IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,621,786
Granted Patent B2
US 12,621,786 · App. 18/067,488 · Granted May 5, 2026

Apparatuses, methods, and computer program products for fifth-generation system multiple registration with evolved packet system network inter working

Inventors: Mohamed Amin Nassar (Munich, DE); Devaki Chandramouli (Dallas, TX); Pallab Gupta (Bangalore, IN); Georgios Gkellas (Athens, GR); Laurent Thiebaut (Massy, FR)
Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
H04W60/04H04W76/16
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,621,786
App. No.
18/067,488
Granted
May 5, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Described are apparatuses, methods, and computer program products for enabling splitting, switching, and steering of access traffic in a system, e.g., a fifth-generation (5G) system. Access and mobility management functions (AMF) of the 5G system forward one or more of the registration requests to unified data management (UDM) functions of the PLMNs. UDM function determines whether evolved packet system (EPS) interworking (IWK) is allowed for respective registration requests based on subscription, deployment, system capabilities, a radio access technology (RAT) of an access path between the UE and the 5G system, etc. UE can include an indication that EPS IWK is requested and/or required in a registration request.

Claims (45)

1 . A user equipment (UE) comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the UE at least to perform operations, the operations comprising:

generating a registration request for a registration of the UE with a 5 th generation (5G) core network;

sending, to an access and mobility management function (AMF) of the 5G core network, the registration request that is generated;

receiving, from the AMF of the 5G core network, a response to the registration request, the response indicating that the registration of UE with the 5G core network is accepted, the response comprising an evolved packet system interworking (EPS IWK) indication indicating whether interworking with an evolved packet system (EPS) is allowed for the registration of the UE; and

based on determining that the UE has another registration with another 5G core network, the UE received another EPS IWK indication indicating that interworking with the EPS is not allowed for the another registration of the UE, the UE is subject to handover from the 5G core network to the EPS, and that the EPS IWK indication indicates that interworking with the EPS is allowed for the registration of the UE, sending, to the EPS, a tracking area update (TAU) request to initiate the handover of the registration of the UE to EPS.

2 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

sending to the AMF of the 5G core network, one or more other registration requests for one or more other registrations of the UE with the 5G core network; and

receiving, from the AMF of the 5G core network, one or more other responses to the one or more other registration requests, wherein a respective other response of the one or more other responses for a respective other registration of the one or more other registrations indicates acceptance of the respective other registration of the UE.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the respective other response comprises an EPS IWK indication indicating that interworking with the EPS is not allowed for the respective other registration of the UE.

4 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the 5G core network and the another 5G core network are in a mobile network.

5 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the 5G core network is in a mobile network and the another 5G core network is in another mobile network of the UE.

6 . The UE of claim 5 , wherein the another mobile network is a home network of the UE.

7 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the 5G core network, a security context for the registration of the UE; and

after the sending, to the EPS, the tracking area update request to initiate the handover of the second registration of the UE to EPS, communicating with the EPS using the security context for the registration of the UE.

8 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the response to the registration request for the registration comprises a registration identifier associated with the registration, and wherein the TAU request includes the registration identifier.

9 . A user equipment (UE) comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the UE at least to:

generate a first registration request for a first registration of the UE with a first 5 th generation (5G) core network;

insert, into the first registration request, an indication that the UE requests evolved packet system interworking (EPS IWK) be allowed for the first registration of the UE;

send, to an access and mobility management function (AMF) of the first 5G core network, the first registration request;

generate a second registration request for a second registration of the UE with the 5G core network;

send, to the AMF of the 5G core network, the second registration request;

receive, from the AMF of the 5G core network, a first response to the first registration request, the first response comprising an indication indicating that EPS IWK is allowed for the first registration of the UE;

receive, from the AMF of the 5G core network, a second response to the second registration request, the second response comprising an indication that EPS IWK is not allowed for second registration of the UE; and

in an instance in which the UE is required to move to an EPS, sending, to the EPS, a tracking area update (TAU) request to initiate handover of the first registration of the UE to the EPS.

10 . The UE of claim 9 , wherein the first 5G core network and the second 5G core network are included in a first mobile network.

11 . The UE of claim 9 , wherein the first 5G network is included in a first mobile network and the second 5G core network is included in a second mobile network.

12 . The UE of claim 9 , wherein the first mobile network is a home network of the UE.

13 . The UE of claim 9 , wherein the response to the first registration request for the first registration comprises a first registration identifier associated with the first registration, and wherein the TAU request includes the first registration identifier.

14 . An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memory storing instructions of a united data management (UDM) function of a 5 th generation (5G) core network, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus at least to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving, from an access and mobility management function (AMF) of the 5G core network, information regarding a registration request for registration of a user equipment (UE) with the 5G core network;

determining whether evolved packet system network interworking (EPS IWK) is allowed for the registration of the UE with the 5G core network based on at least one of: subscription information of the UE, information about capabilities of the 5G core network, or information regarding a radio access technology of an access path between the user equipment and the 5G core network; and

providing, to the access and mobility management function, an indication indicating whether EPS IWK is allowed for the registration.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said information regarding the registration request comprises information indicating whether the registration request comprises a request from the UE for EPS IWK for the registration of the UE with the 5G system, and wherein the determining is in response to the information indicating the registration request comprising a request from the UE for EPS IWK for the registration of the UE with the 5G core network.

16 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the AMF, information regarding one or more other registrations of the user equipment; and

for each respective other registration of the one or more other registrations:

determining whether EPS IWK is allowed for the respective other registration of the UE; and

in an instance in which EPS IWK is determined to be allowed for the registration of the UE and determined to not be allowed for the respective other registration of the UE, providing, to the AMF, an indication that EPS IWK is not allowed for the respective other registration of the UE.

Assignments (10)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 22, 2022
From: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS HELLAS SINGLE MEMBER S.A.
To: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
Reel/Frame 062178/0329 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 22, 2022
From: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED
To: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
Reel/Frame 062178/0333 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 21, 2022
From: NOKIA OF AMERICA CORPORATION
To: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
Reel/Frame 062178/0318 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 21, 2022
From: CHANDRAMOULI, DEVAKI
To: NOKIA OF AMERICA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 062178/0285 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 21, 2022
From: GUPTA, PALLAB
To: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED
Reel/Frame 062178/0307 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 21, 2022
From: AMIN NASSAR, MOHAMED
To: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS GMBH & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 062178/0294 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 21, 2022
From: GKELLAS, GEORGIOS
To: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS HELLAS SINGLE MEMBER S.A.
Reel/Frame 062178/0297 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 21, 2022
From: NOKIA NETWORKS FRANCE (AS OF 1 SEPTEMBER 2022, FORMERLY ALCATEL-LUCENT INTERNATIONAL S.A.)
To: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
Reel/Frame 062178/0310 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 21, 2022
From: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS GMBH & CO. KG
To: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
Reel/Frame 062178/0314 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 21, 2022
From: THIEBAUT, LAURENT
To: NOKIA NETWORKS FRANCE (AS OF 1 SEPTEMBER 2022, FORMERLY ALCATEL-LUCENT INTERNATIONAL S.A.)
Reel/Frame 062178/0282 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240205863A1 · Jun 20, 2024
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