IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,729,693
Granted Patent B2
US 11,729,693 · App. 17/508,690 · Granted Aug 15, 2023

Method for supporting handover and corresponding apparatus

Inventors: Lixiang Xu (Beijing, CN); Hong Wang (Beijing, CN); Xiaowan Ke (Beijing, CN); Weiwei Wang (Beijing, CN)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
H04W36/30H04W36/0011
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,729,693
App. No.
17/508,690
Granted
Aug 15, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a communication method and system for converging a 5 th -Generation (5G) communication system for supporting higher data rates beyond a 4 th -Generation (4G) system with a technology for Internet of Things (IoT). The present disclosure may be applied to intelligent services based on the 5G communication technology and the IoT-related technology, such as smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car, connected car, health care, digital education, smart retail, security and safety services. The present invention provides a method of a base station for supporting an inter-system handover from an evolved packet system (EPS) system to a 5th generation (5G) system. The method comprises receiving, from an access and mobility management function (AMF), a handover request message including E-UTRAN radio access bearer (E-RAB) information and quality of service (Qos) flow information, identifying whether a protocol data unit (PDU) session is accepted or not, determining whether a data forwarding for at least one Qos flow associated with the PDU session is accepted or not based on the E-RAB information and the Qos flow information in case that the PDU session is accepted and transmitting, to the AMF, a handover request acknowledgement message including information on the at least one Qos flow based on the determination. The method solves the data forwarding problem during the movement of a UE between an LTE system and a 5G system, so that the loss of data is avoided and the continuity of services is ensured.

Claims (36)

1. A method performed by an access and mobility management function (AMF) for supporting an inter-system handover from an evolved packet system (EPS) system to a 5th generation (5G) system, the method comprising:

receiving, from a session management function (SMF), a first message including quality of service (QoS) flow information;

transmitting, to a base station, a handover request message including E-UTRAN radio access bearer (E-RAB) information and the QoS flow information;

receiving, from the base station, a handover request acknowledgement message including information indicating whether a data forwarding for at least one QoS flow associated with a protocol data unit (PDU) session is accepted or not, the information being determined based on the E-RAB information and the QoS flow information, when the PDU session is accepted by the base station; and

transmitting, to the SMF, a second message including tunnel information for the data forwarding,

wherein the E-RAB information includes an E-RAB identifier and data forwarding information.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the handover request acknowledgement message includes information on a list of QoS flows, which have failed to be established, with a cause value.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the handover request message includes handover type information.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the handover request acknowledgement message includes PDU session information indicating that the PDU session is rejected to be established by the base station and cause information for a rejection in case that the PDU session is not accepted.

5. A method performed by A user plane function (UPF) for supporting an inter-system handover from an evolved packet system (EPS) system to a 5th generation (5G) system, the method comprising:

receiving, from a session management function (SMF), a message including first tunnel information for data forwarding between a serving gateway (SGW) and the UPF, and second tunnel information for downlink data forwarding between a base station and the UPF allocated by the base station;

receiving, from the SGW, a data packet through a tunnel for data forwarding based on the first tunnel information; and

forwarding, to the base station, the data packet in a protocol data unit (PDU) session tunnel.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

adding a quality of service flow identifier (QFI) on the data packet through the tunnel for data forwarding based on the first tunnel information.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the message further includes mapping information associated with quality of service (QoS) flow.

8. An access and mobility management function (AMF) for supporting an inter-system handover from an evolved packet system (EPS) system to a 5th generation (5G) system, the AMF comprising:

a transceiver; and

a controller coupled with the transceiver and configured to:

receive, from a session management function (SMF), a first message including quality of service (Qos) flow information;

transmit, to a base station, a handover request message including E-UTRAN radio access bearer (E-RAB) information and the Qos flow information;

receive, from the base station, a handover request acknowledgement message including information indicating whether a data forwarding for at least one Qos flow associated with a protocol data unit (PDU) session is accepted or not, the information being determined based on the E-RAB information and the QoS flow information, when the PDU session is accepted by the base station; and

transmit, to the SMF, a second message including tunnel information for the data forwarding.

9. The AMF of claim 8 , wherein the handover request acknowledgement message includes information on a list of QoS flows, which have failed to be established, with a cause value.

10. The AMF of claim 8 , wherein the E-RAB information includes an E-RAB identifier and data forwarding information.

11. The AMF of claim 8 , wherein the handover request message includes handover type information.

12. The AMF of claim 8 , wherein the handover request acknowledgement message includes PDU session information indicating that the PDU session is rejected to be established by the base station and cause information for a rejection in case that the PDU session is not accepted.

13. A user plane function (UPF) for supporting an inter-system handover from an evolved packet system (EPS) system to a 5th generation (5G) system, the UPF comprising:

a transceiver; and

a controller coupled with the transceiver and configured to:

receive, from a session management function (SMF), a message including first tunnel information for data forwarding between a serving gateway (SGW) and the UPF and second tunnel information for downlink data forwarding between a base station and the UPF allocated by the base station;

receive, from the SGW, a data packet through a tunnel for data forwarding based on the first tunnel information; and

forward, to the base station, the data packet in a protocol data unit (PDU) session tunnel.

14. The UPF of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

add a quality of service flow identifier (QFI) on the data packet through the tunnel for data forwarding based on the first tunnel information.

15. The UPF of claim 13 , wherein the message further includes mapping information associated with quality of service (QoS) flow.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 22, 2021
From: XU, LIXIANG; WANG, HONG; KE, XIAOWAN; WANG, WEIWEI
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD
Reel/Frame 057882/0590 →
Priority Claims (3)
CN 201710682812.2 · Aug 11, 2017 · national
CN 201710944124.9 · Sep 30, 2017 · national
CN 201711194424.6 · Nov 24, 2017 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 16638349
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