WO2020034371A1

WO2020034371A1 - Managing access and mobility functions

Info

Publication number: WO2020034371A1
Application number: PCT/CN2018/109454
Authority: WO
Inventors: Shuang Liang; Jinguo Zhu; Minya Ye; Fei Lu
Original assignee: Zte Corporation
Priority date: 2018-10-09
Filing date: 2018-10-09
Publication date: 2020-02-20
Also published as: CN113170387A; CN113170387B

Abstract

A method of wireless communication includes receiving, at a first network function service in a core network, a first message from an access network for initiating a procedure for a mobile device; transmitting, from the first network function service, a notification message to a second network function service in the core network; receiving, at the first network function service, a second message from the second network function service; identifying, by the first network function service, a context of the mobile device based on the first identifier; and receiving or transmitting, by the first network function service, a transport message of the procedure via the access network based on the context of the mobile device.

Description

MANAGING ACCESS AND MOBILITY FUNCTIONS

TECHNICAL FIELD

This patent document is directed generally to wireless communications.

BACKGROUND

Mobile communication technologies are moving the world toward an increasingly connected and networked society. The rapid growth of mobile communications and advances in technology have led to greater demand for capacity and connectivity. Other aspects, such as energy consumption, device cost, spectral efficiency, and latency are also important to meeting the needs of various communication scenarios. Various techniques, including new ways to provide higher quality of service, longer battery life, and improved performance are being discussed.

SUMMARY

This patent document describes, among other things, techniques for separating the functionalities offered by the Access and Mobility Management Function into two network functions so that mobility management can be self-contained, reusable, and independent.

In one example aspect, a wireless communication method is disclosed. The method includes receiving, at a first network function service in a core network, a first message from an access network for initiating a procedure for a mobile device. The first network function service is dedicated to managing control plane communications between the core network and one or more access networks. The method includes transmitting, from the first network function service, a notification message to a second network function service in the core network. The second network function service provides a mobility management function and the notification message includes a first identifier associated with the first network function service and the mobile device. The method includes receiving, at the first network function service, a second message from the second network function service. The method includes identifying, by the first network function service, a context of the mobile device based on the first identifier. The method also includes receiving or transmitting, by the first network function service, a transport message of the procedure via the access network based on the context of the mobile device.

In another example aspect, a wireless communication method is disclosed. The method includes receiving, at a first network function service in a core network, a notification message from a second network function service in the core network. The first network function service provides a mobility management function and the second network function service is dedicated to managing control plane communications between the core network and one or more access networks. The notification message includes a second identifier associated with the second network function service and a mobile device and further includes information about a procedure initiated by the mobile device. The method includes handling, by the first network function service, the information about the procedure initiated by the mobile device. The method includes transmitting, by the first network function service, a message to the second network function service.

In another example aspect, a wireless communication method is disclosed. The method includes receiving, at a network repository function (NRF) service in a core network, a request message from a first network function service or a second network function service in the core network. The first network function service is dedicated to managing control plane communications between the core network and one or more access networks, and the second network function service provides a mobility management function. The method includes transmitting, by the NRF service, a response message to the first network service or the second network function service. The method includes transmitting, by the NRF service, a first notification message to the first network function service to notify the first network function service of configuration information about the second network function service. The method also includes transmitting, by the NRF service, a second notification message to the second network function service to notify the second network function service of configuration information about the first network function service.

In another example aspect, a wireless communication method is disclosed. The method includes receiving, at a first network function service, a notification message from a network repository function (NRF) service in a core network. The first network function service is dedicated to managing control plane communications between the core network and one or more access networks, the second network function service provides a mobility management function. The notification message includes configuration information about a second network function service. The method includes transmitting, by the first network function service, an update message to an access network to inform the access network of the second network function service. The update message includes an identifier for the second network function service based on the configuration information about the second network function service.

In another example aspect, a wireless communication method is disclosed. The method includes receiving, at a first network function service, a message from an access network including information about one or more configurations of the access network. The first network function service is dedicated to managing control plane communications between a core network and one or more access networks. The method includes transmitting, by the first network function service, a response to the access network acknowledging receipt of the message. The method includes triggering, by transmitting an update message from the first network function service to a network repository function (NRF) service in the core network to update the one or more configurations of the access network, a notification from the NRF service to a second network function service that provides a mobility management function.

In another example aspect, a wireless communication method is disclosed. The method includes receiving, at a first network function service in a core network, a message from a second network function service in the core network. The first network function service is dedicated to managing control plane communications between the core network and one or more access networks, and the second network function service provides a mobility management function. The message includes information about a registration area of a mobile device. The method includes transmitting, by the first network function service, a paging request to an access network that corresponds to the registration area of the mobile device.

In yet another example aspect, a wireless communication apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a processor that is configured to implement an above-described method.

In yet another example aspect, a computer-program storage medium is disclosed. The computer-program storage medium includes code stored thereon. The code, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement a described method.

These, and other, aspects are described in the present document.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a service-based architecture of the 5G system.

FIG. 2 depicts an example architecture of the Access and Mobility Management Function in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 3 illustrates example identifiers used by an N1 Communication service and an N2 Communication service in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 4 shows an example initiation or update procedure for an N1 Communication service instance in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 5 shows an example initiation or update procedure for an N2 Communication service instance in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 6 shows an example setup or update procedure for an NG-RAN in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 7 shows an example Non-Access Stratum procedure in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 8 shows an example paging procedure in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart representation of a method for wireless communications in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart representation of another method for wireless communications in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart representation of another method for wireless communications in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart representation of another method for wireless communications in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart representation of another method for wireless communications in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart representation of yet another method for wireless communications in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 15 shows an example of a wireless communication system where techniques in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology can be applied.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram representation of a portion of a radio station in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology can be applied.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Section headings are used in the present document only to improve readability and do not limit scope of the disclosed embodiments and techniques in each section to only that section. Certain features are described using the example of 5G wireless protocol. However, applicability of the disclosed techniques is not limited to only 5G wireless systems.

