WO2023077391A1

WO2023077391A1 - Method for access and mobility policy decision

Info

Publication number: WO2023077391A1
Application number: PCT/CN2021/128840
Authority: WO
Inventors: Xiaojian YAN; Jinguo Zhu
Original assignee: Zte Corporation
Priority date: 2021-11-05
Filing date: 2021-11-05
Publication date: 2023-05-11
Also published as: CN117897983A

Abstract

A wireless communication method for use in an access and mobility management function is disclosed. The method comprises transmitting, to a policy control function, non-public network information associated with a wireless terminal, and receiving, from the policy control function, at least one access and mobility policy parameter determined based on the non-public network information for the wireless terminal.

Description

METHOD FOR ACCESS AND MOBILITY POLICY DECISION

This document is directed generally to wireless communications, and particular to 5 ^th generation (5G) wireless communications.

Public Network Integrated Non-Public Networks (PNI-NPNs) are NPNs made available via public land mobile networks (PLMNs) , e.g., by means of dedicated data network names (DNNs) or by one or more Network Slice instances allocated for the NPNs. When a PNI-NPN is made available via a PLMN, the UE shall have a subscription for the PLMN in order to access the PNI-NPN.

A Policy control function (PCF) may be configured to determine policies in a (5G) network. In some scenarios, it is possible that a single network slice is allocated to multiple PNI-NPNs when considering that the amount of network slices is limited and that the PNI-NPNs may have different requirements for the related policies. However, the PCF may not take the PNI-NPNs into consideration when determining corresponding policies. As a result, the determined polies may not satisfy different requirements of different PNI-NPNs.

This document relates to methods, systems, and devices for access and mobility policy decision, and more particularly to methods, systems, and devices for access and mobility policy decision for the NPN.

The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication method for use in an access and mobility management function. The method comprises: transmitting, to a policy control function, non-public network information associated with a wireless terminal, and

receiving, from the policy control function, at least one access and mobility policy parameter determined based on the non-public network information for the wireless terminal.

Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

Preferably, the non-public network information is associated with at least one non-public network which the wireless terminal is allowed to access.

Preferably, the non-public network information comprises a closed access group (CAG) list.

Preferably, the at least one access and mobility policy parameter comprises at least one of a radio access technology/frequency selection priority index, an aggregated maximum bit rate or a CAG list.

Preferably, the wireless communication method further comprises:

transmitting, to the policy control function, the at least one access and mobility policy parameter retrieved from a unified data management,

wherein the at least one access and mobility policy parameter received from the policy control function is determined further based on the at least one access and mobility policy parameter retrieved from the unified data management.

Preferably, the wireless communication method further comprises:

retrieving, from a unified data management, subscription data associated with the wireless terminal,

wherein the non-public network information is determined based on the subscription data.

Preferably, the subscription data comprises at least one of a subscribed radio access technology/frequency selection priority index, a subscribed aggregated maximum bit rate, or a subscribed CAG list.

Preferably, the wireless communication method further comprises transmitting, to at least one of a wireless network node serving the wireless terminal or the wireless terminal, the at least one access and mobility policy parameter.

The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication method for use in a policy control function. The method comprises:

receiving, from an access and mobility management function, non-public network information associated with a wireless terminal, and

transmitting, to the access and mobility management function, at least one access and mobility policy parameter determined based on the non-public network information for the wireless terminal.

Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

Preferably, the wireless communication method further comprises:

receiving, from the access and mobility management function, the at least one access and mobility policy parameter retrieved from a unified data management,

wherein the at least one access and mobility policy parameter transmitted to the access and mobility function is determined further based on the at least one access and mobility policy parameter retrieved from the unified data management.

The present disclosure relates to a wireless device comprising an access and mobility management function. The wireless device comprises:

a communication unit, configured to:

transmit, to a policy control function, non-public network information associated with a wireless terminal, and

receive, from the policy control function, at least one access and mobility policy parameter determined based on the non-public network information for the wireless terminal.

Various embodiments may preferably implement the following feature:

Preferably, the wireless device further comprises a processor configured to perform any of aforementioned wireless communication methods.

