Method for supporting efficient PDU session activation and deactivation in cellular networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10849088-B2
Application number	US-202016817501-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2020
Priority date	Mar 20, 2017
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

A communication method and system converges a 5G communication system for supporting higher data rates beyond a 4G system with an IoT technology. The system and method 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. Embodiments provide a scheme for efficiently operating an UP connection of a session in case where a terminal has a plurality of sessions in a mobile communication system, such as a 5G system, having a network structure in which an AMF for mobility management and an SMF for session management are separated from each other. A terminal (UE) can optimize a non-access stratum (NAS) signaling message, and can perform data transmission/reception with low latency.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method performed by a session management function (SMF) entity in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
determining a specific area, the specific area being identified based on a cell identifier, a base station identifier, or a list of tracking areas;
transmitting, to an access and mobility management function (AMF) entity, a first message for requesting information on a location of a terminal for the specific area;
receiving, from the AMF entity, a second message including the information on the location of the terminal for the specific area;
identifying whether the location of the terminal is out of a service area of an existing intermediate user plane function (UPF), based on the information on the location of the terminal for the specific area; and
determining whether to maintain the existing intermediate UPF in case that the location of the terminal is out of the service area of the existing intermediate UPF.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specific area is determined based on the service area of the existing intermediate UPF.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a user plane (UP) connection of a protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with the existing intermediate UPF is deactivated, in case that the terminal enters a connection management (CM) idle state.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein a data radio bearer and a tunnel between a base station and the existing UPF are deactivated, in case that the UP connection of the PDU session associated with the existing intermediate UPF is deactivated.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
removing a tunnel between the existing intermediate UPF and an anchor UPF in case that it is determined not to maintain the existing intermediate UPF.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
allocating a tunnel between another intermediate UPF and the anchor UPF.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the another intermediate UPF is determined based on at least one of a dynamic load and the information on the location of the terminal.

8. A method performed by an access and mobility management function (AMF) entity in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
receiving, from a session management function (SMF) entity, a first message for requesting information on a location of a terminal for a specific area, the specific area being determined by the SMF entity, the specific area being identified based on a cell identifier, a base station identifier, or a list of tracking areas;
identifying the location of the terminal for the specific area based on the first message; and
transmitting, to the SMF entity, a second message including information on the location of the terminal for the specific area,
wherein the information on the location of the terminal for the specific area is used by the SMF entity to identify whether the location of the terminal is out of a service area of an existing intermediate user plane function (UPF), and
wherein whether to maintain the existing intermediate UPF is determined by the SMF entity in case that the location of the terminal is out of the service area of the existing intermediate UPF.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the specific area is determined based on the service area of the existing intermediate UPF.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein a user plane (UP) connection of a protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with the existing intermediate UPF is deactivated, in case that the terminal enters a connection management (CM) idle state.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein a data radio bearer and a tunnel between a base station and the existing UPF are deactivated, in case that the UP connection of the PDU session associated with the existing intermediate UPF is deactivated.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein a tunnel between the existing intermediate UPF and an anchor UPF is removed by the SMF entity in case that it is determined by the SMF entity not to maintain the existing intermediate UPF.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein a tunnel between another intermediate UPF and the anchor UPF is allocated by the SMF entity.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the another intermediate UPF is determined by the SMF entity based on at least one of a dynamic load and the information on the location of the terminal.

15. A session management function (SMF) entity in a wireless communication system, comprising:
a transceiver; and
a controller coupled with the transceiver and configured to control to:
determine a specific area, the specific area being identified based on a cell identifier, a base station identifier, or a list of tracking areas;
transmit, to an access and mobility management function (AMF) entity, a first message for requesting information on a location of a terminal for the specific area;
receive, from the AMF entity, a second message including the information on the location of the terminal for the specific area;
identify whether the location of the terminal is out of a service area of an existing intermediate user plane function (UPF), based on the information on the location of the terminal for the specific area; and
determine whether to maintain the existing intermediate UPF in case that the location of the terminal is out of the service area of the existing intermediate UPF.

16. The SMF entity of claim 15 , wherein the specific area is determined based on the service area of the existing intermediate UPF.

17. The SMF entity of claim 15 , wherein a user plane (UP) connection of a protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with the existing intermediate UPF is deactivated, in case that the terminal enters a connection management (CM) idle state.

18. The SMF of claim 17 , wherein a data radio bearer and a tunnel between a base station and the existing UPF are deactivated, in case that the UP connection of the PDU session associated with the existing intermediate UPF is deactivated.

19. The SMF entity of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to control to remove a tunnel between the existing intermediate UPF and an anchor UPF in case that it is determined not to maintain the existing intermediate UPF.

20. The SMF entity of claim 19 , wherein the controller is further configured to control to allocate a tunnel between another intermediate UPF and the anchor UPF.

21. The SMF entity of claim 20 ,
wherein the another intermediate UPF is determined based on at least one of a dynamic load and the information on the location of the terminal.

22. An access and mobility management function (AMF) entity 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) entity, a first message for requesting information on a location of a terminal for a specific area, the specific area being determined by the SMF entity, the specific area being identified based on a cell identifier, a base station identifier, or a list of tracking areas;
identify the location of the terminal for the specific area based on the first message; and
transmit, to the SMF entity, a second message including information on the location of the terminal for the specific area,

wherein the information on the location of the terminal for the specific area is used by the SMF entity to identify whether the location of the terminal is out of a service area of an existing intermediate user plane fu

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H04W60/06 Primary

  De-registration or detaching · CPC title

• H04W8/02

  Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks · CPC title

• H04W76/34

  Selective release of ongoing connections · CPC title

• H04W28/06

  Optimizing {the usage of the radio link}, e.g. header compression, information sizing {, discarding information (system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365)} · CPC title

• H04W64/00

  Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management · CPC title