The development of the new generation of wireless communication -5G New Radio (NR) communication -is a part of a continuous mobile broadband evolution process to meet the requirements of increasing network demand. Compared to previous generations of the wireless communication systems, the 5G system architecture is service based. The service-based architecture means that the architecture elements are defined as network functions offering services via interfaces of a common framework to any network functions that are permitted to use the provided services. The Network repository functions (NRF) allow a network function to discover the services offered by other network functions. This architecture model, which further adopts principles like modularity, reusability, and self-containment of network functions, is chosen to enable deployments to take advantage of the latest virtualization and software technologies.

FIG. 1 shows a service-based architecture of the 5G system. The 5G system architecture 100 includes the following network functions (NF) :

1. Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) . The AMF includes functionalities such as User Equipment (UE) mobility management, reachability management, connection management. The AMF is situated at the end of the Radio Access Network (RAN) Control Plane (CP) interface N2 and the Non-Access Stratum (NAS) N1. The AMF assists NAS ciphering and integrity protection. It also distributes the Session Management (SM) NAS to the proper Session Management Functions (SMF) via the N11 interface. To increase transmission reliability, the concept of a AMF Set is introduced. An AMF Set includes AMFs that serve a given area and a network slice (that is, a set of virtually independent business operations on a common physical infrastructure) . In some embodiments, Unstructured Data Storage Function (UDSF) is used in the AMF Set to store the UE context. An AMF can be uniquely identified by the Globally Unique AMF Identifier (GUAMI) . As an example, the GUAMI can be structured as <MCC> <MNC> <AMF Region ID> <AMF Set ID> <AMF Pointer>.

2. Session Management Function (SMF) . The SMF includes UE Internet Protocol (IP) address allocation and management. It also includes selection and control of the User Plane (UP) function (s) and Protocol Data Unit (PDU) connection management, etc.

3. User plane Function (UPF) . The UPF is the anchor point for Intra-/Inter-Radio Access Technology (RAT) mobility. The UPF also serves as the external PDU session point of interconnect to Data Network. The UPF routes and forwards the data packet as indicated by the SMF. The UPF also buffers the downlink data when the UE is in the idle mode.

4. Unified Data Management (UDM) . The UDM stores the subscription profile for the UE.

5. Policy Control Function (PCF) . The PCF generates the policy to govern network behavior based on the subscription and indication from the Application Function (AF) . It also provides policy rules to CP functions (e.g., AMF and SMF) to enforce them.

In FIG. 1, interfaces such as N11 and N7 are service-based interfaces. The interactions between the control plane Network Functions (NFs) via the service-based interfaces are specified by the corresponding NF service. Network Functions may offer different capabilities, and thus, different NF services to distinct consumers. To achieve network slicing, each of the NF services offered by a Network Function needs to be self-contained, reusable, and uses management schemes independently from other NF services offered by the same network function. However, the AMF is not a complete service-based NF because it includes access management functions that handles communications over the N2 interface. The N2 interface is based on the Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) , which requires a Next Generation Application Protocol (NGAP) association between the Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) and the AMF. The present document provides techniques that can separate the functionalities offered by the AMF into two Network Functions so that mobility management functions can be offered as a service-based NF.

FIG. 2 depicts an example architecture of the Access and Mobility Management Function in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology. As shown in FIG. 2, the AMF can be separated into to two NFs:

N1 Communication service

201a, 201b, 201c (denoted as N1 Comm) and

N2 Communication service

202a, 202b (denoted as N2 Comm) .

The N1 Comm (201a, 201b, 201c) includes functionalities such as UE mobility management, reachability management, connection management for NAS layer including NAS ciphering and integrity protection, and NAS message relay to the proper network functions such as SMF, AUSF etc.

The N2 Comm (202a, 202b) includes functionalities such as N2 interface termination and management. In particular, N2 Comm collects and maintains information about the NG-RAN. For example, the N2 Comm provides information about the NG-RAN in the NF Repository Function (NRF) , which allows the N1 Comm to retrieve such information from the NRF later. If the NG-RAN updates its configuration or a new NG-RAN node is added, the N2 Comm may update the configuration information about the NG-RAN to the NRF. In some embodiments, the N2 Comm can retrieves information that has been registered or updated by the N1 Comm from the NRF. The N2 Comm then decides whether to update the NG-RAN based on such information.

To increase transmission reliability, the concept of N1 Comm Set (211) and N2 Comm Set (212) is also introduced. Configuration information can be stored in the UDSF of each set respectively. In some implementations, if there is a N2 Comm set, the NG-RAN connects to all the N2 Comm services in the same N2 Comm Set. In some embodiments, to avoid any negative impact on the NG-RAN, a one-to-one mapping between the N2 Comm set and N1 Comm Set can be established. In some embodiments, if there is no N2 Comm set, all N1 Comm services in the N1 Comm set are mapped to the N2 Comm. If there is no N1 Comm set, all N2 Comm services in the N2 Comm set are mapped to the N1 Comm.

In some embodiments, the N1 Comm can store, for each N2 Comm in the N2 Set, a N2 Comm name, an N2 Comm identity (ID) , a Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) , or an IP address. The N1 Comm can store configuration information about the Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) list, the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) list, or the Discontinuous Reception (DRX) information. The N1 Comm can also store slice information of the NG-RANs connected to each of the N2 Comm in the N2 Set. The N1 Comm can retrieve the above-mentioned information from the NRF if the N2 Comm has registered in NRF.

