Managing a user equipment connection to a wireless network
Apparatuses, methods, and systems for managing a User Equipment (UE) connection to a wireless network are disclosed. One method includes attaching, by a core network, the UE to the wireless network, storing, by the core network, at least a first subset of an attach context and a UE operational data set, wherein the UE stores at least a second subset of the attach context in memory and network operational data sets, wherein the UE transmits packets using the second subset of the attach context and the network operational data sets. The method further comprises receiving, by the core network, the packets from the UE using the first subset of the attach context, and urging by the core network the first subset of the attach context based on the UE network operational data set.
1 . A method of managing a user equipment (UE) connection to a wireless network that includes a satellite network that includes a satellite base station and a satellite core network, and a terrestrial network that includes a terrestrial base station and a terrestrial core network, comprising:
attaching, by the satellite core network, the UE to the wireless network;
storing, by the satellite core network, at least a first subset of an attach context and a UE operational data set;
wherein the UE stores at least a second subset of the attach context in memory and network operational data sets;
roaming, by the UE, from the satellite network to the terrestrial network comprising:
attaching, by the UE, with the terrestrial base station of the terrestrial network, and completing authentication and security procedures;
maintaining, by the UE, the second subset of the attach context for the satellite network while connecting with the terrestrial network;
sending, by a terrestrial MME (mobility management entity) component of the terrestrial core network, a location update request to an HSS (home subscriber server) of the terrestrial core network;
sending, by the HSS, a cancel location request to the satellite core network indicating that UE is within range with the terrestrial network;
updating, by the satellite core network, a UE availability state to indicate the current location of the UE after receiving a cancel location request;
wherein downstream routing of packets from the wireless network to the UE is through the terrestrial network or the satellite network based on the UE availability state, wherein the UE availability state indicates that the UE is available through the satellite network or the terrestrial network;
maintaining by the satellite core network, the first subset of the attach context and sessions required to enable data transfer between UE and the satellite core network, and keeping a state as context available;
sending, by the satellite core network, a cancel location acknowledgement back to the HSS of the terrestrial core network indicating that the satellite core network has updated the UE availability state;
sending, by the HSS, an update location acknowledgment to the terrestrial MME;
wherein the UE transmits packets to the satellite base station through a satellite using the satellite attach context and the satellite network operational data set, and the UE transmits packets to the terrestrial base station using a terrestrial attach context and the terrestrial network operation data set; and
receiving, by the satellite core network, the packets from the UE using the first subset of the attach context.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE operational data set includes at least available UE radio access technology protocols.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the satellite core network supports multiple radio access technologies (RATs), and wherein the attach context is used across the multiple RATs, thereby allowing security keys to remain the same across the multiple RATs.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the satellite core network supports multiple radio access technologies (RATs), and wherein network operation datasets include a network operational data set for each RAT of the multiple RATs, and wherein the UE stores the network operational data set for each of the multiple RATs.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein purging by the satellite core network of the first subset of the attach context is based on a last reported location of the UE.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE operational data set includes an attach context expiry timer.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein purging by the satellite network of the first subset of the attach context is based on data received from other networks through an application server.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE operational data set includes a UE availability state, a current active network, and a current active RAT, wherein packets are routed based on the UE availability state, the current active network, and the current active RAT.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the satellite core network sets the UE availability state to ‘reachable via terrestrial network’ when the UE is within range of a terrestrial network of the wireless network, or a satellite core of the satellite core network receives a ‘cancel location’ request from the terrestrial core network indicating that the UE has established connection via the terrestrial network.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the network operational data sets include at least UE capability and RAT (radio access technologies) dependent parameters.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE operational data set includes at least a UE location and UE RAT capabilities.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the network operational data sets include at least a minimum signal strength to initiate connection and UE further updates the minimum signal strength based on previous unsuccessful attempts to connect to the wireless network and based on antenna parameters.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the network operational data sets include at least inactivity timers, wherein the inactivity timers time inactivity of wireless communication between the UE and a base station of the wireless network, wherein on expiration of at least one inactivity time the UE is moved from an RRC (Radio Resource Control) connected state to an RRC (Radio Resource Control) idle state.
