阅读说明：本技术 用于在消息传输中指示多个核心网的技术 (Techniques for indicating multiple core networks in message transmission ) 是由 李文婷 李大鹏 高媛 黄河 于 2017-08-11 设计创作，主要内容包括：除其他事项外,无线通信方法包括：将包括第一字段的消息从小区的基站发送到请求驻留在小区上的用户设备,其中,第一字段指示用于经由基站进行通信的另一类型的无线接入技术(RAT)核心网的可用性；将第二字段包括在消息中,该第二字段的值指示用户设备不被允许接入另一类型的RAT核心网；当用户设备不被允许驻留在小区上时,提供关于支持另一类型的无线接入技术(RAT)核心网的其他频内小区是否可用于用户设备来重选的附加信息。(The wireless communication method includes, among other things: transmitting a message comprising a first field from a base station of a cell to a user equipment requesting to camp on the cell, wherein the first field indicates availability of another type of Radio Access Technology (RAT) core network for communicating via the base station; including a second field in the message, a value of the second field indicating that the user equipment is not allowed to access another type of RAT core network; when the user equipment is not allowed to camp on a cell, additional information is provided as to whether other intra-frequency cells supporting another type of Radio Access Technology (RAT) core network are available for the user equipment to reselect.)

1. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

sending a message from a base station of a cell to a user equipment requesting to camp on the cell, wherein the first field indicates availability of another type of Radio Access Technology (RAT) core network for communicating via the base station;

including a second field in the message, a value of the second field indicating that the user equipment is not allowed to access another type of RAT core network; and is

Providing additional information when the user equipment is not allowed to camp on the cell, the additional information regarding whether other intra-frequency cells supporting the other type of Radio Access Technology (RAT) core network are available for reselection by the user equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises a system information block.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the another type of RAT core network comprises a next generation core network that is incompatible with a legacy version of the user equipment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional information comprises an indication of the following frequencies: the user equipment should use the frequency to evaluate intra-frequency cell reselection by the other type of RAT core network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first field is included in the message in a backward compatible manner such that the user equipment can parse the message by ignoring the first field when the implementation version of the user equipment is an old implementation version.

6. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

receiving, by a user equipment during camping on a cell, a message comprising a first field, wherein the first field indicates availability of another type of Radio Access Technology (RAT) core network for communicating via a base station of the cell;

determining whether the user equipment is allowed to camp on the cell based on a second field in the message, wherein a value of the second field indicates that the user equipment is not allowed to access another type of RAT core network when an implementation version is incompatible with the another type of RAT core network; and is

Additional information is obtained regarding other intra-frequency cells supporting another type of Radio Access Technology (RAT) core network available for reselection by the user equipment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the message comprises a system information block.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the another type of RAT core network comprises a next generation core network that is incompatible with legacy versions of the user equipment.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the additional information comprises an indication of the following frequencies: the user equipment should use the frequency to reselect other cells.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the first field is included in the message in a backward compatible manner such that the user equipment can parse the message by ignoring the first field when the implementation version of the user equipment is an old implementation version.

11. A wireless communication apparatus comprising a processor, wherein the processor is configured to implement the method of any of claims 1-10.

12. A computer program product comprising computer readable program medium code stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to carry out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

Technical Field

Systems, devices, and methods for wireless communication are described herein.

Background

Efforts are currently underway to define next generation wireless communication networks that provide greater deployment flexibility, support a large number of devices and services, and different technologies for efficiently utilizing bandwidth. Next generation wireless communication technologies are also expected to deploy new core networks that provide additional services beyond and flexibility beyond currently available core networks.

Disclosure of Invention

Techniques for indicating availability of a core network in transmission of messages from a base station and use of such messages by user equipment are described herein, among other things.

In one example aspect, a method of wireless communication is disclosed. The method comprises the following steps: transmitting a message including a first field from a base station of a cell to a user equipment requesting to camp on the cell, wherein the first field indicates availability of another type of Radio Access Technology (RAT) for communicating via the base station; including a second field in the message, a value of the second field indicating that the user equipment is not allowed to access another type of RAT core network; and when the user equipment is not allowed to camp on a cell, providing additional information as to whether other intra-frequency cells supporting another type of Radio Access Technology (RAT) core network are available for user equipment reselection.