In some embodiments, the N2 Comm can store, for each N2 link, the list of RAN node ID. The N2 Comm can store, for each RAN node ID, the name of the RAN node and/or configuration information about the TAI list, the PLMN list, or the DRX information. The N2 Comm can also store the slice information that the RAN node supports. In some implementations, the N2 Comm can store, for each N1 Comm, the name, the GUAMI, the FQDN, or the IP address of the N1 Comm. The N2 Comm can retrieve the above-mentioned information from the NRF if the N1 Comm has registered in NRF.

In some embodiments, the NG-RAN can store, for each N2 link, the name of the N1 Comm (or the AMF name) . The NG-RAN can store, for each N1 Comm name, the GUAMI list of the N1 Comm and the PLMN list supported by the N1 Comm.

In some embodiments, the NRF can store, for each N1 Comm, the N2 Comm Set ID, the service area, the name, the GUAMMI, the FQDN, and/or the IP address of the N1 Comm. The NRF can also store, for each N2 Comm, the name, the N1 Comm Set ID, the service area, the ID, the FQDN, and/or the IP address of the N2 Comm. The NRF can further store in N2 Comm configuration information, such as the TAI list, the PLMN list, the DRX information and/or the slice information of the NG-RANs connected to each of the N2 Comm in the N2 Comm Set.

FIG. 3 illustrates example identifiers used by an N1 Communication service and an N2 Communication service in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology. As shown in FIG. 3, an RAN UE NGAP ID (301) is an identifier that identifies a UE in the NG-RAN on the N2 reference point. An AMF UE NGAP ID (302) is an identifier that identifies the UE in N2 Comm on N2 reference point. In some implementations, the RAN UE NGAP ID (301) and the AMF UE NGAP ID (302) can be the same as the existing RAN UE NGAP ID and AMF UE NGAP ID between the NG-RAN and the AMF to minimize any design impact on the NG-RAN.

FIG. 3 also illustrates additional identifiers that can be used by the N1 Comm and N2 Comm to identify the UE. For example, an N2 UE ID (303) is an identifier that can be used to identify the UE in the N2 Comm on the Nn reference point between the N1 Comm and the N2 Comm. An N1 UE ID (304) is an identifier that can be used to identify the UE in the N1 Comm on the Nn reference point between the N1 Comm and the N2 Comm.

FIG. 4 shows an example initiation or update procedure for an N1 Comm instance in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology.

Step 401: An N1 Comm instance is instantiated in the network. Alternatively, the configuration information of an N1 Comm instance has been updated.

Step 402: The N1 Comm sends a message (e.g., Nnrf_NFManagement_NFRegister Request or Nnrf_NFManagement_NFUpdate Request) to the NRF. The message can include the GUMAI of the N1 Comm to uniquely identify the N1 Comm service, N1 Comm name, N1 comm set ID and/or N1 Comm service area.

Step 403: The NRF stores the information included in message and sends a response (e.g., Nnrf_NFManagement_NFRegister Response or Nnrf_NFManagement_NFUpdate Response) to the N1 Comm.

Step 404: If the N1 Comm subscribes to a notification of N2 Comm services in the service area of the N1 Comm, the NRF determines whether there is the service area of a service (e.g., N2 Comm) that overlaps with the N1 Comm service area, or whether there is a service (e.g., N2 Comm) in the N2 Comm Set identified by the N2 Comm Set ID provided by N1 Comm. If yes, the NRF sends a message (e.g., Nnrf_NFManagement_NFStatusNotify) to the N1 Comm to notify the configuration information of the N2 Comm. The message can include information about the slice (s) , the tracking areas (TAs) , and/or PLMNs supported by the N2 Comm. In some implementations such information is transmitted in the response message in Step 403.

Step 405: If the N2 Comm has registered with the NRF before and subscribes to a notification of N1 Comm services in the service area of the N2 Comm, the NRF determines whether the service area of the N1 Comm overlaps with the service area of the N2 Comm, or whether there is a service (e.g., N2 Comm) in the N2 Comm set identified by the N2 Comm Set ID provided by N1 Comm. If yes, the NRF sends a message (e.g., Nnrf_NFManagement_NFStatusNotify) to the N2 Comm to notify the configuration information of the N1 Comm. The message can include information about the GUMAI and/or the name of the N1 Comm.

Step 406: After the N2 Comm receives the message (e.g., Nnrf_NFManagement_NFStatusNotify) from the NRF, the N2 Comm sends an update message (e.g., AMF Configuration Update) to update the AMF information stored in the NG-RAN. The update message can include information about the GUMAI lists and/or the PLMN lists supported by the N1 Comm.

Step 407: The NG-RAN updates the configuration information and sends an acknowledgement (e.g., AMF Configuration Update Ack) to the N2 Comm.

FIG. 5 shows an example initiation or update procedure for an N2 Comm instance in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology.

Step 501: An N2 Comm instance is instantiated in the network. Alternatively, the configuration information of an N2 Comm instance has been updated.

Step 502: The N2 Comm collects information such as the TAI list, the network slice list, and/or the PLMN list from the NG-RAN, which will be discussed in detail in connection with FIG. 6 shown below. The N2 Comm then sends a message (e.g., Nnrf_NFManagement_NFRegister Request or Nnrf_NFManagement_NFUpdate Request) to the NRF. The message can include information that the N2 Comm has collected, such as information about the TAI list, the network slice list, and/or the PLMN list that are supported by the N2 Comm service. The message can also include the service area, the name, and/or the ID of the N2 Comm to allow the N2 Comm to be uniquely identified.

