Method and apparatus for determining PDU session identity in wireless communication system

• US 10,362,511 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2017
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Youn, Myungjune, Kim, Hyunsook
• Primary Examiner(s): Chu, Wutchung
• Application Number:
  US15/598,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20170339609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers

Abstract

Disclosed are a method and apparatus for determining a PDU session identity in a wireless communication system. A method for determining, by a session management function (SMF) node, a packet data network (PDU) session identity during handover of user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, may include receiving a request message for requesting the establishment of a PDU session for the UE from an access and mobility management function (AMF) node, wherein a handover for the UE from a first wireless communication system to a second wireless communication system has been determined, determining a PDU session identity for the PDU session established for the UE when the request message is received, and sending a response message including the determined PDU session identity to the AMF node in response to the request message.

Claims

1. A method for determining, by a session management function (SMF) node, a packet data network (PDU) session identity for one or more PDU sessions of user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving a request message for requesting an establishment of a PDU session for the UE from an access and mobility management function (AMF) node while the UE performs a handover procedure from a first wireless communication system to a second wireless communication system;

determining a PDU session identity for the PDU session established for the UE when the request message is received; and

sending a response message including the determined PDU session identity to the AMF node in response to the request message,

wherein the PDU session identity for the PDU session is determined by combining a specific identity and an identity for locally identifying the PDU session within the SMF node,

wherein the specific identity includes a network slice identity to which the SMF node belongs or a globally unique ID allocated to the SMF node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a network slice comprising an access network (AN) and a core network (CN) is included in the second wireless communication system,

the AN and the AMF node are common to multiple network slices, and

the SMF node belongs to each network slice.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the network slice identity is allocated by the AMF node, and

the network slice identity is included in the request message and received from the AMF node.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein if multiple SMFs are present in the network slice, the PDU session identity for the PDU session is determined by combining an SMF identity for identifying each SMF node within the network slice, a network slice identity to which the SMF node belongs and an identity for locally identifying the PDU session within the SMF node.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the network slice identity and the SMF identity of the SMF node are allocated by the AMF node and are included in the request message and received from the AMF node.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the PDU session identity for the PDU session is allocated by the AMF node and determined by receiving the PDU session identity through the request message from the AMF node.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein when the PDU session identity is allocated by the AMF node, an association between the PDU session identity and an identity of the SMF node is generated by the AMF node.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein when the establishment of the PDU session is rejected, the association between the PDU session identity and the identity of the SMF node is removed by the AMF node.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the PDU session identity for the PDU session is determined within a PDU session ID pool configured in the SMF node.

10. A session management function (SMF) node for determining a packet data network (PDU) session identity for one or more PDU sessions of user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the SMF node comprising:

a communication module configured to send or receive a signal; and

a processor configured to control the communication module, wherein the processor is configured to;

receive a request message for requesting an establishment of a PDU session for the UE from an access and mobility management function (AMF) node while the UE performs a handover procedure from a first wireless communication system to a second wireless communication system,

determine a PDU session identity for the PDU session established for the UE when the request message is received, and

send a response message including the determined PDU session identity to the AMF node in response to the request message,

wherein the PDU session identity for the PDU session is determined by combining a specific identity and an identity for locally identifying the PDU session within the SMF node,

wherein the specific identity includes a network slice identity to which the SMF node belongs or a globally unique ID allocated to the SMF node.