14 . A system that manages a User Equipment (UE) connection to a wireless network that includes a satellite network that includes a satellite base station and a satellite core network, and a terrestrial network that includes a terrestrial base station and a terrestrial core network, comprising:
the satellite base station and the terrestrial base station each configured to facilitate a wireless satellite link between the UE and the wireless network;
a satellite core network configured to:
attach the UE to the wireless network;
store at least a first subset of an attach context and a UE operational data set;
wherein the UE is configured to:
store at least a second subset of the attach context in memory and network operational data sets
roam from the satellite network to the terrestrial network comprising the UE being configured to:
attach with the terrestrial base station of the terrestrial network, and completing authentication and security procedures;
maintain the second subset of the attach context for the satellite network while connecting with the terrestrial network;
wherein a terrestrial MME (mobility management entity) component of the terrestrial core network is configured to send a location update request to an HSS (home subscriber server) of the terrestrial core network;
wherein the HSS is configured to send a cancel location request to the satellite core network indicating that UE is within range with the terrestrial network;
wherein the satellite core network is further configured to:
update a UE availability state to indicate the current location of the UE after receiving a cancel location request;
wherein downstream routing of packets from the wireless network to the UE is through the terrestrial network or the satellite network based on the UE availability state, wherein the UE availability state indicates that the UE is available through the satellite network or the terrestrial network;
maintain the first subset of the attach context and sessions required to enable data transfer between UE and the satellite core network, and keeping a state as context available;
send a cancel location acknowledgement back to the HSS of the terrestrial core network indicating that the satellite core network has updated a UE availability state;
and wherein the HSS is further configured to send an update location acknowledgment to the terrestrial MME;
and wherein the UE is further configured to:
transmit packets to the satellite base station through a satellite using the satellite attach context and the satellite network operational data set, and the UE transmits packets to the terrestrial base station using a terrestrial attach context and the terrestrial network operation data set; and
wherein the satellite core network is further configured to:
receive the packets from the UE using the first subset of the attach context.
15 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising maintaining, by the satellite core network, an availability state of UE and in absence of a detach request message from the UE.
16 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the satellite core network, a detach request from the UE, wherein the satellite core network does not send a detach accept message to the UE, and the UE does not retransmit the detach request when the UE does not receive the detach accept message from satellite core network.
17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the satellite core network, the terrestrial core network, the satellite base station, or the terrestrial base station maintain various states, including a context availability state, an EMM ((EPS (Electrical Power System)) Mobility management)) registration state, an ECM (EPS connectivity management) connection state, and an RRC (Radio Resource Control) connectivity state, wherein the RRC connection states indicate a state of radio resource control connection between satellite base station and UE, wherein the ECM connection state and EMM registration state are maintained by the satellite core network, wherein an ECM Idle state indicates that the satellite attach context for the UE for connection between the satellite base station and satellite core network is not established, and the ECM connected state indicates that the satellite attach context of the UE for connection between the satellite base station and the satellite core network is established.
18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein availability of first and second subsets of attach contexts indicates that the UE has already completed Authentication and NAS (Non Access Stratum) Security procedures.
19 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising purging by the satellite core network the first subset of the attach context based on the UE operational data set.
20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the satellite network further comprises a joint core network that includes the satellite core network and the terrestrial core network, and further comprising:
sending, by the joint core network, an ‘attach accept’ message along with network parameters, policies and timer values for both a terrestrial RAT (radio access technology) of the terrestrial base station and a satellite RAT (radio access technology) of the satellite base station;
wherein the UE saves terrestrial parameters along with a terrestrial network operational data set and satellite related parameters with a satellite network operational dataset; and
routing, by the joint core network, downlink messages either to the terrestrial RAT of the terrestrial base station or the satellite RAT of the satellite base station based on the UE availability state.