Step 503: The NRF stores the information included in the message, and sends a second message (e.g., Nnrf_NFManagement_NFRegister Response or Nnrf_NFManagement_NFUpdate Response) to the N2 Comm.

Step 504: If the N2 Comm subscribes to a notification of N1 services in the service area of the N2 Comm, the NRF determines whether the service area of another service (e.g., N1 Comm) overlaps with the service area of the N2 Comm, or whether there is a service (e.g., N1 Comm) in the N1 Comm Set identified by the N1 Comm Set ID provided by N2 Comm. If yes, the NRF sends a message (e.g., Nnrf_NFManagement_NFStatusNotify) to the N2 Comm to notify the configuration information of the N1 Comm. The message can include the name and/or the GUMAI of the N1 Comm. In some implementations such information is transmitted in the response message in Step 503.

Step 505: If the N2 Comm receives the message (e.g., Nnrf_NFManagement_NFStatusNotify in Step 504 or response message in Step 503) from the NRF, it determines whether to update the information stored in the NG-RAN. If yes, it sends a message (e.g, AMF Configuration Update) to the NG-RAN to update the corresponding configuration information.

Step 506: The NG-RAN updates the configuration and sends an acknowledgment (e.g., AMF Configuration Update Ack) to the N2 Comm.

Step 507: If the N1 Comm has registered with the NRF and subscribes to a notification of N2 services in the service area of the N1 Comm, the NRF determines whether the service area of the N2 Comm overlaps with the N1 Comm service area, or whether there is a service (e.g., N1 Comm) in the N1 Comm Set identified by the N1 Comm Set ID provided by N2 Comm. If yes, the NRF sends a message (e.g., Nnrf_NFManagement_NFStatusNotify) to the N1 Comm service to notify the configuration information of the N2 Comm. The message can include information about the slices, tracking areas, and/or PLMNs that N2 Comm supports.

Step 601: A new NG-RAN is added to the network. Alternatively, a NG-RAN updates its configuration.

Step 602: The NG-RAN sends a message (e.g., NG Setup Request, RAN Configuration Update, or NG RESET) to the N2 Comm. The message can include information about the slices, TAs, and/or PLMN supported by the NG-RAN.

Step 603: After receiving the message from the NG-RAN, the N2 Comm sends a response or an acknowledgement (e.g., NG Setup Response or RAN Configuration Update Ack) to the NG-RAN.

Step 604: The N2 Comm collects and compiles the configuration information from the NG-RAN. The N2 Comm then sends a message (e.g., Nnrf_NFManagement_NFUpdate Request) to the NRF to update the configuration information of N2 Comm in the NRF.

Step 605: The NRF sends a message (e.g., Nnrf_NFManagement_NFUpdate Response) to acknowledge the update.

Step 606: If the N1 Comm service subscribes to a notification of other services in the service area of the N1 Comm, the NRF determines whether the service area of another service (e.g., N2 Comm) overlaps with the service area of the N1 Comm, or whether there is a service (e.g., N1 Comm) in the N1 Comm Set identified by the N1 Comm Set ID provided by N2 Comm. If yes, the NRF sends a message (e.g., Nnrf_NFManagement_NFStatusNotify) to the N1 Comm to notify the updated configuration information. The message can include the N2 Comm configuration information.

FIG. 7 shows an example NAS procedure in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology. It is noted that FIG. 7 shows only the interactions between the NG-RAN, N1 Comm, and N2 Comm, and is not a complete depiction of the NAS procedure.

During a NAS procedure, in order to transfer the UE NAS message in the N1 Comm and N2 Comm, N1 UE ID and N2 UE ID are introduced to uniquely identify the UE context in the corresponding N1 Comm Set and N2 Comm Set. The N2 Comm allocates N2 UE ID, and the N1 Comm allocates N1 UE ID. The N1 Comm and N2 Comm exchange N1 UE ID and N2 UE ID and store the mapping {N1 UE ID, N2 UE ID} when the UE is in the connected mode. The N1 Comm and N2 Comm can use the IDs in the subsequent NAS transfer.

Step 701: The UE initiates a NAS procedure (e.g., registration procedure, or service request procedure) and transmit the NAS message via a message (e.g., a Radio Resource Control message) .

Step 702: The NG-RAN receives the message from the UE. If the message includes the GUMAI or the 5G SAE-Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (S-TMSI) of the UE, the NG-RAN selects a N2 Comm based on the GUMAI or the 5G S-TMSI. Alternatively, if the message does not include the GUMAI or the 5G S-TMSI of the use (or if the N2 Comm service cannot be selected) , the NG-RAN determines a N2 Comm set and select a N2 Comm from the set. The selection can be performed randomly. The NG-RAN then sends a message (e.g., initial NAS message) to the selected N2 Comm. In some embodiments, the GUMAI or the 5G S-TMSI of the UE is forwarded to the N2 Comm via the message. After the N2 Comm receives the message from the NG-RAN, the N2 Comm selects an N1 Comm based on the message. For example, if the message includes the GUIMAI or the 5G S-TMSI of the UE, the N2 Comm selects the N1 Comm that corresponds to the GUMAI or the 5G S-TMSI.

Steps

703 and 704 are skipped.

Step 703: In some cases, the message does not include the GUIMAI and the 5G S-TMSI of the UE. The N2 Comm can select an N2 Comm in an N1 Comm set based on the information retrieved from the NRF or the local configuration. For example, the N2 Comm can send a message (e.g., Nnrf_NFDiscovery_Request) to the NRF. The message can include an identifier for the N1 Comm Set (e.g., N1 Comm Set ID) .

