# US 12,192,757 B2 · Methods and devices for protecting privacy of slice identity information

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- Number: US 12,192,757 B2
- Document ID: US12192757B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/738,279
- Filed: 2022-05-06
- Published: 2022-08-18
- Granted: 2025-01-07
- Earliest claimed: 2019-11-08
- Assignees: Zte Corporation
- Applicants: ZTE Corporation
- Inventors: Wantao Yu; Yuze Liu; Shilin You; Jin Peng; Zhaoji Lin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12192757B2

## CPC

- H04W 12/02: Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
- H04W 8/02: 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
- H04W 12/08: Access security
- H04W 48/18: Selecting a network or a communication service
- H04W 60/002: {Registration for requesting network slices}
- H04W 60/04: using triggered events
- H04W 72/21: in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
- H04W 76/10: Connection setup
- H04W 8/26: Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
- H04W 12/75: Temporary identity
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

Method, systems and devices for wireless communication. The method includes protecting privacy of a transmitted network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) between a user equipment and a base station. The method includes receiving a temporary NSSAI (T-NSSAI) from an access and mobility management function (AMF) to the base station, the T-NSSAI comprising at least one temporary single NSSAI (T-S-NSSAI) and storing the T-NSSAI in the base station. The method also includes receiving a radio resource control (RRC) signaling message from the user equipment to the base station, the RRC signaling message comprising a T-S-NSSAI corresponding to an allowed single NSSAI (S-NSSAI); and selecting the AMF based on the T-S-NSSAI.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for wireless communication, comprising:
protecting privacy of a transmitted network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) between a user equipment and a base station by performing:
receiving a temporary NSSAI (T-NSSAI) from an access and mobility management function (AMF) to the base station, the T-NSSAI comprising at least one temporary single NSSAI (T-S-NSSAI);
storing the T-NSSAI in the base station;
receiving a radio resource control (RRC) signaling message from the user equipment to the base station, the RRC signaling message comprising a T-S-NSSAI corresponding to an allowed single NSSAI (S-NSSAI);
selecting the AMF based on the T-S-NSSAI;
receiving a registration accept message during an initial registration procedure from the AMF to the base station, the registration accept message comprising a mapping relationship between at least one allowed S-NSSAI and at least one T-S-NSSAI; and
sending the mapping relationship between at least one allowed S-NSSAI and at least one T-S-NSSAI from the base station to the user equipment so that the user equipment stores the mapping relationship between the at least one allowed S-NSSAI and the at least one T-S-NSSAI.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein:
the base station comprises a new radio node base station (gNB); and
the RRC signaling message comprises a RRC connection setup complete message.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:
receiving a second T-NSSAI from a second AMF to the base station, the second T-NSSAI comprising at least one T-S-NSSAI; and
storing the second T-NSSAI in the base station.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:
sending an user equipment message from the base station to the AMF, the user equipment message comprising the T-S-NSSAI.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A non-transitory computer-readable program medium storing instructions, wherein, the instructions, when executed by a processor, are configured to cause the processor to implement the method according to claim 1.

### Claim 6

A method for wireless communication, the method comprising:
protecting privacy of a transmitted network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) between a user equipment and a base station by performing:
obtaining a temporary NSSAI (T-NSSAI) based on a NSSAI, the NSSAI comprising at least one single NSSAI (S-NSSAD) and the T-NSSAI comprising at least one temporary single NSSAI (T-S-NSSAI);
generating a mapping relationship between the NSSAI and the T-NSSAI;
storing the mapping relationship between the NSSAI and the T-NSSAI in an access and mobility management function (AMF); and
sending a registration accept message during an initial registration procedure to the base station, the registration accept message comprising the mapping relationship between the NSSAI and the T-NSSAI, so that the base station is configured to send the mapping relationship between the NSSAI and the T-NSSAI to the user equipment to be configured to store the mapping relationship between the NSSAI and the T-NSSAI.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein obtaining the T-NSSAI based on the NSSAI comprises:
for each S-NSSAI in the NSSAI, calculating a corresponding T-S-NSSAI based on the S-NSSAI according to a predetermined algorithm.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein obtaining the T-NSSAI based on the NSSAI comprises:
for each S-NSSAI in the NSSAI, generating a random information as a corresponding T-S-NSSAI based on the S-NSSAI.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, the method further comprising:
receiving an user equipment message from the base station, the user equipment message comprising a T-S-NSSAI;
identifying an allowed S-NSSAI from the T-S-NSSAI based on the mapping relationship of the NSSAI and the T-NSSAI in the AMF; and
validating user equipment rights and slice availability based on the allowed S-NSSAI in the AMF.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

An apparatus comprising:
a memory storing instructions; and
a processor in communication with the memory, wherein, when the processor executes the instructions, the processor is configured to cause the apparatus to perform the method according to claim 6.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

A non-transitory computer-readable program medium storing instructions, wherein, the instructions, when executed by a processor, are configured to cause the processor to implement the method according to claim 6.

### Claim 12

An apparatus comprising:
a memory storing instructions; and
a processor in communication with the memory, wherein, when the processor executes the instructions, the processor is configured to cause the apparatus to perform:
protecting privacy of a transmitted network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) between a user equipment and the apparatus by:
receiving a temporary NSSAI (T-NSSAI) from an access and mobility management function (AMF) to the apparatus, the T-NSSAI comprising at least one temporary single NSSAI (T-S-NSSAI),
storing the T-NSSAI in the apparatus,
receiving a radio resource control (RRC) signaling message from the user equipment to the apparatus, the RRC signaling message comprising a T-S-NSSAI corresponding to an allowed single NSSAI (S-NSSAI),
selecting the AMF based on the T-S-NSSAI,
receiving a registration accept message during an initial registration procedure from the AMF to the base station, the registration accept message comprising a mapping relationship between at least one allowed S-NSSAI and at least one T-S-NSSAI, and
sending the mapping relationship between at least one allowed S-NSSAI and at least one T-S-NSSAI from the base station to the user equipment so that the user equipment stores the mapping relationship between the at least one allowed S-NSSAI and the at least one T-S-NSSAI.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:
the apparatus comprises a new radio node base station (gNB); and
the RRC signaling message comprises a RRC connection setup complete message.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, when the processor executes the instructions, the processor is configured to further cause the apparatus to perform:
receiving a second T-NSSAI from a second AMF to the apparatus, the second T-NSSAI comprising at least one T-S-NSSAI; and
storing the second T-NSSAI in the apparatus.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, when the processor executes the instructions, the processor is configured to further cause the apparatus to perform:
sending an user equipment message from the apparatus to the AMF, the user equipment message comprising the T-S-NSSAI.