IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,342,418
Granted Patent B2
US 12,342,418 · App. 18/324,706 · Granted Jun 24, 2025

Steering of roaming PLMN list update and management

Inventors: Sridhar Prakasam (Fremont, CA); Qi He (San Jose, CA); Rohit Matolia (Surat, IN); Shashanka Totadamane Ramappa (Bengaluru, IN); Nirlesh Koshta (Karntaka, IN); Xiangpeng Jing (Palo Alto, CA); Krisztian Kiss (Hayward, CA); Nitin Kuppelur (Bangalore, IN); Kavya Ravikumar (San Diego, CA); Rajkumar Krishnaperumal (Bangalore, IN); Pradeep Pangi (Bengaluru, IN); Karthik Anantharaman (Cupertino, CA); Alosious Pradeep Prabhakar (Singapore, SG); Vijay Venkataraman (San Jose, CA); Lester Chan (Cupertino, CA); Madhusudhan Cheripally (Bengaluru, IN)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H04W8/12H04W8/20H04W8/28H04W84/042
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,342,418
App. No.
18/324,706
Granted
Jun 24, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for SoR list management and PLMN selection based on an SoR list. A UE may receive an SoR container which may include a list of OPLMNs. The UE may store a prior list of OPLMNs stored on a USIM of the UE on a memory of the UE. The UE replace the prior list of OPLMNs stored on the USIM with the list of OPLMNs included in the SoR container. The UE may consider the prior list of OPLMNs as a lower priority list as compared to the list of OPLMNs stored on the USIM. Additionally, in response to determining to move from a current PLMN, the UE may scan for a new PLMN based on the list of OPLMNs stored on the USIM.

Claims (73)

1. A method for remaining on a visited public land mobile network (PLMN), comprising:

when steering of roaming (SoR) information is received and a security check is successful, replacing, during visiting PLMN (VPLMN) registration and when the SoR information contains a list of preferred PLMN/access technology combinations, highest priority entries in an Operator Controlled PLMN Selector with Access Technology list stored in a user equipment (UE) with the list of preferred PLMN/access technology combinations;

wherein, when the UE is in an automatic network selection mode and determines that there is a higher priority PLMN than a current VPLMN, performing at least one of:

releasing a current N1 network access stratum (NAS) signaling connection locally and attempting to obtain service on a higher priority PLMN by acting as if a timer that controls periodic attempts has expired; or

maintaining the current N1 NAS signaling connection locally if a protocol data unit (PDU) session is established.

2. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein, when the UE is in a manual mode of operation, the method further comprises remaining on the current VPLMN.

3. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the SoR information is comprised in an SoR container.

4. The method of claim 3 ,

wherein the SoR container is a secured packet.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

storing, when the current N1 NAS signaling connection is locally released, an identify of the VPLMN in a list of PLMNs where registration was aborted due to SoR.

6. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the UE does not have an established emergency protocol data unit (PDU) session established.

7. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein, when the UE is in an automatic network selection mode and determines that there is a higher priority PLMN than the VPLMN, the method further comprises the UE sending a registration complete message to a serving Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF).

8. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the method is performed by a baseband processor of the UE.

9. A user equipment device (UE), comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors in communication with the memory and configured to cause the UE to:

attempt, in a current serving visited public land mobile network (PLMN), to access a home PLMN (HPLMN), an equivalent HPLMN (EHPLMN), or a higher priority PLMN, wherein attempts to access higher priority PLMN/access technology combinations are limited to PLMN/access technology combinations of the same country as the current serving VPLMN; and

compare priority levels of equivalent PLMNs with a priority level of a selected PLMN, with an exception of equivalent PLMNs in a list of PLMNs where registration was aborted due to SOR list, and wherein only priority levels of equivalent PLMNs of the same country as the current serving VPLMN are taken into account.

10. The UE of claim 9 ,

wherein, when, based on the comparison of priority levels, a PLMN of a highest priority PLMN/access technology combination is the serving visited PLMN (VPLMN) or an equivalent PLMN, the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to remain on a current PLMN/access technology combination.

11. The UE of claim 9 ,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the UE to:

consider, in response to losing a signal to a cell on the visited PLMN (VPLMN), PLMNs in a steering of roaming (SoR) aborted list as a lower priority than PLMNs stored in a universal subscriber identity module (USIM).