In another example aspect, a method of wireless communication is disclosed. The method comprises the following steps: receiving, by a user equipment during camping on a cell, a message comprising a first field, wherein the first field indicates availability of another type of Radio Access Technology (RAT) core network for wireless communication via a base station of the cell; determining whether the user equipment is allowed to camp on the cell based on a second field in the message, wherein a value of the second field indicates that the user equipment is not allowed to access another type of RAT core network when the implementation version is incompatible with the another type of RAT core network; and obtaining additional information about other intra-frequency cells supporting another type of Radio Access Technology (RAT) core network available for user equipment reselection.

In yet another example aspect, a wireless communications apparatus is disclosed that includes a processor. The processor is configured to implement the methods described herein.

In another example aspect, various techniques described herein may be embodied as processor-executable code and stored on a computer-readable program medium.

The details of one or more implementations are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

Drawings

Fig. 1A shows a block diagram of an example of a wireless system configuration.

Fig. 1B shows a block diagram of an example of a wireless system configuration.

Fig. 2 shows an example configuration of lte connected to a 5G core network.

Fig. 3 shows an example of a configuration in which the lte is simultaneously connected to a 5G core network, a 4G core network (evolved packet core, EPC).

Fig. 4 is a flow chart of an example wireless communication method.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of an example wireless communication method

Fig. 6 is a block diagram of an example of a wireless communication device.

Fig. 7 illustrates an example wireless communication network.

Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

Detailed Description

In conventional wireless communication systems, base stations typically communicate with a single type of core network. For example, a 3G base station will only access the 3G core network, a 4G base station will only access the EPC core network, etc. But with the advent of 5G technology, new base station architectures are emerging. This base station is called eLTE. The eLTE base station is connected to the 5G core network only. For this scenario, the lte system message should indicate to the legacy UEs that the legacy UEs will not be able to access the current network because the legacy UEs will not be able to access the 5G core network. In addition, in some embodiments, the lte base station may also be connected to the 4G EPC and the 5G NGC, which means that the lte base station may support not only legacy 4G terminals but also new terminals, which may support 5G technology terminals. This means that the lte system messages should have backward compatibility to ensure that legacy 4G terminals can properly parse the system messages and access the network, and the system messages should also indicate the 5G core network information they support. In summary, the lte system should use new, enhanced messages so that the lte can meet the above requirements.

Cell information about cells in LTE system messages is described, followed by an introduction of knowledge of the shared network, and then an introduction of example embodiments of the LTE technology and related issues when an LTE base station is connected to different core networks.

In the LTE system broadcast message SIB1, a cell access information cell exists, in which a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) and a Tracking Area Code (TAC) of a current cell configuration are indicated, and "cell barred" and "intra-frequency reselection" are included. The field "cellBarred" is used to indicate whether the UE can camp on the current cell. The field "intraFreqReselection" is used to indicate whether the UE can reselect a network having the same frequency. For example, when the current cell "cellBarred" indicates barring, the UE should not camp on the current cell.

The "intraFreqReselection" information may be used to determine whether it is capable of on-frequency reselection. In this case, since the eNB interacts only with the EPC core network, the PLMN configured in the system message is a PLMN supported by the EPC to which the eNB is connected.

In some embodiments, with the introduction of shared networks, multiple PLMNs and even multiple operators of different PLMNs may share an eNB. In other words, the eNB may support multiple PLMNs, so in a system broadcast message, the eNB may find it desirable to broadcast multiple PLMNs. This information may be broadcast as a PLMN list into the system. The receiving UEs may choose to access their preferred PLMNs and receive the information in the PLMN list. The UE may then select the appropriate core network element for the UE.

Fig. 1A and 1B depict various examples of radio network configurations with respect to a base station, user equipment, and a core network to which the user equipment may be connected. In a conventional wireless communication system, a base station will only connect to one type of core network, such as a 3G base station will only access the 3G core network and a 4G base station will only access the EPC core network, as shown in configuration 106 in fig. 1B. But with the advent of 5G technology, during the period of 4G to 5G, base stations called lte base stations emerged as a possible deployment option. The lte base station may be used in a configuration as shown in configuration 104 of fig. 1A, and may only connect to a 5G core network. For this scenario, the lte system message should indicate the configuration in order to make the legacy or legacy UEs aware that the current network is inaccessible. In addition, as shown in the configuration 102 of fig. 1A, the lte base station may also be connected to the 4G EPC and the 5G NGC, which also means that the lte base station supports not only legacy 4G user equipment, but also new user equipment that may support 5G technology. Fig. 1B also shows an architecture 108 in which the lte is communicatively connected to a Next Generation Core (NGC) network through a gNB function, as specified by the upcoming 5G standard.

