# US 12,192,943 B2 · Storage of network slice authorization status

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- Number: US 12,192,943 B2
- Document ID: US12192943B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/771,381
- Filed: 2020-11-05
- Published: 2023-07-20
- Granted: 2025-01-07
- Earliest claimed: 2019-11-08
- Assignees: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
- Applicants: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
- Inventors: Kaj Johansson; Peter Hedman; David Castellanos Zamora
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12192943B2

## CPC

- H04W 60/00: Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
- H04W 12/06: Authentication
- H04W 48/18: Selecting a network or a communication service
- H04W 60/002: {Registration for requesting network slices}
- H04W 8/00: Network data management
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

A method of operating a core network node in a communication system includes receiving, at a first network function, a registration message from a radio access network node to register a user equipment, UE, and, responsive to the registration message, transmitting a request for information on whether network slices associated with the UE are subject to Network Slice-Specific Authentication and Authorization, NSSAA. Responsive to the request, the method receives a response message including Single-Network Slice Selection Assistance Information, S-NSSAI, information associated with the UE, the S-NSSAI information including NSSAA status information relating to the S-NSSAI information, and determines whether to initiate an NSSAA procedure with the UE based on the S-NSSAI information. Related network nodes are disclosed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of operating a core network node in a communication system, comprising:
receiving, at a first network function, a registration message from a radio access network node to register a user equipment, UE;
responsive to the registration message, transmitting a request for information on whether network slices associated with the UE are subject to Network Slice-Specific Authentication and Authorization, NSSAA;
responsive to the request, receiving a response message including Single-Network Slice Selection Assistance Information, S-NSSAI, information associated with the UE, the S-NSSAI information including NSSAA status information relating to the S-NSSAI information; and
determining whether to initiate an NSSAA procedure with the UE based on the S-NSSAI information.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the request for information on whether the UE is subject to NSSAA is contained in a request message for subscriber data management, SDM, information transmitted by the first network function to a second network function.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the request message comprises a Nudm_SDM_Get request message and the response message comprises a Nudm_SDM_GetResp response message.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the S-NSSAI information comprises a list of S-NSSAIs associated with the UE.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the S-NSSAI information comprises, for each S-NSSAI in the list of S-NSSAIs, an indication of whether the S-NSSAI is subject to NSSAA.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the S-NSSAI information comprises S-NSSAI status information.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the S-NSSAI information does not include S-NSSAIs in the list of subscribed S-NSSAIs for which NSSAA status has been REVOKED.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the registration message is transmitted in connection with an intra-system or inter-system mobility procedure.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
initiating the NSSAA procedure in response to the S-NSSAI information.

### Claim 10

A network node, configured to:
receive, at a first network function, a registration message from a radio access network node to register a user equipment, UE;
responsive to the registration message, transmit a request for information on whether network slices associated with the UE are subject to Network Slice-Specific Authentication and Authorization, NSSAA;
responsive to the request, receive a response message including Single-Network Slice Selection Assistance Information, S-NSSAI, information associated with the UE, the S-NSSAI information including NSSAA status information relating to the S-NSSAI information; and
determine whether to initiate an NSSAA procedure with the UE based on the S-NSSAI information.

### Claim 11

A network node comprising:
a processing circuit;
a network interface coupled to the processing circuit; and
a memory coupled to the processing circuit, wherein the memory comprises computer readable program instructions that, when executed by the processing circuit, cause the network node to perform operations comprising:
receive, at a first network function, a registration message from a radio access network node to register a user equipment, UE;
responsive to the registration message, transmit a request for information on whether network slices associated with the UE are subject to Network Slice-Specific Authentication and Authorization, NSSAA;
responsive to the request, receive a response message including Single-Network Slice Selection Assistance Information, S-NSSAI, information associated with the UE, the S-NSSAI information including NSSAA status information relating to the S-NSSAI information; and
determine whether to initiate an NSSAA procedure with the UE based on the S-NSSAI information.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The network node of claim 11, wherein the memory further comprises computer readable program instructions that, when executed by the processing circuit, cause the network node to perform operations comprising:
initiating the NSSAA procedure in response to the S-NSSAI information.