Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy

Nokia Technologies Oy

Nokia Siemens Networks Oy

Rainer Liebhart

Vinh Van Phan

Ling Yu

Devaki Chandramouli

Curt C Wong

David Navratil

Pekka Juhani Korja

Markus Staufer

Laurent Thiebaut

Robert Zaus

Wei Lu

Saurabh Khare

Tsunehiko Chiba

Markus Isomäki

Hans-Jochen Morper

Gyorgy Tamas Wolfner

Cinzia Sartori

Peter Leis

Maximilian Riegel

Georgios Gkellas

Wolfgang Hahn

Sung Hwan Won

Bo Bjerrum

Martin Oettl

Markus Sakari Isomäki

Xiao Tang Xie

Antti Jaakko Pasanen

Lazaros Gkatzikis

Mu He

Fu Ding

Sumesh Parameswaran Nair

Ankita Tondwalkar

Bo Holm Bjerrum

There is provided an apparatus comprising means for determining a quality of experience value associated with a user equipment's application session, the quality of experience value being based on one or more values associated with a respective one or more quality of service metrics for the user equipment's session. The apparatus also comprising means for adjusting one or more network parameters based on the determined quality of experience value.

Method, apparatus and computer program for determining quality of experience of an application session class

Techniques are disclosed for security management during an onboarding process for user equipment. For example, from a perspective of an onboarding network, a method comprises authenticating, via the onboarding network, user equipment based on an onboarding record previously configured for the user equipment or a set of user equipment and maintained by the onboarding network. Upon successful authentication, a communication session is established from the onboarding network to a provisioning server for remote provisioning of the user equipment. Advantageously, the onboarding process is performed without a default credential server.

Authentication between user equipment and communication network for onboarding process

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for access traffic steering, switching, and splitting (ATSSS) with branching point (BP) on the path are provided. The method may include determining that an existing user plane function is sub-optimal in terms of routing and latency incurred with respect to traffic for a given packet data unit session of a user equipment. The method may also include establishing, based on the determination, a new user plane function for the packet data unit session. The method may further include establishing a branching point user plane function that interfaces with the existing user plane function, the new user plane function, and a plurality of network access types. In addition, the method may include updating the user equipment by providing the user equipment with relevant multi-access traffic steering rules.

Multiple user plane function supporting access traffic steering, switching, and splitting for multi-access packet data unit session

Techniques for facilitating onboarding to a non-public network is provided. Provisioning parameters may be provided to User Equipment (UE) from a Default Credential Server (DCS) via a secure communication tunnel. Additionally or alternatively, provisioning parameter container(s) including readable provisioning parameters for an Onboarding Network (ONN), and secure provisioning parameters for the UE, may be transmitted to the UE via the ONN. The disclosed methods and apparatuses enable the UE to onboard to a non-public network using the provisioning parameters, and to verify the integrity of the provisioning parameters and ensure the provisioning parameters are not modified by an unauthorized device.

Configuration of provisioning parameters for onboarding a device to a network

Various communication systems may benefit from appropriate restriction on use. For example, certain wireless communication systems may benefit from radio-access-technology-specific access restrictions. A method can include registering a user equipment with a network element. The registering can include identifying user equipment capabilities. The method can also include receiving a response from the network element indicating restriction on use of at least one radio access technology.

Radio-access-technology-specific access restrictions

Techniques for providing more efficient onboarding traffic protocols in a standalone non-public network architecture are provided. A network entity includes processing circuitry and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processing circuitry, cause the network entity at least to generate one or more traffic filter rules for a traffic filter set. The one or more traffic filter rules or traffic detection rules are generated based at least in part on domain name service query response information related to one or more user device originated domain name service queries. The network entity may further be configured to cause a user plane function to be provided with the one or more traffic filter rules.