Step 704: After receiving the message from the N2 Comm, the NRF selects an N1 Comm based on the N1 Comm Set ID in the message. The NRF then sends a response (e.g., Nnrf_NFDiscovery_Response) to the N2 Comm. The response can include the name, the GUAMI, the FQDN, or the IP address of the N1 Comm to uniquely identify the N1 Comm.

Step 705: The N2 Comm allocates an identifier to identify the UE context (e.g., N2 UE ID) . The N2 Comm then sends a message (e.g., Nn2comm_N1N2Message_Notification) to the selected N1 Comm. The message can include the NAS message and/or an identifier for the UE (e.g., N2 UE ID) .

Step 706: After receiving the message from the N2 Comm, the N1 Comm handles the NAS message.

Step 707: The N1 Comm allocates an identifier to identify the UE context (e.g., N1 UE ID) . If the N1 Comm needs to transmit a message back to the NG-RAN, it sends a message (e.g., Nn2comm_N1N2Message Transfer) to the N2 Comm. The message includes N1 UE ID as well as the N2 UE ID to identify the UE context. The message also includes a downlink (DL) NAS message to the UE.

Step 708: The N2 Comm identifies the UE context via N2 UE ID in the message, and stores the N1 UE ID. The N2 Comm transfers the DL NAS message to the NG-RAN.

Step 709: In some cases, the UE can send an uplink (UL) NAS message to the N1 Comm via the NG-RAN and the N2 Comm.

Step 710: The NG-RAN and the N2 Comm exchange messages over the N2 interface by using the RAN UE NGAP ID and AMF UE NGAP ID to uniquely identify the UE context.

Step 711: The N2 Comm and N1 Comm exchange messages over the Nn interface by using the N2 UE ID and N1 UE ID to identify the UE context. For example, the N2 Comm can send a message (e.g., Nn2comm_N1N2Message Notification) to notify the N1 Comm of the UL NAS message.

Step 801: When the UE is in the idle mode and the N1 Comm receives a downlink transmission message (e.g., Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer) , the N1 Comm can page the UE.

Step 802: The N1 Comm can select the N2 Comm based on its local information or via NRF. In some embodiments, the N1 Comm sends a message (e.g., Nnrf_NFDiscovery_Request) to the NRF to select a N2 Comm in a N1 Comm Set.

Step 803: The NRF then returns a message (e.g., Nnrf_NFDiscovery_Response) that includes the name, the GUAMI, the FQDN, or the IP address of the N2 Comm to the N1 Comm.

Step 804: After selecting the N2 Comm, the N1 Comm sends a message (e.g., Nn2comm_Paging Request) to the selected N2 Comm. The message can include the UE registration area and/or the S-TMSI of the UE.

Step 805: After obtaining the UE registration area included in the message, the N2 Comm determines all the NG-RANs within the registration area. The N2 Comm then sends a message (e.g., N2 Paging Request) to the selected NG-RANs.

Step 806: The NG-RAN pages the UE when it receives the message from N2 Comm.

Step 807: The UE then initiates a Service Request procedure when it receives the paging message.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart representation of a method 900 for wireless communications. The method 900 can be implemented in scenarios such as the embodiment depicted in FIG. 7. The method 900 includes, at step 901, receiving, at a first network function service (e.g., N2 Comm) in a core network, a first message from an access network (e.g., NG-RAN) for initiating a procedure for a mobile device. The first network function service is dedicated to managing control plane communications between the core network and one or more access networks. The method 900 includes, at step 902, transmitting, from the first network function service, a notification message to a second network function service (e.g., N1 Comm) in the core network. The second network function service provides a mobility management function. The notification message includes a first identifier (e.g., N2 UE ID) associated with the first network function service and the mobile device. The method 900 includes, at step 903, receiving, at the first network function service, a second message from the second network function service. The method 900 includes, at step 904, identifying, by the first network function service, a context of the mobile device based on the first identifier. The method 900 also includes, at step 905, receiving or transmitting, by the first network function service, a transport message of the procedure via the access network based on the context of the mobile device.

In some embodiments, the first message from the access network includes an identifier of the mobile device. The method further includes determining, by the first network function service, the second network service based on the identifier of the mobile device.

In some embodiments, the first network function service belongs to a first set of network function services, and the second network function service belongs to a second set of network function services. There is a one-to-one mapping between first set of network function services and the second set of network function services.

In some embodiments, the method includes transmitting, by the first network function service, a request to a network repository function (NRF) service, the request including an identifier of the second set of network function services. The method also includes receiving, at the first network function service, a response from the NRF service indicating an identify of the second network function service.

In some embodiments, the method includes determining, by the first network function service, the first identifier that is associated with the first network function service and the mobile device.

In some embodiments, the notification message is transmitted over an Nn interface. In some embodiments, the second message from the second network function service includes a second identifier (e.g., N1 UE ID) associated with the second network function service and the mobile device. The second message from the second network function service includes the first identifier. In some embodiments, the method includes storing the second identifier for identifying, for subsequent transmissions, the second network function service based on the mobile device.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart representation of a method 1000 for wireless communications. The method 1000 can be implemented in scenarios such as the embodiment depicted in FIG. 7. The method 1000 includes, at step 1001, receiving, at a first network function service (e.g., N1 Comm) in a core network, a notification message from a second network function service (e.g., N2 Comm) in the core network. The first network function service provides a mobility management function and the second network function service is dedicated to managing control plane communications between the core network and one or more access networks. The notification message includes a second identifier (e.g., N2 UE ID) associated with the second network function service and a mobile device and further includes information about a procedure initiated by the mobile device. The method 1000 includes, at step 1002, handling, by the first network function service, the information about the procedure initiated by the mobile device. The method 1000 includes, at step 1003, transmitting, by the first network function service, a message to the second network function service.

