IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,192,943
Granted Patent B2
US 12,192,943 · App. 17/771,381 · Granted Jan 7, 2025

Storage of network slice authorization status

Inventors: Kaj Johansson (Gothenburg, SE); Peter Hedman (Helsingborg, SE); David Castellanos Zamora (Madrid, ES)
Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
H04W60/00H04W12/06H04W48/18
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,192,943
App. No.
17/771,381
Granted
Jan 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of operating a core network node in a communication system includes receiving, at a first network function, a registration message from a radio access network node to register a user equipment, UE, and, responsive to the registration message, transmitting a request for information on whether network slices associated with the UE are subject to Network Slice-Specific Authentication and Authorization, NSSAA. Responsive to the request, the method receives a response message including Single-Network Slice Selection Assistance Information, S-NSSAI, information associated with the UE, the S-NSSAI information including NSSAA status information relating to the S-NSSAI information, and determines whether to initiate an NSSAA procedure with the UE based on the S-NSSAI information. Related network nodes are disclosed.

Claims (29)

1. A method of operating a core network node in a communication system, comprising:

receiving, at a first network function, a registration message from a radio access network node to register a user equipment, UE;

responsive to the registration message, transmitting a request for information on whether network slices associated with the UE are subject to Network Slice-Specific Authentication and Authorization, NSSAA;

responsive to the request, receiving a response message including Single-Network Slice Selection Assistance Information, S-NSSAI, information associated with the UE, the S-NSSAI information including NSSAA status information relating to the S-NSSAI information; and

determining whether to initiate an NSSAA procedure with the UE based on the S-NSSAI information.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request for information on whether the UE is subject to NSSAA is contained in a request message for subscriber data management, SDM, information transmitted by the first network function to a second network function.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request message comprises a Nudm_SDM_Get request message and the response message comprises a Nudm_SDM_GetResp response message.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the S-NSSAI information comprises a list of S-NSSAIs associated with the UE.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the S-NSSAI information comprises, for each S-NSSAI in the list of S-NSSAIs, an indication of whether the S-NSSAI is subject to NSSAA.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the S-NSSAI information comprises S-NSSAI status information.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the S-NSSAI information does not include S-NSSAIs in the list of subscribed S-NSSAIs for which NSSAA status has been REVOKED.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the registration message is transmitted in connection with an intra-system or inter-system mobility procedure.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

initiating the NSSAA procedure in response to the S-NSSAI information.

10. A network node, configured to:

receive, at a first network function, a registration message from a radio access network node to register a user equipment, UE;

responsive to the registration message, transmit a request for information on whether network slices associated with the UE are subject to Network Slice-Specific Authentication and Authorization, NSSAA;

responsive to the request, receive a response message including Single-Network Slice Selection Assistance Information, S-NSSAI, information associated with the UE, the S-NSSAI information including NSSAA status information relating to the S-NSSAI information; and

determine whether to initiate an NSSAA procedure with the UE based on the S-NSSAI information.

11. A network node comprising:

a processing circuit;

a network interface coupled to the processing circuit; and

a memory coupled to the processing circuit, wherein the memory comprises computer readable program instructions that, when executed by the processing circuit, cause the network node to perform operations comprising:

receive, at a first network function, a registration message from a radio access network node to register a user equipment, UE;

responsive to the registration message, transmit a request for information on whether network slices associated with the UE are subject to Network Slice-Specific Authentication and Authorization, NSSAA;

responsive to the request, receive a response message including Single-Network Slice Selection Assistance Information, S-NSSAI, information associated with the UE, the S-NSSAI information including NSSAA status information relating to the S-NSSAI information; and

determine whether to initiate an NSSAA procedure with the UE based on the S-NSSAI information.

12. The network node of claim 11 , wherein the memory further comprises computer readable program instructions that, when executed by the processing circuit, cause the network node to perform operations comprising:

initiating the NSSAA procedure in response to the S-NSSAI information.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: JOHANSSON, KAJ; HEDMAN, PETER; CASTELLANOS ZAMORA, DAVID
To: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
Reel/Frame 060289/0394 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 22, 2022
From: JOHANSSON, KAJ; HEDMAN, PETER; CASTELLANOS ZAMORA, DAVID
To: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
Reel/Frame 059685/0459 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62932665 · Nov 8, 2019
Related Publication 20230232356A1 · Jul 20, 2023
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Cited By (2)
US 12,426,115 US 12,598,574