Restricting onboard traffic

Various communication systems may benefit from an improved signaling protocol. For example, machine-to-machine communications in a network may benefit from improved signaling and security. A method includes establishing a secure data transmission path for an application. The secure data transmission path is used to transmit data between a user equipment and a network element. The network entity includes a gateway or an application server. The method also includes transmitting data for the application over the secure data transmission path using a pre-configured radio bearer. The radio bearer is pre-configured for data transmission between the user equipment and an access node located between the user equipment and the network element. In addition, the method includes receiving a response message at the user equipment from the network element through the secure data transmission path.

Optimized small data transmission over uplink

A method and apparatus may include providing a multi-dimensional descriptor to a network function. The method may also include accessing a network slice. The network slice is selected based on the multi-dimensional descriptor. The method may also include accessing a component of the network slice. One or more network functions of the network slice are selected based on the multi-dimensional descriptor.

Method and apparatus for selecting network slices and services

Various communication systems may benefit from a dynamic streaming service. For example, certain streaming services may benefit from an improvement in the switching between broadcast delivery and unicast delivery for a streaming service in a cellular system. A method includes receiving information about a streaming service. The method also includes determining by a network entity in a radio access network whether to deliver data for the streaming service via multimedia broadcast or unicast based on the information and predetermined criteria for evaluating the information. In addition, the method includes triggering a sending of the data via the multimedia broadcast or the unicast.

Dynamic switching of streaming service between broadcast and unicast delivery

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for interworking between bearer-less networks and bearer based networks are provided. One method includes receiving, by a network entity in a bearer-less network, a context request to obtain user equipment context information for a user equipment moving from the bearer-less network to a bearer-based network. The method may further include providing a context response comprising the context information to a network entity in the bearer-based network, the context information used to establish bearers for the user equipment to obtain internet protocol (IP) based services.

Interworking with bearer-based system

Various communication systems may benefit from network location reporting. For example, such reporting may be beneficial in the establishment of a multimedia broadcast/multicast service bearer for media traffic delivery from a group communication service application server or other similar device or system. A method can include reporting at least a first set of user equipment location information and at least a second set of user equipment location information from the user equipment to at least one network node for broadcast bearer management. The first set of user equipment location information can include a serving cell identity of the user equipment. The second set of user equipment location information can include at least one identity of at least one network service area for media broadcasting.

Network location reporting broadcast bearer management

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for dynamic subscription handling are provided. One method includes receiving, by a control node in a network, a request in which a user equipment requests to register with the network or requests to obtain a specific service for a certain access point name. The method may then include determining whether the user equipment is authorized to obtain services from the network or authorized to use the access point name. When it is determined that the user equipment is not authorized to obtain services from the network or not authorized to use the access point name, the method includes re-directing the user equipment to a subscription server, sending a response to the user equipment indicating that the request is rejected with re-direction, and triggering establishment of a packet data connectivity session for the user equipment.

Dynamic subscription handling in 5G and long term evolution (LTE)

One embodiment includes a method and apparatus for routing messages in a machine-type communication (MTC) architecture. The method includes receiving a request at a MTC-proxy residing at an egress of a network. The request includes an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) for which a destination is outside the network. The method further includes replacing, by the MTC-proxy, the IMSI in the request with an external identifier.

Machine-type communication proxy function

It is provided a method, comprising providing a first and a second service to a first a second user by a providing unit; monitoring if the providing unit operates in an isolated mode or in a linked mode; and at least one of a service controlling and a user controlling, wherein the service controlling comprises inhibiting, in the isolated mode, the providing unit from providing the second service to the first and the second user; and preventing that the providing unit is inhibited from providing the first service to at least one user; and the user controlling comprises inhibiting, in the isolated mode, the providing unit from providing the first and the second service to the second user; and preventing that the providing unit is inhibited from providing at least one service to the first user.

Isolated E-UTRAN operation

Various communications may benefit from enhancements for group communication. For example, evolved packet system including an evolved multimedia broadcast/multicast service may benefit from such enhancements. For example, a method may include preparing a list of area names, identities, or both area names and identities to a network element. Moreover, a method may also include requesting the network to broadcast data to a broadcast area defined by the list. The list can define an allowed area, a broadcast area, or both.

Growing community of inventors

Munich, Germany

Rainer Liebhart