Methods, devices, and systems for service-driven mobility management

1. A user equipment (UE) comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor coupled to the non-transitory computer-readable medium, and configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

determine whether a required network slice/service of the UE is supported by a first network node, the required network slice/service uniquely identified by Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI);

receive, from the first network node, information of a second network node that supports the required network slice/service of the UE with the S-NSSAI for uniquely identifying the required network slice/service when the required network slice/service identified by the S-NSSAI of the UE is not supported by the first network node;

perform at least one of a plurality of mobility management procedures based on the information of the second network node received from the first network node when the required network slice/service identified by the S-NSSAI of the UE is not supported by the first network node,

wherein the plurality of mobility management procedures comprises:

selecting a master node (MN), performing intra-MN handover without MN change, or performing inter-MN handover to another MN;

selecting or reselecting a secondary node (SN), performing intra-SN handover without SN change, modifying an existing SN, or adding a new SN; and

changing an anchor node of the UE to a target new radio (NR) next generation node B (gNB) or a target evolved long term evolution (eLTE) evolved node B (eNB); and

receive a radio access network (RAN) notification area update through a fifth generation (5G) core network that supports network slicing, the RAN notification area update including at least one of a list of NR gNB/cell Identifiers (IDs) or a list of RAN area IDs, the list of NR gNB/cell IDs corresponding to a list of NR gNBs/cells that support the required network slice/service of the UE, and the list of RAN area IDs corresponding to a list of RAN areas that support the required network slice/service of the UE.

2. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

send a System Information (SI) request to the first network node; and

receive network slice capability in other SI broadcast or unicast by the first network node,

wherein the network slice capability indicates one or more network slices or services supported by the first network node.

3. The UE of claim 2 , wherein at least one of minimum SI or the other SI includes at least one of a Slice Identifier (ID), a Network Slice Indication, and a Slice Bitmap.

4. The UE of claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

send a radio resource control (RRC) message to the first network node to request network slice support information of at least one neighboring network node;

receive the network slice support information of the at least one neighboring network node from the other SI broadcast or unicast by the first network node; and

determine, based on the network slice support information, whether the required network slice/service of the UE is supported by the at least one neighboring network node.

5. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the first network node is connected to a fifth generation (5G) core network that supports network slicing.

6. The UE of claim 1 , wherein at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to measure signals from a list of neighboring network nodes broadcast or unicast by the first network node and selecting the MN or selecting or reselecting the SN based on the measurement.

7. The UE of claim 1 , wherein:

a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) of the UE provides information of the required network slice/service to an Access Stratum (AS) of the UE;

the AS monitors signals from the first network node; and

the AS identifies the required network slice/service through at least one of a Slice Identifier (ID), a Network Slice Indication, and a Slice Bitmap from the signals.

8. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the UE is configured to have a list of barred cells that do not support network slice capability for the UE.

9. A first network node comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor coupled to the non-transitory computer-readable medium, and configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

provide network slice capability of the first network node to a user equipment (UE), the network slice capability indicating at least one network slice/service supported by the first network node;

transmit, to the UE, information of a second network node that supports a required network slice/service of the UE with Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) for uniquely identifying the required network slice/service when the required network slice/service identified by the S-NSSAI of the UE is not supported by the first network node; and

transmit, to the UE, a radio access network (RAN) notification area update through a fifth generation (5G) core network that supports network slicing, the RAN notification area update including at least one of a list of new radio (NR) next generation node B (gNB)/cell Identifiers (IDs) and a list of RAN area IDs, the list of NR gNB/cell IDs corresponding to a list of NR gNBs/cells that support the required network slice/service of the UE, and the list of RAN area IDs corresponding to a list of RAN areas that support the required network slice/service of the UE.

10. The first network node of claim 9 , wherein the first network node is in a master cell group or a secondary cell group.

11. The first network node of claim 9 , wherein the first network node is connected to a fifth generation (5G) core network that supports network slicing.

12. The first network node of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to broadcast or unicast the network slice capability via minimum System Information (SI) or other SI.

13. The first network node of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the minimum SI or the other SI includes at least one of a Slice Identifier (ID), a Network Slice Indication, and a Slice Bitmap.

14. The first network node of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to broadcast or unicast the network slice capability via a Signaling Radio Bearer (SRB).

15. The first network node of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive a System Information (SI) request from the UE; and

broadcast or unicast the network slice capability in other SI to the UE.

16. The first network node of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

broadcast or unicast network slice support information of at least one neighboring network node to the UE.

17. The first network node of claim 16 , wherein the at least one neighboring network node is connected to a fifth generation (5G) core network that supports network slicing.

18. The first network node of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to provide a list of barred cells that do not support the network slice capability for the UE.