SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SUPPORTING LOCATION AND COUNTRY DETERMINATION FOR 5G SATELLITE ACCESS
Satellite access to a PLMN with a Fifth Generation (5G) core network (5GCN) is supported by a serving satellite NodeB (gNB). The gNB determines or verifies the country in which a user equipment (UE) is located to ensure that the UE is located in the same country as the PLMN. The gNB may determine the country of the UE based on UE measurements from broadcast satellite signals and a positioning ID (PID) broadcast for each radio cell. The PID frequently changes to prevent spoofing. The gNB may use multiple UE measurements from a moving radio cell over a period of time to generate a more accurate location for the UE. The gNB may indicate to a 5GCN whether the country of the UE has been verified. The 5GCN will determine the location and country of the UE if the gNB indicates that the country is not fully verified.
1 . A method performed by a first entity in a core network for a serving public land mobile network (PLMN) for supporting satellite wireless access by a user equipment (UE) to the PLMN, the method comprising:
receiving a location request from a second entity in the core network, wherein the location request indicates the UE has communication satellite access;
determining a location of the UE using at least one of a UE assisted positioning method and a network based positioning method; and
providing a location response to the second entity, the location response comprising the location.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the location response enables the second entity to verify whether the UE is located in a country associated with the serving PLMN.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing a verification that the UE is in a country associated with the serving PLMN based on the location; and
including an indication in the location response indicating whether the UE is in the country associated with the serving PLMN.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a country in which the UE is located based on the location; and
including an indication of the country in the location response.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE assisted positioning method is based on a transfer of measurements from the UE to the first entity for at least one of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals, communication satellite signals, or a combination thereof.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the location request is sent by the second entity to the first entity based on the second entity receiving a message from a serving satellite NodeB (gNB), the message comprising a registration request for the UE and an indication that a country of the UE is not verified by the gNB to be a country associated with the serving PLMN.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first entity is a Location Management Function (LMF) and the second entity is an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF).
8 . A first entity in a core network for a serving public land mobile network (PLMN) for supporting satellite wireless access by a user equipment (UE) to the PLMN, the first entity comprising:
at least one transceiver,
at least one memory; and
at least one processor communicatively coupled with the at least one transceiver and the at least one memory, the at least one processor configured to:
receive, via the at least one transceiver, a location request from a second entity in the core network, wherein the location request indicates the UE has communication satellite access;
determine a location of the UE using at least one of a UE assisted positioning method and a network based positioning method; and
providing, via the at least one transceiver, a location response to the second entity, the location response comprising the location.
9 . The first entity of claim 8 , wherein the location response enables the second entity to verify whether the UE is located in a country associated with the serving PLMN.
10 . The first entity of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
perform a verification that the UE is in a country associated with the serving PLMN based on the location; and
include an indication in the location response indicating whether the UE is in the country associated with the serving PLMN.
11 . The first entity of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
determine a country in which the UE is located based on the location; and
include an indication of the country in the location response.
12 . The first entity of claim 8 , wherein the UE assisted positioning method is based on a transfer of measurements from the UE to the first entity for at least one of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals, communication satellite signals, or a combination thereof.
13 . The first entity of claim 8 , wherein the location request is sent by the second entity to the first entity based on the second entity receiving a message from a serving satellite NodeB (gNB), the message comprising a registration request for the UE and an indication that a country of the UE is not verified by the gNB to be a country associated with the serving PLMN.
14 . The first entity of claim 8 , wherein the first entity is a Location Management Function (LMF).
15 . A device comprising:
means for receiving, at a first entity in a core network for a serving public land mobile network (PLMN) supporting satellite wireless access by a user equipment (UE), a location request from a second entity in the core network, wherein the location request indicates the UE has communication satellite access;
means for determining a location of the UE using at least one of a UE assisted positioning method and a network based positioning method; and
means for providing a location response to the second entity, the location response comprising the location.
16 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the location response enables the second entity to verify whether the UE is located in a country associated with the serving PLMN.
17 . The device of claim 15 , further comprising:
means for performing a verification that the UE is in a country associated with the serving PLMN based on the location; and
means for including an indication in the location response indicating whether the UE is in the country associated with the serving PLMN.
18 . The device of claim 15 , further comprising:
means for determining a country in which the UE is located based on the location; and
means for including an indication of the country in the location response.
19 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the UE assisted positioning method is based on a transfer of measurements from the UE to the first entity for at least one of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals, communication satellite signals, or a combination thereof.
20 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the location request is sent by the second entity to the first entity based on the second entity receiving a message from a serving satellite NodeB (gNB), the message comprising a registration request for the UE and an indication that a country of the UE is not verified by the gNB to be a country associated with the serving PLMN.