The present disclosure relates to a wireless device comprising a policy control function. The wireless device comprises:

a communication unit, configured to:

receive, from an access and mobility management function, non-public network information associated with a wireless terminal, and

transmit, to the access and mobility management function, at least one access and mobility policy parameter determined based on the non-public network information for the wireless terminal.

Various embodiments may preferably implement the following feature:

The present disclosure relates to a computer program product comprising a computer-readable program medium code stored thereupon, the code, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to implement a wireless communication method recited in any one of foregoing methods.

The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are directed to providing features that will become readily apparent by reference to the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompany drawings. In accordance with various embodiments, exemplary systems, methods, devices and computer program products are disclosed herein. It is understood, however, that these embodiments are presented by way of example and not limitation, and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art who read the present disclosure that various modifications to the disclosed embodiments can be made while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure.

Thus, the present disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. Additionally, the specific order and/or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein are merely exemplary approaches. Based upon design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps of the disclosed methods or processes can be re-arranged while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or acts in a sample order, and the present disclosure is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented unless expressly stated otherwise.

The above and other aspects and their implementations are described in greater detail in the drawings, the descriptions, and the claims.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a network (architecture) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a registration procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a registration procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a registration procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a schematic diagram of a wireless terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a schematic diagram of a wireless network node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 shows a flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a network (architecture) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 1, the network comprises the following network functions/entities:

1) UE: User Equipment

2) RAN: Radio Access Network

In the present disclosure, the RAN may be equal to RAN node or next-generation RAN (NG-RAN) (node) .

3) AMF: Access and Mobility Management Function

The AMF includes the following functionalities: Registration Management, Connection Management, Reachability Management and Mobility Management. The AMF terminates the RAN Control Plane (CP) interface N2 and NAS interface N1, non-access stratum (NAS) ciphering and integrity protection. It also distributes the session management (SM) NAS to proper session management functions (SMFs) via interface N11. The AMF provides services for other consumer Network Functions (NFs) to subscribe or get notified of the mobility related events and information.

4) SMF: Session Management Function

The SMF includes the following functionalities: session establishment, modification and release, UE IP address allocation & management (including optional authorization functions) , selection and control of User Plane (UP) function, downlink data notification. The SMF can subscribe the mobility related events and information from AMF.

5) UPF: User Plane Function

The UPF includes the following functionalities: serving as an anchor point for intra-/inter-radio access technology (RAT) mobility and the external session point of interconnect to Data Network, packet routing & forwarding as indicated by SMF, traffic usage reporting, quality of service (QoS) handling for the UP, downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggering, etc.

6) UDM: Unified Data Management

The UDM manages the subscription profile for the UEs. The subscription includes the data used for mobility management (e.g. restricted area) , session management (e.g. QoS profile per slice per DNN) . The subscription data also includes the slice selection parameters which is used for AMF to select a proper SMF. The AMF and SMF get the subscription from UDM. The subscription data is stored in the Unified Data Repository (UDR) . The UDM uses such data upon reception of request from AMF or SMF.

7) PCF: Policy Control Function

The PCF supports unified policy framework to govern network behavior. The PCF provides access and mobility policy to the AMF via an interface N15, and/or session management policy to the SMF via an interface N7, and/or UE policy to the UE. Note that the PCF used for interfaces N7 and N15 may be the same or different. The PCF can access the UDR to obtain subscription information relevant for policy decisions. The PCF may also generate the policy to govern network behavior based on the subscription and indication from an application function (AF) . Then, the PCF can provide policy rules to CP functions (e.g. the AMF and/or the SMF) to enforce the CP functions.

8) NEF: Network Exposure Function

The NEF supports exposure of capability and events of the network towards the AF. A third party AF can invoke the service provided by the network via the NEF and the NEF performs authentication and authorization of the third party applications. The NEF also provides translation of the information exchanged with the AF and information exchanged with the internal NF.

