IP Library Granted Patent US 12,349,222
Granted Patent B2
US 12,349,222 · App. 17/799,457 · Granted Jul 1, 2025

Methods, apparatus and systems for multi-access protocol data unit sessions

Inventors: Guanzhou Wang (Brossard, CA); Saad Ahmad (Montreal, CA)
Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc.
H04W76/16
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,349,222
App. No.
17/799,457
Granted
Jul 1, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may establish a multi-access (MA) protocol data unit (PDU) in accordance with the examples described herein. The WTRU may establish a new packet data network (PDN) connection or identify a suitable existing PDN connection in an evolved packet core (EPC), establish a MA-PDU in a 5G core network (5GC), and associate the existing PDN with the MA-PDU. The WTRU may already have a MA-PDU session established in 5GC with both 3GGP access leg and non-3GPP access leg in 5GC, and the WTRU may replace the 3GGP access leg in 5GC with a suitable PDN connection in EPC. The WTRU may send a request for establishing a single-access PDU session in 5GC via non-3GPP access, and a 5GC network may upgrade a PDU session established for the WTRU to a MA-PDU with 3GGP access leg in EPC.

Claims (36)

1. A method implemented by a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) to manage an established multi-access protocol data unit (MA-PDU) session, including a non-third generation partnership project (non-3GPP) access leg to a 5G core (5GC) network and a 3GPP access leg to the 5GC network, the method comprising:

sending, by the WTRU, information indicating (1) a request to establish a packet data network (PDN) connection to an evolved packet core (EPC) network and (2) the PDN connection is to replace the 3GPP access leg to the 5GC of the MA-PDU session;

receiving, by the WTRU, information indicating an association of the 3GPP access leg of the MA-PDU session with the PDN connection; and

communicating, by the WTRU, data for the MA-PDU session via (1) the non-3GPP access leg to the 5GC network and (2) the PDN connection to the EPC network.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: communicating, prior to the sending of the request to establish the PDN connection to the EPC network, communicating data for the MA-PDU session via (1) the non-3GPP access leg to the 5GC network using a first radio access technology and the 3GPP access leg to the 5GC using a second radio access technology.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

establishing the MA-PDU session with the non-3GPP access leg to the 5GC network and the 3GPP access leg to the 5GC network prior to the sending of the information indicating (1) the request to establish the PDN connection to the EPC network and (2) the PDN connection is to replace the 3GPP access leg of the MA-PDU session.

4. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the information indicating (1) the request to establish the PDN connection to the EPC network and (2) the PDN connection is to replace the 3GPP access leg of the MA-PDU session are included in a PDN connectivity request.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information indicates (1) the request to establish the PDN connection to the EPC network and (2) the PDN connection is to replace the 3GPP access leg to the 5GC of the MA-PDU session, and (3) an identifier of the MA-PDU session.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communicating, by the WTRU, the data for the MA-PDU session via (1) via the non-3GPP access leg to the 5GC network and (2) the PDN connection to the EPC network includes:

sending, by the WTRU, uplink data for the MA-PDU session via the PDN connection to the EPC network.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

determining, by the WTRU, the data for the MA-PDU session is to be sent via the PDN connection based on one or more configured rules.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more configured rules include any of at least one access traffic steering, switching and splitting (ATSSS) rule and/or at least one quality of service (QOS) rule.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communicating, by the WTRU, the data for the MA-PDU session via (1) via the non-3GPP access leg to the 5GC network and (2) the PDN connection to the EPC network includes:

receiving, by the WTRU, downlink data for the MA-PDU session via the PDN connection to the EPC network.

10. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) which is configured to manage an established multi-access protocol data unit (MA-PDU) session including a non-third generation partnership project (non-3GPP) access leg to a 5G core (5GC) network and a 3GPP access leg to the 5GC network, the WTRU comprising:

a processor and transceiver which are configured to:

send information indicating (1) a request to establish a packet data network (PDN) connection to an evolved packet core (EPC) network and (2) the PDN connection is to replace the 3GPP access leg to the 5GC of the MA-PDU session,

receive information indicating an association of the 3GPP access leg of the MA-PDU session with the PDN connection, and

communicate data for the MA-PDU session via (1) the non-3GPP access leg to the 5GC network and (2) the PDN connection to the EPC network.

11. The WTRU of claim 10 , wherein processor and the transceiver are configured to communicate, prior to the sending of the request to establish the PDN connection to the EPC network, communicating data for the MA-PDU session via (1) the non-3GPP access leg to the 5GC network using a first radio access technology and the 3GPP access leg to the 5GC using a second radio access technology.

