# US 2018/0324577 A1 · Mobility between areas with heterogeneous network slices

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- Number: US 2018/0324577 A1
- Document ID: US20180324577A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/927,696
- Filed: 2018-03-21
- Published: 2018-11-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-05-08
- Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated
- Applicants: QUALCOMM Incorporated
- Inventors: Stefano FACCIN; Haris ZISIMOPOULOS; Miguel GRIOT
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180324577A1

## CPC

- H04W 8/06: Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
- H04W 36/0079: {in case of hand-off failure or rejection}
- H04W 48/18: Selecting a network or a communication service
- H04W 76/27: Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
- H04W 76/28: Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
- H04W 8/183: {Processing at user equipment or user record carrier}
- H04W 36/12: Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node
- H04W 60/002: {Registration for requesting network slices}
- H04W 60/02: by periodical registration
- H04W 76/20: Manipulation of established connections
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods and apparatus for handling mobility between areas with heterogeneous network slices in wireless communications systems operating according to new radio (NR) technologies. An exemplary method that may be performed by a UE includes receiving an indication that a network slice is not available, entering a connection management idle (CM-IDLE) state, and initiating a registration procedure with an access and mobility management function (AMF) subsequent to entering the CM-IDLE state.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of wireless communications for a user equipment (UE), comprising:
receiving an indication that a network slice is not available;
entering a connection management idle (CM-IDLE) state; and
initiating a registration procedure with an access and mobility management function (AMF) subsequent to entering the CM-IDLE state.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
obtaining an indication from the AMF requesting the UE to provide a permanent identity of the UE in future mobility management procedures.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein obtaining the indication from the AMF requesting the UE to provide the permanent identity includes:
obtaining an indication from the AMF that a current temporary identifier of the UE is invalid.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising:
removing the current temporary identifier from a configuration of the UE, based on the indication.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein an upper layer of a protocol stack of the UE transmits to a lower layer of the protocol stack at least one of:
an indication to release a connection with a radio access network (RAN) and to re-establish the connection,
a network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) request, or
an indication to refrain from providing a current 5th generation globally unique temporary identifier (5G-GUTI).

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the upper layer comprises a non-access stratum (NAS) layer and the lower layer comprises an access stratum (AS) layer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the registration procedure comprises:
transmitting a registration request message comprising a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI) or a security protected version of the SUPI of the UE.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a new allowed network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI), from the AMF prior to entering the CM-IDLE state, wherein initiating the registration procedure comprises transmitting a registration request message comprising a requested NSSAI matching the new allowed NSSAI.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
connecting a first protocol data unit (PDU) session to a network slice associated with another AMF to convey data of a second PDU session active prior to receiving the indication that the network slice is not available.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication comprises receiving the indication in a non-access stratum (NAS) message.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication comprises receiving the indication in an access resource reconfiguration message.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication comprises receiving a request from the AMF to re-register with a network.

### Claim 13

A method of wireless communications for an access and mobility management function (AMF), comprising:
detecting that a network slice, with which a user equipment (UE) has at least one active protocol data unit (PDU) session corresponding to that network slice, has or will become unavailable; and
sending a request to a session management function (SMF) for a modification of the PDU session, in response to the detection; and
sending, to the UE, an indication that a re-registration of the UE is required.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the indication that a re-registration of the UE is required comprises an indication that a current temporary identifier of the UE is invalid.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
sending, to the UE, a new allowed network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) comprising a network slice instance (NSI) identifier (NSI ID) identifying the network slice with which the UE had the active PDU session.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
receiving a registration request message from the UE.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising:
sending, to a service management function (SMF), a third indication to release the PDU session.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
sending, to a service management function (SMF), a third indication to release the PDU session.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the detecting is based on an indication, received by the AMF, from a radio access network (RAN) entity communicating with the UE.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the detecting is based on a message received by the AMF from the UE.

### Claim 21

A method of wireless communications for a radio access network (RAN) device, comprising:
receiving a request for the establishment of access network resources corresponding to a network slice; and
sending a notification to an access and mobility management function (AMF) that the network slice is not supported by the RAN device.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, further comprising:
determining that the network slice is not supported by the RAN device.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the determining is based on a request from a mobility management function for resources for a protocol data unit (PDU) session of the network slice.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the determining is based on a request from another RAN device.

### Claim 25 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein the request is received from another RAN device and wherein a protocol data unit (PDU) session corresponds to the network slice, and the method further comprises:
sending to the other RAN device a list of PDU sessions, including an identifier of the PDU session, that are not setup.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The method of claim 25, further comprising:
sending to the other RAN device an indication of a reason that the PDU session is not setup.

### Claim 27

A method of wireless communications for a service management function (SMF), comprising:
receiving a request from an access and mobility management function (AMF) for a modification of a protocol data unit (PDU) session of a network slice, the request including an indication that a reason for the modification is that the network slice is not supported; and
performing the modification of the PDU session.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, wherein the modification comprises:
disconnecting the PDU session.

### Claim 29 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, wherein the modification comprises:
releasing user plane resources of the PDU session.

### Claim 30 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, wherein the indication indicates an identity of the network slice.