Managing downlink data during transitions between mobile networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12581283-B2
Application number	US-202118250077-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2021
Priority date	Oct 22, 2020
Publication date	Mar 17, 2026
Grant date	Mar 17, 2026

Abstract

A method in a user equipment (UE) having a first subscriber identity module for connecting to a first mobile network according to a first subscription and a second subscriber identity module for connecting to the first mobile network or a second mobile network according to a first second includes determining, by processing hardware, a preference of how the first mobile network is to process downlink data for the UE when the UE transitions from the first subscription to the second subscription ( 1102 ); and transmitting, by the processing hardware and to the first mobile network, an indication of the preference, to cause the first mobile network to process the downlink data for the UE based at least in part on the preference ( 1104 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method in a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:
transitioning, by the UE having a first subscriber identity module for connecting to a first mobile network according to a first subscription and a second subscriber identity module for connecting to a second mobile network according to a second subscription, from the first subscription to the second subscription; and in view of the transitioning, transmitting, by the UE to the first mobile network, an indication of a preference of how the first mobile network is to process downlink data for the UE, the indication of the preference including:
a first value for a first default action for pending downlink data, and
a second value for a second default action for newly arriving downlink data.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the transitioning from the first subscription to the second subscription includes:
assigning the second value to the indication.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication further includes the first value in response to determining that the UE intends to return to the first subscription within a predetermined period of time, wherein the determining includes detecting a paging request from the second subscription prior to the transitioning.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
including the first value or the second value in the indication based on:
determining whether the UE intends to return to the first subscription within a predetermined period of time, and
a default setting stored at the UE, wherein the default setting specifies:
the first default action for pending downlink data, and
the second default action for newly arriving downlink data,
wherein each of the first default action and the second default action is one of discard, buffer, or “do not care”.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the preference includes identifying one or more Protocol Data Unit (PDU) sessions or Packet Data Network (PDN) connections for which the first mobile network is to discard or retain downlink data.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the preference includes identifying one or more Quality of Service (QOS) flows or Evolved Packet Switch (EPS) bearers for which the first mobile network is to discard or retain downlink data.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the preference includes determining whether pending downlink data is to be buffered or discarded.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the preference includes determining whether newly arriving downlink data is to be buffered or discarded.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from a core network (CN) of the first mobile network, an indication of a maximum amount of time during which the CN is configured to buffer downlink data.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second mobile network is the same as the first mobile network.

11 . A user equipment (UE) comprising:
a first subscriber identity module for connecting to a first mobile network according to a first subscription; a second subscriber identity module for connecting to the first mobile network or a second mobile network according to a second subscription; and processing hardware to:
determine a preference of how the first mobile network is to process downlink data for the UE when the UE transitions from the first subscription to the second subscription; and
transmit, to the first mobile network, an indication of the preference, to cause the first mobile network to process the downlink data for the UE, the indication of the preference including:
a first value for a first default action for pending downlink data, and
a second value for a second default action for newly arriving downlink data.

12 . The UE of claim 11 , wherein:
the indication of the preference includes assigning a third value to the indication in response to determining that the UE intends to return to the first subscription within a known period, and the transmitting further includes assigning a fourth value to the indication in response to determining that the UE does not intend to return to the first subscription within the known period of time.

13 . The UE of claim 12 , wherein the processing hardware determines that the UE intends to return to the first subscription within the known period of time by detecting a paging request from the second subscription, the paging request related to a short message service (SMS).

14 . The UE of claim 11 , wherein the processing hardware is further configured to:
assign the first value or the second value to the indication based on:
determining whether the UE intends to return to the first subscription within a known period of time, and
a default setting stored at the UE, wherein the default setting specifies:
a first default action for pending downlink data, and
a second default action for newly arriving downlink data,
wherein each of the first default action and the second default action is one of discard, buffer, or “do not care”.

15 . The UE of claim 11 , wherein the processing hardware determines the preference by identifying one or more Protocol Data Unit (PDU) sessions or Packet Data Network (PDN) connections for which the first mobile network is to discard or retain downlink data.

16 . A method in a first mobile network for processing downlink data for a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:
receiving, by the first mobile network from the UE, an indication of how the UE prefers a first mobile network to process downlink data for the UE when the UE transitions from a first subscription about the first mobile network to a second subscription about a second mobile network when the UE includes a first subscriber identity module for connecting to the first network according to the first subscription and a second subscriber identity module for connecting to the second mobile network or the first mobile network according to the second subscription, the indication including:
a first value for a first default action for pending downlink data, and
a second value for a second default action for newly arriving downlink data; and
processing, by the first mobile network, downlink data for the UE based at least part on the indication.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the indication specifies that the UE prefers that the first mobile network discard downlink data received from a core network (CN).

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the indication specifies that the UE prefers that the first mobile network retain downlink data received from a CN.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the indication specifies at least one of:
one or more protocol data unit (PDU) sessions or packet data network (PDN) connections for which the first mobile network is to discard downlink data, one or more PDU sessions or PDN connections for which the first mobile network is to retain downlink data, one or more quality of service (QoS) flows or EPS bearers for which the first mobile network is to discard downlink data, or one or more QoS flows or EPS bearers for which the first mobile network is to retain downlink data.

20 . A network entity for processing downlink data for a user equipment (UE), the network entity comprising:
a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor and the memory configured to:
receive an indication of how the UE prefers a first mobile network to process downlink data for the UE when the UE transi

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Nuggehalli Pavan
• Nayak Shivank
• Wang Jibing

Classifications

• 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

• H04W8/183

  Processing at user equipment or user record carrier · CPC title

• H04W88/06

  adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals · CPC title

• H04W8/20 Primary

  Transfer of user or subscriber data · CPC title

• H04W76/15 Primary

  Setup of multiple wireless link connections · CPC title