In some embodiments, the first network function service belongs to a first set of network function services, and the second network function service belongs to a second set of network function services. There is a one-to-one mapping between the first set of network function services and the second set of network function services.

In some embodiments, the method includes determining, by the first network function service, a first identifier (e.g., N1 UE ID) associated with the first network function service and the mobile device for identifying a context of the mobile device. In some embodiments, the message to the second network function service includes the first identifier. The message to the second network function service can also include the second identifier. In some embodiments, the method includes storing the second identifier for identifying, for subsequent transmissions, the second network function service based on the mobile device. In some embodiments, the notification message is transmitted over an Nn interface.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart representation of a method 1100 for wireless communications. The method 1100 can be implemented in scenarios such as the embodiments depicted in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. The method 1100 includes, at step 1101, receiving, at a network repository function (NRF) service in a core network, a request message from a first network function service (e.g., N2 Comm) or a second network function service (e.g., N1 Comm) in the core network. The first network function service is dedicated to managing control plane communications between the core network and one or more access networks, and the second network function service provides a mobility management function. The method 1100 includes, at step 1102, transmitting, by the NRF service, a response message to the first network service or the second network function service. The method 1100 includes, at step 1103, transmitting, by the NRF service, a first notification message to the first network function service to notify the first network function service of configuration information about the second network function service. The method 1100 includes, at step 1104, transmitting, by the NRF service, a second notification message to the second network function service to notify the second network function service of configuration information about the first network function service.

In some embodiments, the method includes, before transmitting the second notification message, determining, upon receiving the request message from the first network function service, that the second network function service is a subscriber of the NRF service and a first service area of the first network function service overlaps with a second service area of the second network function. For example, the second network function (e.g., the N1 Comm) is a subscriber of the NRF service. When the NRF service receives the request message from the first network function service (e.g., the N2 Comm) indicating a registration or update, the NRF service checks the service areas of the first and second network functions. If the service areas overlap, the NRF service determines to notify the subscriber (e.g., the N1 Comm) .

In some embodiments, the method includes before transmitting the first notification message, determining, upon receiving the request message from the second network function service, that the first network function service is a subscriber of the NRF service and a first service area of the first network function service overlaps with a second service area of the second network function. For example, the first network function (e.g., the N2 Comm) is a subscriber of the NRF service. When the NRF service receives the request message from the second network function service (e.g., the N1 Comm) indicating a registration or update, the NRF service checks the service areas of the first and second network functions. If the service areas overlap, the NRF service determines to notify the subscriber (e.g., the N2 Comm) .

In some embodiments, the method includes before transmitting the second notification message, determining, upon receiving the request message from the first network function service, that the second network function service (e.g., the N1 Comm) belongs to a network function service set identified by an identifier (e.g., the N1 Comm Set ID) provided by the first network function service (e.g., the N2 Comm) . For example, the second network function (e.g., the N1 Comm) is a subscriber of the NRF service. When the NRF service receives the request message from the first network function service (e.g., the N2 Comm) indicating a registration or update, the NRF service checks the mapping between two network function service sets (e.g., the N1 Comm Set and the N2 Comm Set) . If the subscriber belongs to the network function service set (e.g., the N1 Comm Set) identified by the first network function service, the NRF service determines to notify the subscriber (e.g., the N1 Comm) .

In some embodiments, the method includes before transmitting the first notification message, determining, upon receiving the request message from the second network function service, that the first network function service (e.g., the N2 Comm) belongs to a network function service set identified by an identifier (e.g., the N2 Comm Set ID) provided by the second network function service (e.g., the N1 Comm) . For example, the first network function (e.g., the N2 Comm) is a subscriber of the NRF service. When the NRF service receives the request message from the second network function service (e.g., the N1 Comm) indicating a registration or update, the NRF service checks the mapping between two network function service sets (e.g., the N1 Comm Set and the N2 Comm Set) . If the subscriber belongs to the network function service set (e.g., the N2 Comm Set) identified by the second network function service, the NRF service determines to notify the subscriber (e.g., the N2 Comm) .

FIG. 12 is a flowchart representation of a method 1200 for wireless communications. The method 1200 can be implemented in scenarios such as the embodiments depicted in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. The method 1200 includes, at 1201, receiving, at a first network function service (e.g., N2 Comm) , a notification message from a network repository function (NRF) service in a core network. The first network function service is dedicated to managing control plane communications between the core network and one or more access networks. The notification message includes configuration information about a second network function service (e.g., N1 Comm) . The second network function service provides a mobility management function. The method 1200 includes, at step 1202, transmitting, by the first network function service, an update message to an access network to inform the access network of the second network function service, wherein the update message includes an identifier for the second network function service based on the configuration information about the second network function service.