9) AF: Application Function

The AF interacts with the Core Network in order to provide services, e.g. to support application influence on traffic routing, accessing the NEF, interacting with the Policy framework for policy control etc. The AF considered to be trusted by the operator can be allowed to interact directly with relevant NFs. The AF not allowed by the operator to access directly the NFs should use the external exposure framework via the NEF to interact with relevant NFs. The AF may store the application information in the UDR via the NEF.

In some scenarios, the PCF is not able to take the PNI-NPNs into consideration when determining corresponding policies since the PCF is not aware of the PNI-NPN (s) to which the UE belongs. Thus, the determined policies may not satisfy the different requirements of different PNI-NPNs.

In addition, in some cases, even if a total requested bandwidth of the PNI-NPNs to which the UE belongs is low, the PCF may still authorize a high UE Aggregate Maximum Bit Rate (AMBR) for the UE also because the PCF is not aware of the PNI-NPNs to which the UE belongs. As a result, radio resources may be wasted.

In addition, the UE may subscribe to multiple PNI-NPNs with different subscription plans. When a total usage quota for the subscription plans of the UE is reached, the PCF cannot ensure services of a golden PNI-NPN (e.g. the PNI-NPN having the highest limited bit rate after the usage quota is reached among the subscribed PNI-NPNs) for the UE first since the PCF is not aware of the PNI-NPNs to which the UE belongs.

As network slicing does not enable the possibility to prevent UEs from trying to access the network in areas where the UE is not allowed to use the Network Slice allocated for the NPN, a concept of Closed Access Groups (CAGs) is used to apply access control.

In an embodiment, the CAG identifies a group of subscribers who are permitted to access one or more CAG cells associated to the CAG. The CAG is used for the PNI-NPNs to prevent UE (s) , which are not allowed to access the NPN via the associated cell (s) , from automatically selecting and accessing the associated CAG cell (s) .

In an embodiment, one CAG is identified by a CAG Identifier (ID) which is unique within the scope of a PLMN ID.

In an embodiment, a CAG cell broadcasts one or multiple CAG IDs per PLMN.

To use the CAG, the UE supporting the CAG as indicated as part of the UE 5GMM Core Network Capability may be pre-configured or (re) configured with the following CAG information included in the subscription as part of the Mobility Restrictions:

- an allowed CAG list, i.e. a list of CAG Identifiers the UE is allowed to access; and

- optionally, a CAG-only indication indicating whether the UE is only allowed to access 5GS via CAG cells.

In an embodiment, when the AMF receives the subscribed CAG information from the UDM, the AMF provides the UE with the allowed CAG information based on the CAG information received from the UDM.

In an embodiment, one CAG ID may represent one PNI-NPN. In other words, single CAG ID may be associated with single PNI-NPN. Thus, the allowed CAG list for the UE indicates the PNI-NPNs that the UE is allowed to access. In order to make the policy more precise, the AMF may send the allowed CAG list for the UE to the PCF. Under such conditions, the PCF is able to acknowledge the PNI-NPNs to which the UE belongs. Therefore, the PNI-NPN information can be considered when the PCF makes policy decisions.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a registration procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 2, the allowed CAG list is considered by the PCF when the PCF authorizes the RFSP Index. Specifically, the registration procedure shown in FIG. 2 comprises the following steps:

Step 201: The UE initiates (e.g. transmits) a Registration Request towards the NG-RAN. The NG-RAN selects an AMF and forwards the Registration Request to the AMF. In an embodiment, the UE indicates "CAG supported" capability in the message.

Step 202: If the AMF does not have subscription data for the UE, the AMF retrieves Access and Mobility Subscription data of the UE by using/sending a Nudm_SDM_Get (request) to the UDM. The UDM sends a Nudm_SDM_Get response including the Access and Mobility Subscription data (e.g. a subscribed CAG list and a subscribed RFSP Index associated with the UE) to the AMF.

Step 203: The AMF subscribes to be notified, by using a Nudm_SDM_Subscribe (request) , when the Access and Mobility Subscription data of the UE is modified.

