Method and apparatus for managing session to change a user plane function in a wireless communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10419980-B2
Application number	US-201815925708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2018
Priority date	Mar 20, 2017
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a communication method and system for converging a 5th-Generation (5G) communication system for supporting higher data rates beyond a 4th-Generation (4G) system with a technology for Internet of Things (IoT). The present disclosure may be applied to intelligent services based on the 5G communication technology and the IoT-related technology, such as smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car, connected car, health care, digital education, smart retail, security and safety services. The present disclosure further relates to a method by a session management function (SMF) in a network including a session that is established via a first user plane function (UPF). The method includes determining whether to change the first UPF to a second UPF, and transmitting, to a terminal via an access and mobility function (AMF), a first message including a maintain time of the session established via the first UPF, when the first UPF needs to be changed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method by a session management function (SMF) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
determining whether to change a first user plane function (UPF) associated with a first protocol data unit (PDU) session;
transmitting, to a terminal via an access and mobility function (AMF), a first message including a lifetime value for maintaining the first PDU session and information indicating a PDU session re-establishment being required, in case that the first UPF needs to be changed; and
receiving, from the terminal via the AMF, a second message for requesting an establishment of a second PDU session, based on the information,
wherein the second PDU session associated with a second UPF is established based on the second message, and
wherein the first PDU session is released by the SMF in case that a timer associated with the lifetime value is expired.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first PDU session is released by the terminal before a timer associated with the lifetime value received from the SMF is expired.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first message further includes an identity (ID) of the first PDU.

4. A method by a session management function (SMF) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
determining whether to relocate a first user plane function (UPF) associated with a protocol data unit (PDU) session;
selecting a second UPF for the PDU session, in case that the first UPF needs to be relocated;
transmitting, to a terminal via the second UPF, a first message including an protocol (IP) prefix associated with the second UPF; and
transmitting, to the terminal via the first UPF, a second message including an IP prefix associated with the first UPF and lifetime information on the IP prefix associated with the first UPF.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the lifetime information includes a valid lifetime field indicating a time for maintaining the IP prefix associated with the first UPF, and a preferred lifetime field indicating a time until a deprecated state of the IP prefix associated with the first UPF.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the preferred lifetime field is set to 0.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the PDU session is based on an internet protocol version 6 (IPv6).

8. A method by an access and mobility management function (AMF) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
receiving, from a session management function (SMF), a first message including a lifetime value for maintaining a first protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with a first user plane function (UPF) and information indicating a PDU session re-establishment being required;
forwarding, to a terminal, the first message;
receiving, from the terminal, a second message for requesting an establishment of a second PDU session, based on the information; and
forwarding, to the SMF, the second message,
wherein the first PDU session is released by the SMF, in case that a timer associated with the lifetime value is expired.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first PDU session is released by the terminal, before a timer associated with the lifetime value received from the SMF is expired.

10. A session management function (SMF) in a wireless communication system, comprising:
a transceiver; and
a controller coupled with the transceiver and configured to control to:
determine whether to change a first user plane function (UPF) associated with a first protocol data unit (PDU) session,
transmit, to a terminal via an access and mobility function (AMF), a first message including a lifetime value for maintaining the first PDU session and information indicating a PDU session re-establishment being required, in case that the first UPF needs to be changed, and
receive, from the terminal via the AMF, a second message for requesting an establishment of a second PDU session, based on the information,

wherein the second PDU session associated with a second UPF is established based on the second message, and
wherein the first PDU session is released by the SMF, in case that a timer associated with the lifetime value is expired.

11. The SMF of claim 10 , wherein the first PDU session is released by the terminal, before a timer associated with the lifetime value received from the SMF is expired.

12. The SMF of claim 10 , wherein the first message further includes an identity (ID) of the first PDU.

13. A session management function (SMF) in a wireless communication system, comprising:
a transceiver; and
a controller coupled with the transceiver and configured to control to:
determine whether to relocate a first user plane function (UPF) associated with a protocol data unit (PDU) session,

select a second UPF for the PDU session, in case that the first UPF needs to be relocated,
transmit, to a terminal via the second UPF, a first message including an internet protocol (IP) prefix associated with the second UPF, and
transmit, to the terminal via the first UPF, a second message including an IP prefix associated with the first UPF and lifetime information on the IP prefix associated with the first UPF.

14. The SMF of claim 13 , wherein the lifetime information includes a valid lifetime field indicating a time for maintaining the IP prefix associated with the first UPF, and a preferred lifetime field indicating a time until a deprecated state of the IP prefix associated with the first UPF.

15. The SMF of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to control to set the preferred lifetime field to 0.

16. An access and mobility management function (AMF) in a wireless communication system, comprising:
a transceiver; and
a controller coupled with the transceiver and configured to control to:
receive, from a session management function (SMF), a first message including a lifetime value for maintaining a first protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with a first user plane function (UPF) and information indicating a PDU session re-establishment being required,
forward, to a terminal, the first message,
receive, from the terminal, a second message for requesting an establishment a second PDU session, based on the information; and
forward, to the SMF, the second message,
wherein the first PDU session is released by the SMF, in case that a timer associated with the lifetime value received from the SMF is expired.

17. The AMF of claim 16 , wherein the first PDU session is released by the terminal, before a timer associated with the lifetime value received from the SMF is expired.

18. A terminal in a wireless communication system, comprising:
a transceiver; and
a controller coupled with the transceiver and configured to control to:
receive, from a session management function (SMF) via an access and mobility management function (AMF), a first message including a lifetime value for maintaining a first protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with a first user plane function (UPF) and information indicating a PDU session re-establishment being required,
determine to initiate a procedure to establish a second PDU session based on the information, and
transmit, to the SMF via the AMF, a second message for requesting an establishment of the second PDU session based on the determination,
wherein the second PDU session is established based on the second message, and
wherein the first PDU session is released by the SMF, in case that a timer associated with the lifetime value is expired.

19. The terminal of claim 18 , wherein the controller

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jicheol
• Lee Jinsung
• Park Jungshin
• Bae Beomsik
• Kweon Kisuk
• Moon Sangjun
• Lee Hyungho

Classifications

• H04W80/045

  involving different protocol versions, e.g. MIPv4 and MIPv6 · CPC title

• H04L12/4633 Primary

  Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling · CPC title

• H04W84/042

  Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems · CPC title

• H04W36/0011

  for data sessions of end-to-end connection · CPC title

• H04W36/14

  Reselecting a network or an air interface · CPC title