IP Library Granted Patent US 12,672,189
Granted Patent B2
US 12,672,189 · App. 17/415,054 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

System and method for operation of enhanced machine type communication (eMTC) and narrow band internet-of-things (NB-IoT) user equipments (UEs) when connected to 5G core network (5GCN)

Inventors: Bharat Shrestha (Hillsboro, OR); Yi Guo (Shanghai, CN); Seau S. Lim (Swindon, GB); Marta Martinez Tarradell (Hillsboro, OR); Puneet Jain (Hillsboro, OR); Meghashree Dattatri Kedalagudde (Portland, OR)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H04W76/19H04W68/005H04W76/20H04W76/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,672,189
App. No.
17/415,054
Filed
Jun 17, 2021
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2476
USPC
370/329
Abstract

Some embodiments of this disclosure include systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable media for use in a wireless network for operating eMTC (enhanced Machine Type Communication) user equipment (UE) and/or NB-IoT UEs when connected to a 5G Core Network (5GCN). For example, some embodiments are directed to a user equipment (UE). The UE includes processor circuitry and radio front circuitry. The processor circuitry can be configured to receive, using the radio front end circuitry and from a Non-Access Stratum layer (NAS) of a cell, an indication to use a 5G Core Network (5GCN) for the cell. The processor circuitry can be further configured to transmit, using the radio front end, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection request in response to the indication to use the 5GCN.

Claims (39)

1 . A user equipment (UE), comprising:

radio front end circuitry; and

processor circuitry configured to:

receive, using the radio front end circuitry and from a Non-Access Stratum layer (NAS) of a cell, an indication to use a 5G Core Network (5GCN) for the cell;

transmit, using the radio front end circuitry and to a Radio Access Network (RAN) of the cell, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection request in response to the indication to use the 5GCN, wherein the RRC connection request includes an extension indicating that the 5GCN is supported by the UE and wherein the extension comprises an uplink (UL) common control channel (CCCH) message class extension for the RRC connection request;

transmit, using the radio front end circuitry, a RRC connection resume request comprising a resume identifier corresponding to the 5GCN and a second UL CCCH message class extension for the RRC connection resume request;

trigger an access stratum (AS) release Assistance Indicator (RAI) upon receiving an indication of an RAI from upper layers;

indicate the AS RAI that informs the RAN that both further uplink data and downlink data are not expected by the UE, wherein in response to an Energy-Delay Tradeoff (EDT) being used, an RRCEarlyDataRequest or an RRCConnectionResumeRequest for EDT are extended to include an AS RAI indication to indicate the AS RAI; and

receive, from the RAN and subsequent to indicating the AS RAI, a message that releases the UE to one of a RRC inactive state, a RRC idle state with suspend indication, or a RRC idle state without suspend indication.

2 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to indicate that the 5GCN is supported by setting a spare bit of the RRC connection request to a value of “1”.

3 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the RRC connection request further comprises an Identity Radio Network Temporary Identifier (I-RNTI) corresponding to the 5GCN when the UE is in the RRC inactive state.

4 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the UE comprises an internet of things (IoT) UE and the RRC connection request corresponds to a RRCConnectionReestablishmentRequest-NB for the IoT when Access Stratum (AS) security is not enabled.

5 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to transmit a device capability in a RRCConnectionSetupComplete message.

6 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the AS RAI uses a Buffer Status Report (BSR) Medium Access Control (MAC) control element (CE) with the BSR set to a value of ‘0’ with using a reserved bit in a MAC CE subheader.

7 . A method, comprising:

receiving, by a user equipment (UE) and from a Non-Access Stratum layer (NAS) of a cell, an indication to use a 5G Core Network (5GCN) for the cell;

transmitting, to a Radio Access Network (RAN) of the cell, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection request in response to the indication to use the 5GCN, wherein the RRC connection request includes an extension indicating that the 5GCN is supported by the UE and wherein the extension comprises an uplink (UL) common control channel (CCCH) message class extension for the RRC connection request;

transmitting a RRC connection resume request comprising a resume identifier corresponding to the 5GCN and a second UL CCCH message class extension for the RRC connection resume request;

triggering an access stratum (AS) release Assistance Indicator (RAI) upon receiving an indication of an RAI from upper layers;

indicating the AS RAI that informs the RAN that both further uplink data and downlink data are not expected by the UE, wherein in response to an Energy-Delay Tradeoff (EDT) being used, an RRCEarlyDataRequest or an RRCConnectionResumeRequest for EDT are extended to include an AS RAI indication to indicate the AS RAI; and

receiving, from the RAN and subsequent to indicating the AS RAI, a message that releases the UE to one of a RRC inactive state, a RRC idle state with suspend indication, or a RRC idle state without suspend indication.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

indicating that the 5GCN is supported using a device identity by setting a spare bit of the RRC connection request to a value of “1”.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein transmitting the RRC connection request comprises transmitting an Identity Radio Network Temporary Identifier (I-RNTI) corresponding to the 5GCN when the UE is in the RRC inactive state.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the UE comprises an internet of things (IoT) UE and the RRC connection request corresponds to a RRCConnectionReestablishmentRequest-NB for the IoT when AS security is not enabled.

11 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising transmitting a device capability in a RRCConnectionSetupComplete message.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the AS RAI uses a Buffer Status Report (BSR) Medium Access Control (MAC) control element (CE) with the BSR set to a value of ‘0’ with using a reserved bit in a MAC CE subheader.

13 . A user equipment (UE), comprising:

a memory that stores instructions; and

a processor, upon executing the instructions, configured to:

receive, from a Non-Access Stratum layer (NAS) of a cell, an indication to use a 5G Core Network (5GCN) for the cell;

cause to transmit, to a Radio Access Network (RAN) of the cell, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection request in response to the indication to use the 5GCN, wherein the RRC connection request includes an extension indicating that the 5GCN is supported by the UE and wherein the extension comprises an uplink (UL) common control channel (CCCH) message class extension for the RRC connection request;

cause to transmit a RRC connection resume request comprising a resume identifier corresponding to the 5GCN and a second UL CCCH message class extension for the RRC connection resume request;

trigger an access stratum (AS) release Assistance Indicator (RAI) upon receiving an indication of an RAI from upper layers;

indicate the AS RAI that informs the RAN that both further uplink data and downlink data are not expected by the UE, wherein in response to an Energy-Delay Tradeoff (EDT) being used, an RRCEarlyDataRequest or an RRCConnectionResumeRequest for EDT are extended to include an AS RAI indication to indicate the AS RAI; and

receive, from the RAN and subsequent to indicating the AS RAI, a message that releases the UE to one of a RRC inactive state, a RRC idle state with suspend indication, or a RRC idle state without suspend indication.

14 . The UE of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to indicate that the 5GCN is supported using a device identity by setting a spare bit of the RRC connection request to a value of “1”.

15 . The UE of claim 13 , wherein to transmit the RRC connection request the processor is configured to transmit an Identity Radio Network Temporary Identifier (I-RNTI) corresponding to the 5GCN when the UE is in the RRC inactive state.

16 . The UE of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to transmit a device capability in a RRCConnectionSetupComplete message.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 9, 2025
From: INTEL CORPORATION
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 070789/0550 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62796487 · Jan 24, 2019
Related Publication 20220078872A1 · Mar 10, 2022
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