UE capability transfer and storage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11792641-B2
Application number	US-201917282836-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2019
Priority date	Oct 11, 2018
Publication date	Oct 17, 2023
Grant date	Oct 17, 2023

Abstract

Systems and methods of providing UE capability are described. A capability ID is associated with the same Radio Capability information for multiple UEs. If the capability ID is validated at a network node, the UE provides the capability ID to a RAN node, which obtains the capability information from the network node after providing the received capability ID to the RAN node. The capability ID is received in an RRC Setup Complete, Security Mode Complete or Reconfiguration Complete message. The network node, if the Radio Capability information is not available, requests and receives the Radio Capability information and associates it with the capability ID, and marks that the capability ID as not validated until a threshold number of the UEs have provided the same Radio Capability information. The capability ID is based on a UE device type, manufacturer and software version.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor configured to cause a user equipment (UE) to:
determine whether UE Capability Information is to be transmitted to an access and mobility management function (AMF);
in response to a determination that the UE Capability Information is to be transmitted to the AMF, encode, for transmission to the AMF, a control message comprising a capability identifier (ID) that is associated with a plurality of UEs;
determine a change in UE capability; and
in response to determining the change in UE capability, encode, for transmission to the AMF, a new capability ID.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to engage in non-access stratum (NAS) registration involving a change of access stratum capability, the control message being NAS signaling.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
decode to a UE Capability Enquiry message from a radio access network (RAN) node; and
in response to reception of the UE Capability Enquiry message, encode a UE Capability Information message to the RAN node comprising the capability ID.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein:
the UE Capability Enquiry message includes a field that contains an indication for the UE to provide the capability ID, and
the UE Capability Information message includes a UE capability ID field that contains the capability ID if the ID field of the UE Capability Enquiry message contains the indication.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
decode a UE Capability Enquiry message from a radio access network (RAN) node;
encode, for transmission to the RAN node in response to reception of the UE Capability Enquiry, a UE Capability Information message: and
encode, for transmission to the RAN node, the capability ID in a message separate from the UE Capability Information message.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the capability ID is based on a UE device type, manufacturer and software version.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said determining the change in UE capability is performed while the UE is in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state; and
wherein the new capability ID is provided during a non-access stratum (NAS) registration procedure.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
in association with the NAS registration procedure, perform an RRC connection establishment procedure initiated by an RRC Setup Request.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said determining the change in UE capability is based on a software update of the UE.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the capability ID is based on an access stratum capability of the UE.

11. A non-transitory computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions executable by one or more processors of a user equipment (UE) to:
determine whether UE Capability Information is to be transmitted to an access and mobility management function (AMF);
in response to a determination that the UE Capability Information is to be transmitted to the AMF, encode, for transmission to the AMF, a control message comprising a capability identifier (ID) that is associated with a plurality of UEs;
determine a change in UE capability; and
in response to determining the change in UE capability, encode, for transmission to the AMF, a new capability ID.

12. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 11 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to:
engage in non-access stratum (NAS) registration involving a change of access stratum capability, the control message being NAS signaling.

13. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 11 , wherein said determining the change in UE capability is performed while the UE is in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state; and
wherein the new capability ID is provided during a non-access stratum (NAS) registration procedure.

14. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 13 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to:
in association with the NAS registration procedure, perform an RRC connection establishment procedure initiated by an RRC Setup Request.

15. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 11 , wherein said determining the change in UE capability is based on a software update of the UE.

16. A user equipment (UE), comprising:
wireless communication circuitry; and
at least one processor coupled to the wireless communication circuitry, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
determine whether UE Capability Information is to be transmitted to an access and mobility management function (AMF);
in response to a determination that the UE Capability Information is to be transmitted to the AMF, encode, for transmission to the AMF, a control message comprising a capability identifier (ID) that is associated with a plurality of UEs;
determine a change in UE capability; and

in response to determining the change in UE capability, encode, for transmission to the AMF, a new capability ID.

17. The UE of claim 16 , wherein at least one processor is further configured to:
engage in non-access stratum (NAS) registration involving a change of access stratum capability, the control message being NAS signaling.

18. The UE of claim 16 , wherein said determining the change in UE capability is performed while the UE is in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state; and
wherein the new capability ID is provided during a non-access stratum (NAS) registration procedure.

19. The UE of claim 18 , wherein at least one processor is further configured to:
in association with the NAS registration procedure, perform an RRC connection establishment procedure initiated by an RRC Setup Request.

20. The UE of claim 16 , wherein the capability ID is based on a UE device type, manufacturer and software version.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Palat Sudeep K
• Palle Naveen
• Stojanovski Alexandre Saso
• Heo Youn Hyoung
• Burbidge Richard C

Classifications

• H04W36/14

  Reselecting a network or an air interface · CPC title

• H04W8/24 Primary

  Transfer of terminal data · CPC title

• H04W36/08

  Reselecting an access point · CPC title

• H04W60/04

  using triggered events · CPC title

• H04W72/51

  based on terminal or device properties · CPC title