Step 204: During the registration procedure, the AMF selects a PCF for acquiring AM policies and sends a Npcf_AMPolicyControl_Create request to the selected PCF. In this embodiment, the Npcf_AMPolicyControl_Create request comprises the allowed CAG list determined by the AMF based on the subscribed CAG list. As an alternative or in addition, the Npcf_AMPolicyControl_Create request further comprises the subscribed RFSP Index received from the UDM and/or the allowed NSSAI determined by the AMF.

Step 205: The PCF evaluates the RFSP index based on at least one of the subscribed RFSP index, the allowed NSSAI and the allowed CAG list received in step 204 and sends the authorized RFSP Index to the AMF by using a Npcf_AMPolicyControl_Create response.

Step 206: The AMF accepts the UE registration and forwards the authorized RFSP Index in a Registration Accept message to the NG-RAN. If the UE is "CAG supported" and the AMF needs to update the CAG information of the UE, the AMF may include the CAG information as part of the Mobility Restrictions in the Registration Accept message.

Step 207: If the subscribed CAG list in the UDM is changed, the UDM notifies the AMF about the changes via using a Nudm_SDM_Notify.

Step 208: The AMF determines that the allowed CAG list is updated based on the subscribed CAG list received in step 207 and sends the updated allowed CAG list to the PCF by using Npcf_AMPolicyControl_Update request.

Step 209: The PCF re-evaluates the RFSP index based on the updated allowed CAG list and sends the updated authorized RFSP index to the AMF via using a Npcf_AMPolicyControl_Update response.

Step 210: The AMF forwards the updated authorized RFSP Index in an N2 message (e.g. NGAP message) to the NG-RAN.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a registration procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the allowed CAG list is considered by the PCF when the PCF authorizes the UE-AMBR. The registration procedure shown in FIG. 3 comprises the following steps:

Step 301: The UE initiates a Registration Request towards the NG-RAN. The NG-RAN selects an AMF and forwards the Registration Request to the AMF. In an embodiment, the UE indicates "CAG supported" capability in the message.

Step 302: If the AMF does not have subscription data for the UE, the AMF retrieves Access and Mobility Subscription data of the UE by using/transmitting a Nudm_SDM_Get (request) . The UDM sends a Nudm_SDM_Get response including the Access and Mobility Subscription data to the AMF. In this embodiment, the Access and Mobility Subscription data comprises subscribed UE-AMBR.

Step 303: The AMF subscribes to be notified when the Access and Mobility Subscription data of the UE is modified by using a Nudm_SDM_Subscribe (request) .

Step 304: During the registration procedure, the AMF selects a PCF for acquiring the AM policy and sends a Npcf_AMPolicyControl_Create request to the selected PCF. In this embodiment, the Npcf_AMPolicyControl_Create request comprises the allowed CAG list determined by the AMF based on the subscribed CAG list received from the UDM. In addition, the Npcf_AMPolicyControl_Create request may further comprise the subscribed UE-AMBR received from the UDM.

Step 305: The PCF evaluates the UE-AMBR based on the subscribed UE-AMBR and the allowed CAG list received in step 304 and sends the authorized UE-AMBR to the AMF in a Npcf_AMPolicyControl_Create response. For example, if the CAG IDs (e.g. the associated NPNs) included in the allowed CAG list do not need high QoS requirements, the PCF may authorize a low UE-AMBR for the UE.

Step 306: The AMF accepts the UE registration and forwards the authorized UE-AMBR to the NG-RAN in a Registration Accept message. If the UE is "CAG supported" and the AMF needs to update the CAG information of the UE, the AMF may include the CAG information as part of the Mobility Restrictions in the Registration Accept message.

Step 307: If the subscribed CAG list in the UDM is changed, the UDM notifies the AMF about the change by using Nudm_SDM_Notify.

Step 308: The AMF updates/modifies the allowed CAG list based on the updated subscribed CAG list received in step 307 and sends the updated allowed CAG list to the PCF in a Npcf_AMPolicyControl_Update request.

Step 309: The PCF re-evaluates the UE-AMBR based on the updated allowed CAG list and sends the updated authorized UE-AMBR to the AMF by using a Npcf_AMPolicyControl_Update response.