12. The WTRU of claim 10 , wherein the processor and the transceiver are configured to:

establish the MA-PDU session with the non-3GPP access leg to the 5GC network and the 3GPP access leg to the 5GC network prior to the sending of the information indicating (1) the request to establish the PDN connection to the EPC network and (2) the PDN connection is to replace the 3GPP access leg of the MA-PDU session.

13. The WTRU of claim 10 , wherein the information indicating (1) the request to establish the PDN connection to the EPC network and (2) the PDN connection is to replace the 3GPP access leg of the MA-PDU session are included in a PDN connectivity request.

14. The WTRU of claim 10 , wherein the information indicates (1) the request to establish the PDN connection to the EPC network and (2) the PDN connection is to replace the 3GPP access leg to the 5GC of the MA-PDU session, and (3) an identifier of the MA-PDU session.

15. The WTRU of claim 10 , wherein the processor and the transceiver are configured to:

communicate, by the WTRU, the data for the MA-PDU session via (1) via the non-3GPP access leg to the 5GC network and (2) the PDN connection to the EPC network including to:

send, by the WTRU, uplink data for the MA-PDU session via the PDN connection to the EPC network.

16. The WTRU of claim 10 , wherein the processor and the transceiver are configured to:

determine, by the WTRU, the data for the MA-PDU session is to be sent via the PDN connection based on one or more configured rules.

17. The WTRU of claim 16 , wherein the one or more configured rules include any of at least one access traffic steering, switching and splitting (ATSSS) rule and/or at least one quality of service (QOS) rule.

18. The WTRU of claim 10 , wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to:

communicate, by the WTRU, the data for the MA-PDU session via (1) via the non-3GPP access leg to the 5GC network and (2) the PDN connection to the EPC network including to:

receive, by the WTRU, downlink data for the MA-PDU session via the PDN connection to the EPC network.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 5, 2023
From: IDAC HOLDINGS, INC.
To: INTERDIGITAL PATENT HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 062308/0215 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 29, 2022
From: WANG, GUANZHOU; AHMAD, SAAD
To: IDAC HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 061257/0854 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62975814 · Feb 13, 2020
Related Publication 20230102655A1 · Mar 30, 2023
References Cited (27)
US 11627622B2 · Kumar et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 11729854B2 · Bharatia et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 11792761B2 · Zhu et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20190260811A1 · Kim · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190342800A1 · Sirotkin · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190394833A1 · Talebi Fard · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20200236727A1 · Salkintzis · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200336940A1 · Salkintzis · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200404552A1 · Huang-Fu · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20210092664A1 · Lai · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20210127442A1 · Tang · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210219140A1 · Salkintzis et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210410010A1 · Salkintzis · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20220248479A1 · Yu et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20220264370A1 · Qiao et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20220303854A1 · Salkintzis et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20220408397A1 · Zhu et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2019011398A1 · 2019 [cited by examiner]
WO WO2019161240A1 · 2019 [cited by examiner]
WO WO2020014983A1 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2021224183A1 · 2021 [cited by examiner]
3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects;General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) enhancements for Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) access (Rel… [cited by applicant]
Interdigital, Inc., “Replacing 3GPP access leg of MA-PDU Session with PDN connection in EPC”, Tdoc S2-2004173, SA WG2 Meeting #139E, Jun. 1-12, 2020, E-meeting, 3 pages. [cited by applicant]
“3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; System Architecture for the 5G System; Stage 2 (Release 16)”,3GPP TS 23.501 vol. SA WG2, No. V16.3.0, Dec. 22, 2019 (Dec. 2… [cited by applicant]
Third Generation Partnership Project, “Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; Procedures for the 5G System (5GS); Stage 2 (Release 16),” 3GPP TS 23.502 V16.3.0 (Dec. 2019). [cited by applicant]
Mediatek iNC., “Discuss on ATSSS and Interworking with EPS”, 3GPP Tdoc S2-1907346, SA WG2 Meeting #134, Jun. 24-28, 2019, Sapporo, Japan, 2 pages. [cited by applicant]
Ericsson, et al., “EPS interworking for MA PDU session of 5G-RG”, 3GPP Tdoc C1-198712, 3GPP TSG-CT WG1 Meeting #121, Reno (NV), USA, Nov. 11-15, 2019, 3 pages. [cited by applicant]