This means that the lte system messages should have backward compatibility to ensure that legacy 4G terminals can properly parse the system messages and access networks, and the system messages should also indicate the 5G core network information that they support. For example, when an eLTE base station is only connected to a 5G core network, this requires eLTE system message design to ensure that legacy UEs can decode the system message, but also to inform that legacy UEs cannot access the base station and that new UEs can access the base station. In addition, the eLTE should also support shared networks, like eLTE base stations that connect EPCs and NGCs simultaneously, which may have multiple Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs). Each PLMN may support a different Radio Access Technology (RAT). For example, PLMN1 may support only EPC, PLMN2 may support only NGC, and PLMN3 may support both EPC and NGC. This information must ensure that legacy UEs can correctly decode the system message based on the current system message for modification and extension.

The techniques described herein may be embodied in an lte or another type of base station. Using this technique, the lte may implement a message enhancement scheme that enables the lte to broadcast information related to multiple RATs simultaneously and to be compatible with different implementations or protocol versions of the UE.

In some embodiments, the respective PLMN lists and other related information for the cells are configured for different RATs. In some embodiments, additional RAT PLMN list information and additional related information for the extended cell of the RAT may be placed in the "extended cell information" field. After receiving the information at the UE, the UE determines the RATs and corresponding PLMN lists supported by the current cell according to the cell information of each RAT. These PLMNs may be of 4G or 5G type, for example.

According to some embodiments, the lte eNB broadcasts a system message called SIB1 (system information block 1) in the following scenario. Examples of how the presently used SIB1 message may be modified are provided merely as example embodiments.

Taking the latest SIB1 definition in the 3gpp 36.331-e30 version as a baseline, this modification is shown in underlined bold font, and the extended CellAccessRelatideInfo (cell Access related information) can be put into "SystemInformationBlockType 1 (System information Block type 1) -v15 xy-IEs". An example format is shown in the following table 1 in a pseudo code format.

TABLE 1 example SystemInformationBlockType1 message

Example 1-1: eLTE connection scenario for 5G-only core network

Table 2 below shows an example message statement in pseudo code format for the case where the eNB is connected only to the 5G core network.

TABLE 2

Fig. 2 shows a configuration 200 in which an lte base station is capable of communicating with two UEs and providing a communication connection to an NGC core network. Assume that the UE1 is a legacy UE (i.e., only the "cellaccesratedinfo" part of SIB1 can be decoded), and that the UE2 is a UE supporting an NR core network, so it can decode the "extended cellaccesratedinfo".

The following policies may be used to communicate network information.

Step 1101: the PLMN of the original CellAccessRelatedInfo in SIB1 is set to a default value, or a value that complies with the coding specification, and CellBar is set to "forbidden" (e.g., connection is not allowed).

Step 1102: the added extended cell information cell (such as extended cellaccesrelatedinfo) includes added RAT PLMN list information and additional related information of the extended cell of the new RAT, where PLMN-identity list (PLMN identification list) is 5G core network PLMN list information supported by lte, and CellBar element and intrafreq selection are set according to the current situation.

The intrafreq reselection configuration is based on whether there is a neighboring and 5G supported co-channel cell setup.

Step 1103: after the UE1 receives SIB1, it finds that a cell is forbidden since only the decoding "cellaccesratedinfo" part can be decoded, so that it does not camp on the cell. After the UE2 receives SIB1, it can also decode "cellaccesratedinfo" part of the extended cellaccesratedinfo ". If "cellBarred" is "cellBarred" in "extended cellaccesrelatedinfo", the UE understands that the cell is barred and cannot camp on, and then it can proceed according to "intrafreq reselection" (whether the system can perform intra-frequency reselection). If the extended CellAccessRelatideInfo is not forbidden in "cellBarred", the UE may camp in the cell and then initiate 5G NAS signaling to the 5G core network by related registration (registration) and related tasks.

Examples 1 to 2: eLTE simultaneous connectivity for 4G and 5G core network scenarios

In some embodiments, the lte eNB broadcasts SIB1 in the following scenario: wherein the "extended cellaccess relatedinfo" is extended access information broadcast in the extended cell.