Step 310: The AMF forwards the updated authorized UE-AMBR in an N2 message (e.g. NGAP message) to the NG-RAN.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a registration procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 4, the PCF further adjusts the allowed CAG list received from the AMF. The registration procedure shown in FIG. 4 comprises the following steps:

Step 401: The UE initiates a Registration Request (message) towards the NG-RAN. The NG-RAN selects an AMF and forwards the Registration Request to the AMF. In an embodiment, the UE indicates "CAG supported" capability in the Registration Request.

Step 402: If the AMF does not have subscription data for the UE, the AMF retrieves the Access and Mobility Subscription data of the UE by using a Nudm_SDM_Get (request) . The UDM sends a Nudm_SDM_Get response including the Access and Mobility Subscription data of the UE to the AMF. In an embodiment, the Access and Mobility Subscription data comprises a subscribed CAG list of the UE.

Step 403: The AMF subscribes to be notified using Nudm_SDM_Subscribe when the Access and Mobility Subscription data is modified.

Step 404: During the registration procedure the AMF selects a PCF for the AM policy and sends a Npcf_AMPolicyControl_Create request to the selected PCF. In this embodiment, the Npcf_AMPolicyControl_Create request includes the allowed CAG list determined by the AMF based on the subscribed CAG list received in step 402.

Step 405: The PCF further adjusts the allowed CAG list based on operator local policy and sends the adjusted allowed CAG list to the AMF by using a Npcf_AMPolicyControl_Create response.

Step 406: The AMF accepts the UE registration and forwards the allowed CAG list received in step 405 to the NG-RAN and UE.

Step 407: If the PCF decides to update the allowed CAG list (e.g. when the total usage quota of the UE is reached and the service of a golden NPN should be ensured, the PCF may keep only CAG identifiers associated with the golden NPN in the allowed CAG list and remove other CAG identifiers from the allowed CAG list) , the PCF sends the updated allowed CAG list to the UE and the NG-RAN via the AMF by using a Npcf_AMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify request.

Step 408: The AMF sends a Npcf_AMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify response to the PCF.

Step 409: The AMF sends a Downlink NAS Transport (message) to the NG-RAN to the NG-RAN. In this embodiment, the Downlink NAS Transport (message) includes the allowed CAG list received in step 407.

Step 410: The NG-RAN sends a UE Configuration Update Command message to the UE, wherein the UE Configuration Update Command message includes the allowed CAG list received in step 409.

In some embodiments, the AMF performs at least one of:

- Retrieving the subscribed CAG list from the UDM;

- Determining the allowed CAG list based on the subscribed CAG list and sends to the PCF;

- Receiving the allowed CAG list adjusted by the PCF,

- Sending the allowed CAG list to the NG-RAN and UE.

In some embodiment, the PCF performs at least one of:

- Receiving the allowed CAG list determined by the AMF;

- Adjusting the allowed CAG list and sends it to the AMF;

- Considering the allowed CAG list when authorizing the RFSP Index;

- Considering the allowed CAG list when authorizing the UE-AMBR.

FIG. 5 relates to a schematic diagram of a wireless terminal 50 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The wireless terminal 50 may be a user equipment (UE) , a mobile phone, a laptop, a tablet computer, an electronic book or a portable computer system and is not limited herein. The wireless terminal 50 may include a processor 500 such as a microprocessor or Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) , a storage unit 510 and a communication unit 520. The storage unit 510 may be any data storage device that stores a program code 512, which is accessed and executed by the processor 500. Embodiments of the storage unit 512 include but are not limited to a subscriber identity module (SIM) , read-only memory (ROM) , flash memory, random-access memory (RAM) , hard-disk, and optical data storage device. The communication unit 520 may a transceiver and is used to transmit and receive signals (e.g. messages or packets) according to processing results of the processor 500. In an embodiment, the communication unit 520 transmits and receives the signals via at least one antenna 522 shown in FIG. 5.

In an embodiment, the storage unit 510 and the program code 512 may be omitted and the processor 500 may include a storage unit with stored program code.

The processor 500 may implement any one of the steps in exemplified embodiments on the wireless terminal 50, e.g., by executing the program code 512.