12. The UE of claim 9 ,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the UE to:

perform a high priority PLMN selection in which the UE has PLMNs where registration was aborted due to an steering of roaming (SoR) list; and

consider, during the high priority PLMN selection, equivalent PLMNs in a “PLMNs where registration was aborted due to SoR list” as lower priority than equivalent PLMNs associated with a mobile country code (MCC) equivalent to an MCC of the current serving visited PLMN.

13. The UE of claim 12 ,

wherein the SoR list is comprised in an SoR container.

14. The UE of claim 13 ,

wherein the SoR container is a secured packet.

15. The UE of claim 9 ,

wherein the equivalent PLMNs in the list of PLMNs where registration was aborted due to the SoR list are considered as lowest priority.

16. A processor, comprising:

a memory; and

processing circuitry in communication with the memory and configured to:

when steering of roaming (SoR) information is received and a security check is successful, replace, during visiting PLMN (VPLMN) registration and when the SoR information contains a list of preferred PLMN/access technology combinations, highest priority entries in an Operator Controlled PLMN Selector with Access Technology list stored in a user equipment (UE) with the list of preferred PLMN/access technology combinations;

wherein, when the UE is in an automatic network selection mode and determines that there is a higher priority PLMN than a current VPLMN, the processing circuitry is further configured to perform at least one of:

releasing a current N1 network access stratum (NAS) signaling connection locally and attempting to obtain service on a higher priority PLMN by acting as if a timer that controls periodic attempts has expired; or

maintaining the current N1 NAS signaling connection locally if a protocol data unit (PDU) session is established.

17. The processor of claim 16 ,

wherein, when the UE is in manual mode of operation, the processing circuitry is further configured to generate instructions for the UE to remain on the current VPLMN.

18. The processor of claim 16 ,

wherein the SoR information is comprised in an SoR container.

19. The processor of claim 18 ,

wherein the SoR container is a secured packet.

20. The processor of claim 16 ,

wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

store, when the current N1 NAS signaling connection is locally released, an identify of the VPLMN in a list of PLMNs where registration was aborted due to SoR.

21. The processor of claim 16 ,

wherein the UE does not have an established emergency protocol data unit (PDU) session established.

22. A method, comprising:

attempting, in a current serving visited public land mobile network (PLMN), to access a home PLMN (HPLMN), an equivalent HPLMN (EHPLMN), or a higher priority PLMN, wherein attempts to access higher priority PLMN/access technology combinations are limited to PLMN/access technology combinations of the same country as the current serving VPLMN; and

comparing priority levels of equivalent PLMNs with a priority level of a selected PLMN, with an exception of equivalent PLMNs in a list of PLMNs where registration was aborted due to SOR list, and wherein only priority levels of equivalent PLMNs of the same country as the current serving VPLMN are taken into account.

23. The method of claim 22 ,

wherein, when, based on the comparison of priority levels, a PLMN of a highest priority PLMN/access technology combination is the serving visited PLMN (VPLMN) or an equivalent PLMN, the method further comprises remaining on a current PLMN/access technology combination.

24. The method of claim 22 , further comprising:

considering, in response to losing a signal to a cell on the visited PLMN (VPLMN), PLMNs in a steering of roaming (SoR) aborted list as a lower priority than PLMNs stored in a universal subscriber identity module (USIM).

25. The method of claim 22 , further comprising:

performing a high priority PLMN selection in which PLMNs where registration was aborted due to an steering of roaming (SoR) list are available; and

considering, during the high priority PLMN selection, equivalent PLMNs in a “PLMNs where registration was aborted due to SoR list” as lower priority than equivalent PLMNs associated with a mobile country code (MCC) equivalent to an MCC of the current serving visited PLMN.

26. The method of claim 25 ,

wherein the SoR list is comprised in an SoR container.

27. The method of claim 26 ,

wherein the SoR container is a secured packet.

28. The method of claim 22 ,

wherein the method is performed by a baseband processor of a user equipment device (UE).

Priority Claims (1)
IN 202041034686 · Aug 12, 2020 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17393063 · Aug 3, 2021
Related Publication 20230388775A1 · Nov 30, 2023
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