Methods and apparatuses for determination of non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12513601-B2
Application number	US-202217704699-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2022
Priority date	Mar 25, 2022
Publication date	Dec 30, 2025
Grant date	Dec 30, 2025

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for determination of non-3GPP interworking function(s) (N3IWFs), which support slices targeted by a device or user equipment (UE), are provided. One method may include transmitting, by a UE or device, a request to at least one network node. The request may be to obtain information on network slices supported by at least one N3IWF. The method may also include receiving, from the at least one network node, a response comprising information for one or more N3IWFs and, based on the received information for the N3IWF(s), selecting one of the N3IWF(s) to use to connect to a 5G core network (5GC).

First claim

We claim:

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory comprising computer program code,
the at least one memory and computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:
transmit a request to at least one network node, wherein the request is to requests information on network slices supported by at least one non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF), the at least one network node comprises a set of one or more candidate non-3GPP interworking functions (N3IWFs), and the request comprises a slice support get request containing an indication of a set of network slices that the apparatus supports;
receive, from the at least one network node, a response comprising information for the at least one non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF); and
based on the received information for the at least one non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF), select one of the at least one non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) to use to connect to a 5G core network (5GC).

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the response comprises at least one slice support get response from the one or more candidate non-3GPP interworking functions (N3IWFs),
wherein the information for the at least one non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) comprises a set of network slices that the one or more candidate non-3GPP interworking functions (N3IWFs) support, and
wherein the at least one memory and computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to select the one of the at least one non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) that serves the set of network slices that the apparatus wishes to use based on the set of network slices that the one or more candidate non-3GPP interworking functions (N3IWFs) support.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein,
when the set of one or more candidate non-3GPP interworking functions (N3IWFs) includes at least one non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) that supports a slice support get procedure and at least one non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) that does not support the slice support get procedure, the at least one memory and computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to select the one of the at least one non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) to use in the following descending order of priority: (a) non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) that supports the slice support get procedure and has indicated support for the set of network slices the apparatus wishes to use, (b) non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) that does not support the slice support get procedure, and (c) non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) that supports the slice support get procedure and that has indicated it does not support at least some set of slices that the apparatus wishes to use.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the slice support get request and slice support get response are transmitted via hyper text transfer protocol (HTTP).

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one network node comprises an access network (AN) network repository function (NRF), and wherein the request comprises a network function discovery request.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 ,
wherein the response comprises a network function discovery response from the access network (AN) network repository function (NRF), wherein the information for the at least one non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) comprises a non-3GPP interworking function profile which includes at least one internet protocol (IP) address of a non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) that serves at least one of the set of network slices that the apparatus wishes to use, and wherein the at least one memory and computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to select one of the at least one non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) that serves a threshold possible set of network slices that the apparatus wishes to use.

7 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the apparatus is configured to issue a domain name system (DNS) request to a domain name system (DNS) server to find out which network node to query for non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) discovery.

8 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the selection of the one of the at least one non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) is based on a source internet protocol (IP) address of the apparatus which sent the request and the set of network slices that the one or more candidate non-3GPP interworking functions (N3IWFs) support.

9 . A method, comprising:
transmitting, by a user device, a request to at least one network node, wherein the request requests information on network slices supported by at least one non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF), the at least one network node comprises a set of one or more candidate non-3GPP interworking functions (N3IWFs), and the request comprises a slice support get request containing an indication of a set of network slices that the user device supports; receiving, from the at least one network node, a response comprising information for the at least one non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF); and based on the received information for the at least one non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF), selecting one of the at least one non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) to use to connect to a 5G core network (5GC).

10 . The method of claim 9 ,
wherein the response comprises at least one slice support get response from the one or more candidate non-3GPP interworking functions (N3IWFs),
wherein the information for the at least one non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) comprises a set of network slices that the one or more candidate non-3GPP interworking functions (N3IWFs) support, and
wherein the selecting comprises selecting the one of the at least one non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) that serves the set of network slices that the user device wishes to use based on the set of network slices that the one or more candidate non-3GPP interworking functions (N3IWFs) support.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein,
when the set of one or more candidate non-3GPP interworking functions (N3IWFs) includes at least one non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) that supports a slice support get procedure and at least one non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) that does not support the slice support get procedure, the selecting comprises selecting the one of the at least one non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) to use in the following descending order of priority: (a) non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) that supports the slice support get procedure and has indicated support for the set of network slices the user device wishes to use, (b) non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) that does not support the slice support get procedure, and (c) non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) that supports the slice support get procedure and that has indicated it does not support at least some set of slices that the user device wishes to use.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein,
the user device learns whether a non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) supports a slice support get procedure in response to a domain name system (DNS) query the user device sends to discover the candidate non-3GPP interworking functions (N3IWF).

13 . The method of claim 9 ,
wherein the at least one network node comprises an access network (AN) network repository function (NRF), and wherein the request comprises a network function discovery request.

14 . The method of claim 13 ,
wherein the respo

Assignees

• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Thiebaut Laurent
• Landais Bruno
• Gkellas Georgios

Classifications

• H04W48/18

  Selecting a network or a communication service · CPC title

• H04W48/16

  Discovering, processing access restriction or access information · CPC title

• H04W92/02

  Inter-networking arrangements · CPC title

• H04W48/14 Primary

  using user query {or user detection} · CPC title