The communication unit 520 may be a transceiver. The communication unit 520 may as an alternative or in addition be combining a transmitting unit and a receiving unit configured to transmit and to receive, respectively, signals to and from a wireless network node (e.g. a base station) .

FIG. 6 relates to a schematic diagram of a wireless network node 60 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The wireless network node 60 may be a satellite, a base station (BS) , a network entity, a Mobility Management Entity (MME) , Serving Gateway (S-GW) , Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (P-GW) , a radio access network (RAN) node, a next generation RAN (NG-RAN) node, a gNB, an eNB, a gNB central unit (gNB-CU) , a gNB distributed unit (gNB-DU) a data network, a core network or a Radio Network Controller (RNC) , and is not limited herein. In addition, the wireless network node 60 may comprise (perform) at least one network function such as an access and mobility management function (AMF) , a session management function (SMF) , a user place function (UPF) , a policy control function (PCF) , an application function (AF) , etc. The wireless network node 60 may include a processor 600 such as a microprocessor or ASIC, a storage unit 610 and a communication unit 620. The storage unit 610 may be any data storage device that stores a program code 612, which is accessed and executed by the processor 600. Examples of the storage unit 612 include but are not limited to a SIM, ROM, flash memory, RAM, hard-disk, and optical data storage device. The communication unit 620 may be a transceiver and is used to transmit and receive signals (e.g. messages or packets) according to processing results of the processor 600. In an example, the communication unit 620 transmits and receives the signals via at least one antenna 622 shown in FIG. 6.

In an embodiment, the storage unit 610 and the program code 612 may be omitted. The processor 600 may include a storage unit with stored program code.

The processor 600 may implement any steps described in exemplified embodiments on the wireless network node 60, e.g., via executing the program code 612.

The communication unit 620 may be a transceiver. The communication unit 620 may as an alternative or in addition be combining a transmitting unit and a receiving unit configured to transmit and to receive, respectively, signals to and from a wireless terminal (e.g. a user equipment or another wireless network node) .

FIG. 7 shows a flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method shown in FIG. 7 may be used in an AMF (e.g. a wireless device comprising the AMF and/or performing all of at least part of functionalities of the AMF) and comprises the following steps:

Step 701: Transmit, to a PCF, non-public network information associated with a wireless terminal.

Step 702: Receive, from the PCF, at least one access and mobility policy parameter determined based on the non-public network information for the wireless terminal.

In FIG. 7, the AMF transmits non-public network information associated with a wireless terminal (e.g. UE) to a PCF. Based on the non-public network information, the PCF may update/amend/determine at least one access and mobility policy parameter and transmits the at least one access and mobility policy parameter to the AMF. Note that the AMF may transmit the non-public network information to the PCF in a registration procedure and/or in other procedures related to access and mobility policy retrieval/determination/transmission. As an alternative or in addition, the AMF may transmit the non-public network information to the PCF when the non-public network information is updated and/or the AMF requires/needs (to update) the access and mobility policy.

In some embodiments, the non-public network information may be information of (PNI) NPN (s) associated with the wireless terminal. For example, the non-public network information is associated with at least one NPN which the wireless terminal is allowed to access. As an alternative or in addition, the non-public network information comprises a CAG list.

In some embodiments, the access and mobility policy parameter may be a parameter/value/list associated with the access and mobility policy (for the wireless terminal) . For instance, the at least one access and mobility policy parameter comprises at least one of an RFSP index, an AMBR (e.g. UE-AMBR) and/or a CAG list.

In some embodiments, the AMF further transmits the at least one access and mobility policy parameter to the PCF, e.g., if the non-public network information does not include the at least one access and mobility policy parameter. The at least one access and mobility policy parameter may be retrieved from a UDM. The PCF determines/amends/updates the at least one access and mobility policy parameter based on the non-public network information and the at least one access and mobility policy parameter retrieved from the UDM.

In some embodiments, the AMF retrieves subscription data associated with the wireless terminal from the UDM. Based on the retrieved subscription data, the AMF determines the non-public network information.

