Methods and apparatus for supporting and using of a QUIC connection between a UE and TNGF in a communications system

A method of operating a Trusted Non-3GPP Gateway Function (TNGF) to support user equipment (UE) communications, the method comprising:

• performing a QUIC connection setup with a first user equipment (UE) to establish a first QUIC connection between the first UE and the TNGF;
• communicating authentication request and response messages via the first QUIC connection between the first UE and the TNGF as part of a UE registration procedure;
• receiving at the TNGF, following registration of said first UE via said UE registration procedure, a PDU session establishment communication via the first QUIC connection, the PDU session establishment communication using a QUIC connection identifier, said QUIC connection identifier having a value indicating a control plane traffic type;
• and
• wherein a QUIC header in the PDU session establishment request indicates control signaling.

A method of operating a Trusted Non-3GPP Gateway Function (TNGF) to support user equipment (UE) communications, the method comprising:

• performing a QUIC connection setup with a first user equipment (UE) to establish a first QUIC connection between the first UE and the TNGF;
• communicating authentication request and response messages via the first QUIC connection between the first UE and the TNGF as part of a UE registration procedure;
• receiving at the TNGF, following registration of said first UE via said UE registration procedure, a PDU session establishment communication via the first QUIC connection, the PDU session establishment communication using a QUIC connection identifier;
• and
• wherein the PDU session establishment communication is processed in TNGF using a second protocol stack including an inner IP layer, a HTTP/3 layer with an extension for proxying IP in HTTP, a QUIC layer and a UDP layer.

A method of operating a Trusted Non-3GPP Gateway Function (TNGF) to support user equipment (UE) communications, the method comprising:

• performing a QUIC connection setup with a first user equipment (UE) to establish a first QUIC connection between the first UE and the TNGF;
• communicating authentication request and response messages via the first QUIC connection between the first UE and the TNGF as part of a UE registration procedure;
• receiving at the TNGF, following registration of said first UE via said UE registration procedure, a PDU session establishment communication via the first QUIC connection, the PDU session establishment communication using a QUIC connection identifier;
• and
• receiving at the TNGF a QUIC traffic data communication including traffic data via the first QUIC connection, said traffic data communication including a QUIC connection identifier and a payload type indicator indicating user plane traffic data.

A method of operating a Trusted Non-3GPP Gateway Function (TNGF) to support user equipment (UE) communications, the method comprising:

• performing a QUIC connection setup with a first user equipment (UE) to establish a first QUIC connection between the first UE and the TNGF;
• communicating authentication request and response messages via the first QUIC connection between the first UE and the TNGF as part of a UE registration procedure;
• receiving at the TNGF, following registration of said first UE via said UE registration procedure, a PDU session establishment communication via the first QUIC connection, the PDU session establishment communication using a QUIC connection identifier;
• receiving at the TNGF a QUIC traffic data communication including traffic data via the first QUIC connection;
• and
• processing, at the TNGF, the traffic data using a third protocol stack which includes a HTTP/3 layer with an extension for proxying GRE in HTTP, a QUIC layer, and a UDP layer.

A Trusted Non-3GPP Gateway Function (TNGF) comprising:

• a receiver;
• a transmitter;
• and
• a processor configured to operate the TNGF to:
• perform a QUIC connection setup with a first user equipment (UE) to establish a first QUIC connection between the first UE and the TNGF;
• and
• communicate authentication request and response messages via the first QUIC connection between the first UE and the TNGF as part of a UE registration procedure;
• and
• wherein said processor is further configured to operate the TNGF to:
• use a first stack in the TNGF to communicate with the first UE, as part of being configured to operate the TNGF to communicate authentication request and response messages via the first QUIC connection between the first UE and the TNGF as part of a UE registration procedure, said first stack including a HTTP/3 layer with an extension for proxying GRE in HTTP, a QUIC layer and a UDP layer.

A Trusted Non-3GPP Gateway Function (TNGF) comprising:

• a receiver;
• a transmitter;
• and
• a processor configured to operate the TNGF to:
• perform a QUIC connection setup with a first user equipment (UE) to establish a first QUIC connection between the first UE and the TNGF;
• communicate authentication request and response messages via the first QUIC connection between the first UE and the TNGF as part of a UE registration procedure;
• receive, at the TNGF, following registration of said first UE via said UE registration procedure, a PDU session establishment communication via the first QUIC connection, the PDU session establishment communication using a QUIC connection identifier;
• and
• receive, at the TNGF, a QUIC traffic data communication including traffic data via the first QUIC connection, said traffic data communication including a QUIC connection identifier and a payload type indicator indicating user plane traffic data.