improved, but the access determination time worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The UE performs service area verification in advance before attempting to access a service. The configuration message with service area identifiers and access rules is received and stored beforehand. When service access is needed, the UE quickly checks its location against the pre-configured data, significantly reducing the time required for access determination compared to real-time verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex service area verification process is extracted from the network side and implemented locally in the UE. The UE autonomously performs location determination and access rule checking using pre-configured service area identifiers. This extraction eliminates the need for time-consuming network round-trips for each access check, improving both reliability and speed.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and a user equipment of implementing non-terrestrial network accessing are provided. The method includes: receiving a service accessing configuration, wherein the service accessing configuration includes information of at least one intended area; and determining whether the user equipment is allowed to perform service accessing according to the service accessing configuration.