In some embodiments, the configuration information about the second network function service includes a name or a globally unique identifier of the second network function service.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart representation of a method 1300 for wireless communications. The method 1300 can be implemented in scenarios such as the embodiment depicted in FIG. 6. The method 1300 includes, at step 1301, receiving, at a first network function service (e.g., N2 Comm) , a message from an access network (e.g., NG-RAN) including information about one or more configurations of the access network. The first network function service is dedicated to managing control plane communications between a core network and one or more access networks. The method 1300 includes, at step 1302, transmitting, by the first network function service, a response to the access network acknowledging receipt of the message. The method 1300 includes, at step 1303, triggering, by transmitting an update message from the first network function service to a network repository function (NRF) service in the core network to update the one or more configurations of the access network, a notification from the NRF service to a second network function service (e.g., N1 Comm) that provides a mobility management function. In some embodiments, the one or more configurations of the access network include information about slices, tracking areas, or public land mobile networks supported by the access network.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart representation of a method 1400 for wireless communications. The method 1400 can be implemented in scenarios such as the embodiment depicted in FIG. 9. The method 1400 includes, at step 1401, receiving, at a first network function service (e.g., N2 Comm) in a core network, a message from a second network function service (e.g., N1 Comm) in the core network. The first network function service is dedicated to managing control plane communications between the core network and one or more access networks. The second network function service provides a mobility management function. The message includes information about a registration area of a mobile device. The method 1400 includes, at step 1402, transmitting, by the first network function service, a paging request to an access network that corresponds to the registration area of the mobile device.

In some embodiments, the message is transmitted over an Nn interface. In some embodiments, the method includes determining, by the first network function service, all access networks that are within the registration area of the mobile device.

In some embodiments, the first network function service belongs to a first set of network function services, and the second network function service belongs to a second set of network function services. There is a one-to-one mapping the first set of network function services and the second set of network function services.

FIG. 15 shows an example of a wireless communication system 1500 where techniques in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology can be applied. A wireless communication system 1500 can include one or more base stations (BSs) 1505a, 1505b, one or

more wireless devices

1510a, 1510b, 1510c, 1510d, and a core network 1525. A base station 1505a, 1505b can provide wireless service to

wireless devices

1510a, 1510b, 1510c and 1510d in one or more wireless sectors. In some implementations, a base station 1505a, 1505b includes directional antennas to produce two or more directional beams to provide wireless coverage in different sectors.

The core network 1525 can communicate with one or more base stations 1505a, 1505b. The core network 1525 provides connectivity with other wireless communication systems and wired communication systems. The core network may include one or more service subscription databases to store information related to the subscribed

wireless devices

1510a, 1510b, 1510c, and 1510d. A first base station 1505a can provide wireless service based on a first radio access technology, whereas a second base station 1505b can provide wireless service based on a second radio access technology. The base stations 1505a and 1505b may be co-located or may be separately installed in the field according to the deployment scenario. The

wireless devices

1510a, 1510b, 1510c, and 1510d can support multiple different radio access technologies.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram representation of a portion of a radio station. A radio station 1605 such as a base station or a wireless device (or UE) can include processor electronics 1610 such as a microprocessor that implements one or more of the wireless techniques presented in this document. The radio station 1605 can include transceiver electronics 1615 to send and/or receive wireless signals over one or more communication interfaces such as antenna 1620. The radio station 1605 can include other communication interfaces for transmitting and receiving data. Radio station 1605 can include one or more memories (not explicitly shown) configured to store information such as data and/or instructions. In some implementations, the processor electronics 1610 can include at least a portion of the transceiver electronics 1615. In some embodiments, at least some of the disclosed techniques, modules or functions are implemented using the radio station 1605.

It will be appreciated that the present document discloses techniques that can be embodied into wireless communication systems to provide completely service-based mobility management functions. Using the techniques described herein, the access management functions that handle the NGAP association can be independent from other functionalities offered in the current AMF, thereby providing a service-based mobility management network function service that is self-contained and reusable.

The disclosed and other embodiments, modules and the functional operations described in this document can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or hardware, including the structures disclosed in this document and their structural equivalents, or in combinations of one or more of them. The disclosed and other embodiments can be implemented as one or more computer program products, i.e., one or more modules of computer program instructions encoded on a computer readable medium for execution by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus. The computer readable medium can be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a memory device, a composition of matter effecting a machine-readable propagated signal, or a combination of one or more them. The term “data processing apparatus” encompasses all apparatus, devices, and machines for processing data, including by way of example a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple processors or computers. The apparatus can include, in addition to hardware, code that creates an execution environment for the computer program in question, e.g., code that constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, or a combination of one or more of them. A propagated signal is an artificially generated signal, e.g., a machine-generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal, that is generated to encode information for transmission to suitable receiver apparatus.

A computer program (also known as a program, software, software application, script, or code) can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program does not necessarily correspond to a file in a file system. A program can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup language document) , in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store one or more modules, sub programs, or portions of code) . A computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers that are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.

The processes and logic flows described in this document can be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output. The processes and logic flows can also be performed by, and apparatus can also be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) .

Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, by way of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions and data from a read only memory or a random-access memory or both. The essential elements of a computer are a processor for performing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include, or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, e.g., magnetic, magneto optical disks, or optical disks. However, a computer need not have such devices. Computer readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, media and memory devices, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto optical disks; and CD ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and the memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.

While this patent document contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any invention or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments of particular inventions. Certain features that are described in this patent document in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the embodiments described in this patent document should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments.

Only a few implementations and examples are described, and other implementations, enhancements and variations can be made based on what is described and illustrated in this patent document.

