UE Integrity Protection Failure Reporting in 5G RRC Resume
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Solution Overview
Problem
In 5G NR networks, it is challenging for the network to determine the cause of failures during the transition from RRC_INACTIVE to RRC_CONNECTED state and to report resume or re-establishment failures, particularly due to integrity protection failures, which can be caused by fake base stations or other issues, leading to difficulties in remedial actions.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method for UEs to log and report integrity protection failures during resume or re-establishment procedures, including specific data structures like VarConnResFailReport and VarConnReestFailReport, to provide detailed information on failure causes and actions taken, allowing the network to identify and address issues such as fake base stations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If integrity protection is implemented during resume or re-establishment procedures, then network security is improved, but the complexity of failure detection and reporting increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the UE log failure information and prepare failure reports in advance before network resources are fully allocated. The UE stores failure cause information, cell identity, and other relevant data locally when integrity protection failures occur during resume or re-establishment procedures, so that when the connection is successfully re-established, the pre-prepared failure report can be immediately transmitted to the network without requiring complex real-time analysis
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism by using a dedicated failure report message structure that acts as a mediator between the UE and the network. This standardized report format includes fields for failure cause, cell identity, and other diagnostic information, serving as an intermediary data structure that simplifies the communication of failure details without requiring complex ad-hoc analysis or multiple back-and-forth signaling exchanges
2Measurement precision
If detailed failure reporting is implemented, then network troubleshooting capability is improved, but the amount of signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by implementing selective reporting where the UE only logs and reports failure information when integrity protection failures actually occur during resume or re-establishment procedures. The failure report includes only relevant fields such as failure cause, cell identity, and procedural context, rather than continuously reporting all possible parameters. This partial reporting approach provides sufficient diagnostic precision for network troubleshooting while avoiding the excessive signaling overhead that would result from comprehensive continuous reporting of all system states
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments include methods, performed by a user equipment (UE), for reporting failures that occur during communication with a cell associated with a first network node. Such methods include transmitting a request message to the first network node and, in some embodiments, initiating a timer upon transmitting the request message. The request message can be associated with resuming a suspended connection between the UE and a radio access network (RAN), or with re-establishing a connection between the UE and the RAN after occurrence of a failure. Such methods include, performing integrity protection (IP) verification of a response to the request message (e.g., based on receiving the response before timer expiration). Such methods include, in response to failure of the IP verification, sending a failure report, to a second network node, including first information related to the IP verification failure. Other embodiments include complementary methods performed by the second network node.