Access network selection for a UE not supporting NAS over non-3GPP access

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11638208-B2
Application number	US-201817279059-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2018
Priority date	Nov 16, 2018
Publication date	Apr 25, 2023
Grant date	Apr 25, 2023

Abstract

Apparatuses, methods, and systems are disclosed for access network selection for UEs not supporting NAS over non-3GPP access. One apparatus includes a processor and a transceiver for communicating with one or more non-3GPP access networks. The processor creates a first list of available PLMNs, each PLMN connectable via a non-3GPP access network without using a NAS protocol. The processor selects a first PLMN from the first list and selects a first network slice supported by the first PLMN. Here, the first network slice is identified by a first S-NSSAI. The processor creates a second list of available non-3GPP access networks and selects a first non-3GPP access network from the second list. The processor begins a connectivity procedure over the first non-3GPP access network. Here, the connectivity procedure creates a data connection for the apparatus via the first network slice in the first PLMN, and the connectivity procedure does not use the NAS protocol.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a transceiver that communicates with one or more non-3GPP access networks; and
a processor that:
creates a first list of available public land mobile networks (“PLMNs”), each PLMN connectable via a non-3GPP access network using a 5G connectivity without non-access stratum (“NAS”);
selects a first PLMN from the first list;
creates a second list of available non-3GPP access networks;
selects a first non-3GPP access network from the second list; and
begins a connectivity procedure over the first non-3GPP access network, wherein the connectivity procedure creates a data connection for the apparatus via the first PLMN, and wherein the connectivity procedure does not use the NAS protocol.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein creating the first list of available PLMNs comprises:
discovering a plurality of available non-3GPP access networks; and
determining, for each available non-3GPP access network, a set of PLMNs which are connectable using a 5G connectivity without NAS protocol and one or more network slices supported by each PLMN in the set.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein determining the set of PLMNs which are connectable using a 5G connectivity without comprises using an access network query protocol (“ANQP”) to acquire a list of PLMNs connectable via each available non-3GPP access network using a 5G connectivity without.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first non-3GPP access network is a highest priority available non-3GPP access network that supports connectivity to the first PLMN.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein beginning the connectivity procedure over the first non-3GPP access network comprises sending a request message to the first non-3GPP access network comprising a network access identifier (“NAI”), the NAI containing an identifier for the first PLMN.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the NAI contains also an identifier for a first Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (“S-NSSAI”) and wherein the connectivity procedure creates a data connection for the apparatus via the first S-NSSAI in the first PLMN.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein creating the second list comprises:
discovering a plurality of available non-3GPP access networks; and
ordering the plurality of available non-3GPP access networks into a prioritized list based on a set of wireless local area network selection policy (“WLANSP”) rules.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second list is ordered based on operating parameters of the plurality of available non-3GPP access networks.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein beginning the connectivity procedure comprises creating a data connection via the first PLMN and via one of: a trusted wireless local area network interworking function (“TWIF”) in the first non-3GPP access network, and a fixed network residential gateway (“FN-RG”) in the first non-3GPP access network.

10. A method comprising:
creating, at a remote unit, a first list of available public land mobile networks (“PLMNs”), each PLMN connectable via a non-3GPP access network using a 5G connectivity without non-access stratum (“NAS”);
selecting, by the remote unit, a first PLMN from the first list;
creating, at a remote unit, a second list of available non-3GPP access networks;
selecting, by the remote unit, a first non-3GPP access network from the second list; and
beginning, by the remote unit, a connectivity procedure over the first non-3GPP access network, wherein the connectivity procedure creates a data connection for the remote unit via the first PLMN, and wherein the connectivity procedure does not use the NAS protocol.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein creating the first list comprises:
discovering a plurality of available non-3GPP access networks;
determining, for each available non-3GPP access network, a set of PLMNs which are connectable using a 5G connectivity without.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining the set of PLMNs which are connectable using a 5G connectivity without NAS comprises using an access network query protocol (“ANQP”) to acquire a list of PLMNs connectable via each available non-3GPP access network using a 5G connectivity without NAS.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first non-3GPP access network is a highest priority available non-3GPP access network that supports connectivity to the first PLMN.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein beginning the connectivity procedure over the first non-3GPP access network comprises sending a request message to the first non-3GPP access network comprising a network access identifier (“NAI”), the NAI containing an identifier for the first PLMN.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the NAI contains also an identifier for a first Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (“S-NSSAI”) and wherein the connectivity procedure creates a data connection for the apparatus via the first S-NSSAI in the first PLMN.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein creating the second list comprises:
discovering a plurality of available non-3GPP access networks; and
ordering the plurality of available non-3GPP access networks into a prioritized list based on a set of wireless local area network selection policy (“WLANSP”) rules.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the second list is ordered based on operating parameters of the plurality of available non-3GPP access networks.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein beginning the connectivity procedure comprises creating a data connection via the first PLMN via one of: a trusted wireless local area network interworking function (“TWIF”) in the first non-3GPP access network, and a fixed network residential gateway (“FN-RG”) in the first non-3GPP access network.

Assignees

• Lenovo Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Salkintzis Apostolis
• Karampatsis Dimitrios
• Velev Genadi

Classifications

• H04W76/10

  Connection setup · CPC title

• H04W48/18 Primary

  Selecting a network or a communication service · CPC title