In some embodiments, the subscription data comprises at least one of a subscribed RFSP index, a subscribed AMBR, or a subscribed CAG list.

In some embodiments, the AMF transmits the at least one access and mobility policy parameter to the wireless terminal and/or a wireless network node (e.g. BS, RAN (node) or NG-RAN (node) ) serving the wireless terminal.

FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method shown in FIG. 8 may be used in a PCF (e.g. a wireless device comprising the PCF or a wireless device performing all of at least part of functionalities of the PCF and comprises the following steps:

Step 801: Receive, from an AMF, non-public network information associated with a wireless terminal.

Step 802: Transmit, to the AMF, at least one access and mobility policy parameter determined based on the non-public network information for the wireless terminal.

In FIG. 8, the PCF receives non-public network information associated with a wireless terminal (e.g. UE) from an AMF. Based on the non-public network information, the PCF may determine/update/amend at least one access and mobility policy parameter. The PCF transmits the at least one access and mobility policy parameter to the AMF. Note that the PCF may receive the non-public network information from the AMF in a registration procedure and/or in other procedures associating with access and mobility policy retrieval/determination/transmission. As an alternative or in addition, the PCF may receive the non-public network information from the AMF when the non-public network information is updated and/or the AMF requires/needs (to update) the access and mobility policy.

In some embodiments, the non-public network information may be information of (PNI) NPN (s) associated with the wireless terminal. For example, the non-public network information may be associated with at least one NPN which the wireless terminal is allowed to access. As an alternative or in addition, the non-public network information comprises a CAG list.

In some embodiments, the PCF further receives the at least one access and mobility policy parameter from the AMF, e.g., in a case that the non-public network information does not include the at least one access and mobility policy parameter. The at least one access and mobility policy parameter may be retrieved from a UDM. The PCF determines/amends/updates the at least one access and mobility policy parameter based on the non-public network information and the at least one access and mobility policy parameter retrieved from the UDM.

While various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not by way of limitation. Likewise, the various diagrams may depict an example architectural or configuration, which are provided to enable persons of ordinary skill in the art to understand exemplary features and functions of the present disclosure. Such persons would understand, however, that the present disclosure is not restricted to the illustrated example architectures or configurations, but can be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. Additionally, as would be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art, one or more features of one embodiment can be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any one of the above-described exemplary embodiments.

It is also understood that any reference to an element herein using a designation such as "first, " "second, " and so forth does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. Rather, these designations can be used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of an element. Thus, a reference to first and second elements does not mean that only two elements can be employed, or that the first element must precede the second element in some manner.

Additionally, a person having ordinary skill in the art would understand that information and signals can be represented using any one of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits and symbols, for example, which may be referenced in the above description can be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

A skilled person would further appreciate that any one of the various illustrative logical blocks, units, processors, means, circuits, methods and functions described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., a digital implementation, an analog implementation, or a combination of the two) , firmware, various forms of program or design code incorporating instructions (which can be referred to herein, for convenience, as "software" or a "software unit” ) , or any combination of these techniques.

To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, units, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware or software, or a combination of these techniques, depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans can implement the described functionality in various ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions do not cause a departure from the scope of the present disclosure. In accordance with various embodiments, a processor, device, component, circuit, structure, machine, unit, etc. can be configured to perform one or more of the functions described herein. The term “configured to” or “configured for” as used herein with respect to a specified operation or function refers to a processor, device, component, circuit, structure, machine, unit, etc. that is physically constructed, programmed and/or arranged to perform the specified operation or function.

Furthermore, a skilled person would understand that various illustrative logical blocks, units, devices, components and circuits described herein can be implemented within or performed by an integrated circuit (IC) that can include a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP) , an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) , a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof. The logical blocks, units, and circuits can further include antennas and/or transceivers to communicate with various components within the network or within the device. A general purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration to perform the functions described herein. If implemented in software, the functions can be stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Thus, the steps of a method or algorithm disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium.

Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media including any medium that can be enabled to transfer a computer program or code from one place to another. A storage media can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer.