In fig. 3, configuration 300, assume that UE1 is a legacy UE (i.e., only understands the "cellaccess relatedinfo" part of SIB 1), and UE2 is a UE supporting an NR core network, so it can decode the "extended cellaccess relatedinfo". The following steps may be performed.

Step 1201: the PLMN list in PLMN in original cellaccessratedinfo in SIB1 is set and CellBar element is set according to the current situation.

Step 1202: the added extended cell access information (such as the extended cellaccesrelatedinfo) includes the added RAT PLMN list information and additional related information of the extended cell of the new RAT. Where PLMN-identylist is 5G core PLMN list information supported by lte, and CellBar element is set according to the current situation. The intraFreqReselection configuration is based on whether there are neighboring cells or base stations and whether they support 5G cell settings of the same frequency.

Step 1203: after the UE1 receives the SIB1, since only "cellaccesrelatedinfo" is decoded, if "cellBarred" is prohibited in "cellaccesrelatedinfo", the UE considers that the cell is prohibited and cannot camp on, and then may determine whether the UE can perform intra-frequency reselection or whether the UE can camp on normally according to "intrafreq reselection". The UE2 receives SIB1 and can decode "cellAccess related Info" and "the extended cellAccess related Info" simultaneously.

Regarding the interpretation of these fields, the following rules may be implemented.

(1) If "cellBarred" is forbidden in "cellaccesrelatedinfo", "extended cellaccesrelatedinfo", the cell is considered forbidden (e.g., the UE cannot camp on the cell), and then it is determined whether it is capable of intra-frequency reselection, based on the "intrafreq reselection" information.

(2) If only one of the instructions is barred, a non-barred RAT is selected.

(3) If neither is forbidden, the UE will register the extended RAT according to its own traffic rules and may also select the original RAT camping according to the current traffic settings.

For all possible variations of eLTE, the presently disclosed techniques may be embodied in a base station. In some embodiments, the lte system message enhancement scheme enables lte to broadcast information related to multiple RATs simultaneously and to be compatible with different releases of UEs, including legacy UEs.

Base station embodiments may configure corresponding PLMN lists and other relevant information about the cells for different RATs. Additional RAT PLMN list information and additional related information of the extended cells of the RAT may be placed in the "extended cell info" cell.

After receiving the message at the UE, the UE determines the RATs supported by the current cell and the corresponding PLMN list according to the cell information of each RAT.

Example 1

The different RAT configurations include individual PLMNs listed among them.

(1) The list of PLMNs supported by the original RAT continues to be used; a new RAT PLMN list is added to indicate PLMN list information supported by the new RAT.

(2) If the embodiment does not support the original RAT, the embodiment may populate default values in the original RAT PLMN and the original cellgarred is set to disabled.

(3) If the new RAT is not supported, the system messages remain unchanged, i.e., no new PLMN RAT list information and other information for the cell is added.

Example 2

Other relevant information is provided, including cellgarred and intrafreqReselection information.

(1) The original RAT cellgarred and intrafreqReselection information remains unchanged. In addition, the base station may add new RAT cell Barred and intrafreqReselection information for indicating the new RAT cell Barred and intrafreqReselection information.

(2) If the original RAT is not supported, the original cellgarred is set to disabled.

(3) If the new RAT is not supported, the system messages remain unchanged.

Example 3

After receiving the system message, the UE determines a core network supported by the cell according to the PLMN list information and the cell barring information of the corresponding RAT, and determines whether the cell can camp. In particular:

(1) only the UE decoding the original "cell information" decrypts and processes the cell.

(2) The UE capable of simultaneously decoding the "cell information" and the "extended cell information" may decode the "cell information" and the "extended cell information", and may determine a network based on the two kinds of information, a network barring status, and preferentially register an extended RAT according to its own service, and may select an original RAT camping based on a current service.

Fig. 4 is a flow diagram of an example method 400 of wireless communication. The method 400 includes: sending (402) a message comprising a first field from a base station of a cell to a user equipment requesting to camp on the cell, wherein the first field indicates availability of another type of Radio Access Technology (RAT) core network for communicating via the base station; including (404) a second field in the message, a value of the second field indicating that the user equipment is not allowed to access another type of RAT core network; and providing (406) additional information regarding whether other intra-frequency cells supporting another type of Radio Access Technology (RAT) core network are available for user reselection when the user equipment is not allowed to camp on the cell.