Claims

A method for wireless communications, comprising:

receiving, at a first network function service in a core network, a first message from an access network for initiating a procedure for a mobile device, wherein the first network function service is dedicated to managing control plane communications between the core network and one or more access networks;

transmitting, from the first network function service, a notification message to a second network function service in the core network, wherein the second network function service provides a mobility management function and wherein the notification message includes a first identifier associated with the first network function service and the mobile device;

receiving, at the first network function service, a second message from the second network function service;

identifying, by the first network function service, a context of the mobile device based on the first identifier; and

receiving or transmitting, by the first network function service, a transport message of the procedure via the access network based on the context of the mobile device.
The method of claim 1, wherein the first message from the access network includes an identifier of the mobile device, the method further comprising:

determining, by the first network function service, the second network service based on the identifier of the mobile device.
The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first network function service belongs to a first set of network function services, and the second network function service belongs to a second set of network function services, and wherein there is a one-to-one mapping between the first set of network function services and the second set of network function services.
The method of claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting, by the first network function service, a request to a network repository function (NRF) service, the request including an identifier of the second set of network function services; and

receiving, at the first network function service, a response from the NRF service indicating an identify of the second network function service.
The method of any of claims 1 to 4, comprising:

determining, by the first network function service, the first identifier that is associated with the first network function service and the mobile device.
The method of any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second message from the second network function service includes a second identifier associated with the second network function service and the mobile device.
The method of claim 6, wherein the second message from the second network function service includes the first identifier.
The method of claim 6 or 7, comprising:

storing the second identifier for identifying, for subsequent transmissions, the second network function service based on the mobile device.
A method for wireless communications, comprising:

receiving, at a first network function service in a core network, a notification message from a second network function service in the core network, wherein the first network function service provides a mobility management function and the second network function service is dedicated to managing control plane communications between the core network and one or more access networks, and wherein the notification message includes a second identifier associated with the second network function service and a mobile device and further includes information about a procedure initiated by the mobile device;

handling, by the first network function service, the information about the procedure initiated by the mobile device;

transmitting, by the first network function service, a message to the second network function service.
The method of claim 9, wherein the first network function service belongs to a first set of network function services, and the second network function service belongs to a second set of network function services, wherein there is a one-to-one mapping between the first set of network function services and the second set of network function services.
The method of claim 9 or 10, comprising:

determining, by the first network function service, a first identifier associated with the first network function service and the mobile device for identifying a context of the mobile device.
The method of claim 11, wherein the message to the second network function service includes the first identifier.
The method of claim 12, wherein the message to the second network function service includes the second identifier.
The method of any of claims 9 to 13, comprising:

storing the second identifier for identifying, for subsequent transmissions, the second network function service based on the mobile device.
A method for wireless communications, comprising:

receiving, at a network repository function (NRF) service in a core network, a request message from a first network function service or a second network function service in the core network, wherein the first network function service is dedicated to managing control plane communications between the core network and one or more access networks, and wherein the second network function service provides a mobility management function;

transmitting, by the NRF service, a response message to the first network service or the second network function service;

transmitting, by the NRF service, a first notification message to the first network function service to notify the first network function service of configuration information about the second network function service; and

transmitting, by the NRF service, a second notification message to the second network function service to notify the second network function service of configuration information about the first network function service.
The method of claim 15, comprising:

determining, upon receiving the request message from the first network function service, that the second network function service is a subscriber of the NRF service and a first service area of the first network function service overlaps with a second service area of the second network function.
The method of claim 15, comprising:

determining, upon receiving the request message from the second network function service, that the first network function service is a subscriber of the NRF service and a first service area of the first network function service overlaps with a second service area of the second network function.
The method of any of claims 15 to 17, wherein the first network function service belongs to a first set of network function services, and the second network function service belongs to a second set of network function services, wherein there is a one-to-one mapping between the first set of network function services and the second set of network function services.
A method for wireless communications, comprising:

receiving, at a first network function service, a notification message from a network repository function (NRF) service in a core network, wherein the first network function service is dedicated to managing control plane communications between the core network and one or more access networks, wherein the second network function service provides a mobility management function, and wherein the notification message includes configuration information about a second network function service; and

transmitting, by the first network function service, an update message to an access network to inform the access network of the second network function service, wherein the update message includes an identifier for the second network function service based on the configuration information about the second network function service.
The method of claim 19, wherein the configuration information about the second network function service includes a name or a globally unique identifier of the second network function service.
The method of claim 19 or 20, wherein the first network function service belongs to a first set of network function services, and the second network function service belongs to a second set of network function services, wherein there is a one-to-one mapping between the first set of network function services and the second set of network function services.
A method for wireless communications, comprising:

receiving, at a first network function service, a message from an access network including information about one or more configurations of the access network, wherein the first network function service is dedicated to managing control plane communications between a core network and one or more access networks;

transmitting, by the first network function service, a response to the access network acknowledging receipt of the message;

triggering, by transmitting an update message from the first network function service to a network repository function (NRF) service in the core network to update the one or more configurations of the access network, a notification from the NRF service to a second network function service that provides a mobility management function.
The method of claim 22, wherein the one or more configurations of the access network include information about slices, tracking areas, or public land mobile networks supported by the access network.
The method of claim 22 or 23, wherein the first network function service belongs to a first set of network function services, and the second network function service belongs to a second set of network function services, wherein there is a one-to-one mapping between the first set of network function services and the second set of network function services.
A method for wireless communications, comprising:

receiving, at a first network function service in a core network, a message from a second network function service in the core network, wherein the first network function service is dedicated to managing control plane communications between the core network and one or more access networks, wherein the second network function service provides a mobility management function, and wherein the message includes information about a registration area of a mobile device;

transmitting, by the first network function service, a paging request to an access network that corresponds to the registration area of the mobile device.
The method of claim 25, comprising:

determining, by the first network function service, all access networks that are within the registration area of the mobile device.
The method of claim 25 or 26, wherein the first network function service belongs to a first set of network function services, and the second network function service belongs to a second set of network function services, wherein there is a one-to-one mapping between the first set of network function services and the second set of network function services.
A wireless communication apparatus, comprising a processor configured to implement a method recited in any one or more of claims 1 to 27.
A computer program product having code stored thereon, the code, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to implement a method recited in any one or more of claims 1 to 27.