In this document, the term "unit" as used herein, refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the associated functions described herein. Additionally, for purpose of discussion, the various units are described as discrete units; however, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, two or more units may be combined to form a single unit that performs the associated functions according embodiments of the present disclosure.

Additionally, memory or other storage, as well as communication components, may be employed in embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be appreciated that, for clarity purposes, the above description has described embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable distribution of functionality between different functional units, processing logic elements or domains may be used without detracting from the present disclosure. For example, functionality illustrated to be performed by separate processing logic elements, or controllers, may be performed by the same processing logic element, or controller. Hence, references to specific functional units are only references to a suitable means for providing the described functionality, rather than indicative of a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

Various modifications to the implementations described in this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other implementations without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the implementations shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as recited in the claims below.

Claims

A wireless communication method for use in an access and mobility management function, the method comprising:

transmitting, to a policy control function, non-public network information associated with a wireless terminal, and

receiving, from the policy control function, at least one access and mobility policy parameter determined based on the non-public network information for the wireless terminal.
The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the non-public network information is associated with at least one non-public network which the wireless terminal is allowed to access.
The wireless communication method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the non-public network information comprises a closed access group, CAG, list.
The wireless communication method of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the at least one access and mobility policy parameter comprises at least one of a radio access technology/frequency selection priority index, an aggregated maximum bit rate or a CAG list.
The wireless communication method of any of claims 1 to 4, further comprising:

transmitting, to the policy control function, the at least one access and mobility policy parameter retrieved from a unified data management,

wherein the at least one access and mobility policy parameter received from the policy control function is determined further based on the at least one access and mobility policy parameter retrieved from the unified data management.
The wireless communication method of any of claims 1 to 5, further comprising:

retrieving, from a unified data management, subscription data associated with the wireless terminal,

wherein the non-public network information is determined based on the subscription data.
The wireless communication method of claim 6, wherein the subscription data comprises at least one of a subscribed radio access technology/frequency selection priority index, a subscribed aggregated maximum bit rate, or a subscribed CAG list.
The wireless communication method of any of claims 1 to 7, further comprising:

transmitting, to at least one of a wireless network node serving the wireless terminal or the wireless terminal, the at least one access and mobility policy parameter.
A wireless communication method for use in a policy control function, the method comprising:

receiving, from an access and mobility management function, non-public network information associated with a wireless terminal, and

transmitting, to the access and mobility management function, at least one access and mobility policy parameter determined based on the non-public network information for the wireless terminal.
The wireless communication method of claim 9, wherein the non-public network information is associated with at least one non-public network which the wireless terminal is allowed to access.
The wireless communication method of claim 9 or 10, wherein the non-public network information comprises a closed access group, CAG, list.
The wireless communication method of any of claims 9 to 11, wherein the at least one access and mobility policy parameter comprises at least one of a radio access technology/frequency selection priority index, an aggregated maximum bit rate or a CAG list.
The wireless communication method of any of claims 9 to 12, further comprising:

receiving, from the access and mobility management function, the at least one access and mobility policy parameter retrieved from a unified data management,

wherein the at least one access and mobility policy parameter transmitted to the access and mobility function is determined further based on the at least one access and mobility policy parameter retrieved from the unified data management.
A wireless device comprising an access and mobility management function, the wireless device comprises:

a communication unit, configured to:

transmit, to a policy control function, non-public network information associated with a wireless terminal, and

receive, from the policy control function, at least one access and mobility policy parameter determined based on the non-public network information for the wireless terminal.
The wireless device of claim 14, further comprising a processor configured to perform the wireless communication method of any one of claims 2 to 8.
A wireless device comprising a policy control function, the wireless device comprises:

a communication unit, configured to:

receive, from an access and mobility management function, non-public network information associated with a wireless terminal, and

transmit, to the access and mobility management function, at least one access and mobility policy parameter determined based on the non-public network information for the wireless terminal.
The wireless device of claim 16, further comprising a processor configured to perform the wireless communication method of any one of claims 10 to 13.
A computer program product comprising a computer-readable program medium code stored thereupon, the code, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to implement the wireless communication method recited in any one of claims 1 to 13.