# US 12,192,879 B2 · Network access method and communication apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,192,879 B2 - Document ID: US12192879B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/662,883 - Filed: 2022-05-11 - Published: 2022-08-25 - Granted: 2025-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 2019-11-12 - Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Youyang Yu; Huan Li; Hualin Zhu; Weisheng Jin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12192879B2 ## CPC - H04W 48/04: based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed - H04W 8/186: {Processing of subscriber group data} - H04W 8/20: Transfer of user or subscriber data - H04W 76/11: Allocation or use of connection identifiers - H04W 8/10: between location register and external networks - H04W 88/18: Service support devices; Network management devices - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A first network element first obtains an access request including access location information of a first terminal device; then, the first network element may obtain subscription information including subscription location information of the first terminal device; when the first network element determines that the access location information of the first terminal device does not belong to the subscription location information, the first network element may obtain allowed information for allowing the first terminal device to access a network at an access location corresponding to the access location information; and the first terminal device may further be allowed, based on the allowed information, to access the network at the access location corresponding to the access location information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: obtaining, by a first network element, an access request, wherein the access request comprises access location information of a first terminal device; obtaining, by the first network element, subscription information of the first terminal device, wherein the subscription information comprises subscription location information; obtaining, by the first network element, allowed information from a second network element in a case that the first network element determines that the access location information of the first terminal device does not belong to the subscription location information, wherein the allowed information is information indicating whether to allow the first terminal device to access a network at an access location corresponding to the access location information; sending, by the first network element, second indication information to the first terminal device, wherein the second indication information indicates to the first terminal device to establish a session used to communicate with the second network element, the session is used by the first terminal device to send at least one of an identifier of the first terminal device, the access location information of the first terminal device, or third indication information to the second network element, and wherein the third indication information indicates to the second network element to obtain the allowed information; and allowing, by the first network element based on the allowed information, the first terminal device to access the network at the access location corresponding to the access location information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein before obtaining, by the first network element, the allowed information from the second network element, the method further comprises: sending, by the first network element, at least one of the access location information of the first terminal device or first indication information to the second network element, wherein the first indication information indicates to the second network element to obtain the allowed information. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: sending, by the first network element, the identifier of the first terminal device to the second network element, wherein the identifier of the first terminal device is used by the second network element to obtain the allowed information from the first terminal device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, further comprising: sending, by the first network element, an identifier of an access management network element corresponding to the first terminal device to the second network element, wherein the identifier of the access management network element is used by the second network element to obtain the allowed information from the first terminal device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the session is further used by the first terminal device to send the allowed information to the second network element. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the second indication information comprises at least one of an identifier of the second network element or information indicating that the first terminal device is in an access restricted state. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the first network element is an access and mobility management function (AMF) network element or a unified data management (UDM) function network element, and the method further comprises: sending, by the first network element, information indicating that the first terminal device is in an access restricted state to a session management network element or a policy control function (PCF) network element. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein obtaining, by the first network element, the allowed information comprises: obtaining, by the first network element, a first parameter in the subscription information, wherein the first parameter indicates that when the access location information of the first terminal device does not belong to the subscription location information, the first terminal device is allowed to access the network at the access location corresponding to the access location information. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the first network element is an access management network element; and wherein the method further comprises: after obtaining, by the first network element, the allowed information, sending, by the access management network element, a subscription information update request to a unified data management (UDM) function network element, wherein the subscription information update request comprises the access location information of the first terminal device, and the subscription information update request requests the UDM function network element to update the subscription location information based on the access location information of the first terminal device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the first network element is a unified data management (UDM) function network element; and wherein the method further comprises: after obtaining, by the first network element, the allowed information, updating, by the UDM function network element, the subscription location information based on the access location information of the first terminal device. ### Claim 11 A communication apparatus, wherein the apparatus comprises: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing computer instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the communication apparatus to: obtain an access request, wherein the access request comprises access location information of a first terminal device; obtain subscription information of the first terminal device, wherein the subscription information comprises subscription location information; obtain allowed information from a second network element in a case that the apparatus determines that the access location information of the first terminal device does not belong to the subscription location information, wherein the allowed information is information indicating whether to allow the first terminal device to access a network at an access location corresponding to the access location information; send second indication information to the first terminal device, wherein the second indication information indicates to the first terminal device to establish a session used to communicate with the second network element, the session is used by the first terminal device to send at least one of an identifier of the first terminal device, the access location information of the first terminal device, or third indication information to the second network element, and wherein the third indication information indicates to the second network element to obtain the allowed information; and allow, based on the allowed information, the first terminal device to access the network at the access location corresponding to the access location information. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The communication apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the computer instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the communication apparatus to: send at least one of the access location information of the first terminal device or first indication information to the second network element before obtaining the allowed information, wherein the first indication information indicates to the second network element to obtain the allowed information. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The communication apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the computer instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the communication apparatus to: send the identifier of the first terminal device to the second network element, wherein the identifier of the first terminal device is used by the second network element to obtain the allowed information from the first terminal device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the computer instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the communication apparatus to: send an identifier of an access management network element corresponding to the first terminal device to the second network element, wherein the identifier of the access management network element is used by the second network element to obtain the allowed information from the first terminal device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The communication apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second indication information comprises at least one of an identifier of the second network element or information indicating that the first terminal device is in an access restricted state. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing computer instructions, wherein when executed by at least one processor, cause an apparatus comprising the at least one processor to: obtain an access request, wherein the access request comprises access location information of a first terminal device; obtain subscription information of the first terminal device, wherein the subscription information comprises subscription location information; obtain allowed information from a second network element in a case that the apparatus determines that the access location information of the first terminal device does not belong to the subscription location information, wherein the allowed information is information indicating whether to allow the first terminal device to access a network at an access location corresponding to the access location information; send second indication information to the first terminal device, wherein the second indication information indicates to the first terminal device to establish a session used to communicate with the second network element, the session is used by the first terminal device to send at least one of an identifier of the first terminal device, the access location information of the first terminal device, or third indication information to the second network element, and wherein the third indication information indicates to the second network element to obtain the allowed information; and allow, based on the allowed information, the first terminal device to access the network at the access location corresponding to the access location information. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the computer instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to: send at least one of the access location information of the first terminal device or first indication information to the second network element before obtaining the allowed information, wherein the first indication information indicates to the second network element to obtain the allowed information. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the computer instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to: send the identifier of the first terminal device to the second network element, wherein the identifier of the first terminal device is used by the second network element to obtain the allowed information from the first terminal device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 18, wherein the computer instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to: send an identifier of an access management network element corresponding to the first terminal device to the second network element, wherein the identifier of the access management network element is used by the second network element to obtain the allowed information from the first terminal device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the second indication information comprises at least one of an identifier of the second network element or information indicating that the first terminal device is in an access restricted state.