Fig. 5 is a flow diagram of an example method 500 of wireless communication. The method 500 includes: receiving (502), by a user equipment during camping on a cell, a message comprising a first field, wherein the first field indicates availability of another type of Radio Access Technology (RAT) core network for communicating via a base station of the cell; determining (504) whether the user equipment is allowed to camp on the cell based on a second field in the message, wherein a value of the second field indicates that the user equipment is not allowed to access another type of RAT core network when the implementation version is incompatible with the another type of RAT core network; and obtaining (506) additional information about other intra-frequency cells supporting another type of Radio Access Technology (RAT) core network available for reselection by the user equipment.

In the method 400 and the method 500, the "another type of RAT" or the "another type of core network" may be a next generation core network such as a 5G core network. In method 400 and method 500, the message may comprise a system message, such as a system information block, as described herein. In some embodiments, another type of RAT core network may include a next generation network (e.g., a 5G network) that is incompatible with legacy versions of user equipment. For example, UEs of 4G and earlier releases may not be able to understand messages from the 5G core network.

In some embodiments, the additional information provided in methods 400 and 500 may include an indication of the frequency that the user equipment should use to evaluate an intra-frequency cell reselection of another type of RAT. In some embodiments, the additional information may indicate that the user equipment is capable of joining another wireless network using intra-frequency cell reselection.

Fig. 6 is a block diagram of an example implementation of a wireless communication device 1200. The method 400 or the method 500 may be implemented by the apparatus 1200. In some embodiments, for example, when implementing method 400, apparatus 1200 may be a base station of a wireless network. In some embodiments, for example, when implementing method 500, apparatus 1200 may be a user equipment. The apparatus 1200 includes one or more processors, e.g., processor electronics 1210, transceiver circuitry 1215, and one or more antennas 1220 for wireless signal transmission and reception. The apparatus 1200 may include a memory 1205 that may be used to store data and instructions for use by the processor electronics 1210. The apparatus 1200 may also include additional network interfaces with one or more core networks or additional equipment of a network operator. The additional network interface may be wired (e.g., fiber optic or ethernet) or wireless, which is not explicitly shown in fig. 6.

Fig. 7 depicts an example of a wireless communication system 1300 in which various techniques described herein may be implemented. System 1300 includes a base station 1302 that can have a communication connection with a core network (1312) and a communication connection to a wireless communication medium 1304 to communicate with one or more user devices 1306. The user device 1306 may be a smartphone, a tablet, a machine-to-machine communication device, an internet of things (IoT) device, and so on.

It will be appreciated that techniques are disclosed for providing communications resources to user equipment by including information in system messages about one or more core networks available to the user equipment. This information is delivered to the user equipment in a backward compatible manner. Indicating that user equipment incompatible with the currently available core network does not join the cell.

The disclosed and other embodiments, the blocks and functional operations described herein may be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or in hardware, including the structures disclosed herein and their structural equivalents, or in combinations of one or more of them. The disclosed and other embodiments can be implemented as one or more computer program products, i.e., one or more modules of computer program instructions encoded on a computer-readable medium for execution by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus. The computer readable medium can be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a memory device, a composition of matter effecting a machine-readable propagated signal, or a combination of one or more of them. The term "data processing apparatus" includes all apparatus, devices, and machines for processing data (including by way of example a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple processors or computers). The apparatus can include, in addition to hardware, code that creates an execution environment for the computer program in question, e.g., code that constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, or a combination of one or more of them. The propagated signal is an artificially generated signal (e.g., a machine-generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal) that is generated to encode information for transmission to suitable receiver apparatus.

A computer program (also known as a program, software application, script, or code) can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program does not necessarily correspond to a file in a file system. The program may be stored in the following sections: a portion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup language document), a single file dedicated to the program in question, or multiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store one or more modules, sub programs, or portions of code). A computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers that are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.

The processes and logic flows described herein can be implemented by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output. The processes and logic flows can also be performed by, and apparatus can also be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit).

Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, by way of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. The essential elements of a computer are a processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include, or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, e.g., magnetic, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks. However, a computer need not have such a device. Computer-readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, media and storage devices, including by way of example: semiconductor memory devices (e.g., EPROM, EEPROM) and flash memory devices; magnetic disks (e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks); magneto-optical disks; and CD ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and the memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.

Although the text contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention as claimed or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments. Particular features that are described herein in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Furthermore, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination. Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results.

Only a few examples and embodiments are disclosed. Variations, modifications, and improvements can be made to the described examples and embodiments, as well as other embodiments, based on the disclosure.