Granted Patent B2

US 12,262,434 · App. 18/749,882 · Granted Mar 25, 2025

Inventors: Guanzhou Wang (Brossard, CA); Saad Ahmad (Montreal, CA)

Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc.

H04W76/16

Abstract

Claims (38)

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, the method comprising:

sending, by the WTRU, a packet data network (PDN) connectivity request to establish a PDN connection to an evolved packet core (EPC) network, wherein the PDN connectivity request includes information indicating (1) the PDN connection is to correspond to a 3GPP access leg of the MA-PDU session and (2) an identifier 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 3GPP access leg to the EPC network.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-3GPP access leg uses a first radio access technology and the 3GPP access leg uses 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 PDN connectivity request.

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

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

5. The method of claim 4 , 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.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more configured rules include one or more access traffic steering, switching and splitting (ATSSS) rules.

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

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

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the communicating, by the WTRU, the data for the MA-PDU session via (1) the non-3GPP access leg to the 5GC network and (2) the 3GPP access leg to the EPC network includes:

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

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the PDN connection replaces the 3GPP access leg to the 5GC network as the 3GPP access leg to the EPC network based on the indicated association.

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, the WTRU comprising:

a processor and transceiver which are configured to:

send a packet data network (PDN) connectivity request to establish a PDN connection to an evolved packet core (EPC) network, wherein the PDN connectivity request includes information indicating (1) the PDN connection to the EPC network is to correspond to a 3GPP access leg of the MA-PDU session and (2) an identifier 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 3GPP access leg to the EPC network.

11. The WTRU of claim 10 , wherein the non-3GPP access leg uses a first radio access technology and the 3GPP access leg uses 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 PDN connectivity request.

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

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

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

14. 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.

15. The WTRU of claim 14 , wherein the one or more configured rules include one or more access traffic steering, switching and splitting (ATSSS) rules.

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

communicate the 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 which includes to:

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

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

communicate the 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 which includes to:

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

18. The WTRU of claim 10 , wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to replace the 3GPP access leg to the 5GC network with the PDN connection as the 3GPP access leg to the EPC network based on the indicated association.

Continuity (3)

References Cited (27)