A method of managing default QoS rules for PDU session is proposed. A PDU session defines the association between the UE and the data network that provides a PDU connectivity service. Each PDU session is identified by a PDU session ID, and may include multiple QoS flows and QoS rules. There can be more than one QoS rule associated with the same QoS flow. A default QoS rule is required to be sent to the UE for every PDU session establishment and it is associated with a QoS flow. Within a PDU session, there should be one and only one default QoS rule. In one novel aspect, UE behavior and error handling for proper QoS rule management is defined for PDU session establishment and modification procedures to enforce the one and only one default QoS rule policy.

A PDU session and QoS flow handling mechanism is proposed when a QoS flow of a PDU session does not have a mapping DRB after a handover or a service request procedure. If the QoS flow is associated with a default QoS rule, the UE can locally release the PDU session, initiate a PDU session release procedure, send a 5GSM status message with proper cause, or assume the PDU session is not reactivated. On the other hand, if the QoS flow is not associated with a default QoS rule, the UE can locally delete the QoS flow, delete the QoS flow by using a PDU session modification procedure, or send a 5GSM status message with proper cause.

A method of managing default QoS rules for PDU session is proposed. A PDU session defines the association between the UE and the data network that provides a PDU connectivity service. Each PDU session is identified by a PDU session ID, and may include multiple QoS flows and QoS rules. There can be more than one QoS rule associated with the same QoS flow. A default QoS rule is required to be sent to the UE for every PDU session establishment and it is associated with a QoS flow. Within a PDU session, there should be one and only one default QoS rule. In one novel aspect, UE behavior and error handling for proper QoS rule management is defined for PDU session establishment and modification procedures to enforce the one and only one default QoS rule policy.

Aspects of the disclosure can provide an apparatus and method for operating a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session associated with a non-3GPP access when the apparatus is to perform an inter-system change. The apparatus can include processing circuitry that is configured to connect to a first communication system over a 3GPP access and a non-3GPP access and switch the connection from the first communication system to a second communication system. Further, when in a release mode, the processing circuitry can release a PDU session that is in the first communication system over the non-3GPP access, and when in a transfer mode, the processing circuitry can transfer the PDU session that is in the first communication system over the non-3GPP access to a Packet Data Network (PDN) connection that is in the second communication system over a 3GPP access.

A User Equipment (UE) including a wireless transceiver and a controller is provided. The wireless transceiver performs wireless transmission and reception to and from a first cell of a first Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) and a second cell of a second PLMN. The controller performs a Location Update (LU) procedure with the second cell via the wireless transceiver in response to an inter-PLMN handover of the UE from the first cell of the first PLMN to the second cell of the second PLMN, and obtains one or more Session Management (SM), Evolved SM (ESM), or 5GSM parameters of the second PLMN from a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session modification command, a bearer modification command, or a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context modification command which is received from the second cell via the wireless transceiver in response to completing the LU procedure caused by the inter-PLMN handover.

Aspects of the disclosure provide an electronic apparatus and a method for wireless communication. The electronic apparatus can include processing circuitry. The processing circuitry can send one or more packet data unit (PDU) session release requests to a wireless communication network system to request a PDU session release procedure. In an embodiment, a timer is used for the one or more PDU session release requests. The processing circuitry can determine whether a network response is received from the wireless communication network system before the timer expires and whether a number of times that the timer expires reaches a predetermined number of times. The processing circuitry can locally release the PDU session when the network response is not received and the number of times that the timer expires reaches the predefined number of times.

A method of coordinating a plurality of radio access networks (RANs) includes aggregating, with a gateway, communications interfaces between a plurality of RANs and a packet core network through the gateway. A plurality of radio nodes (RNs) in each of the RANs is communicatively coupled to the gateway and to user equipment (UE) devices associated with the RNs in each of the RANs. The gateway also controls and coordinates mobility of the UE devices within and among the RANs.

A mobile communication device including a Radio Frequency (RF) device and a controller is provided. The controller is coupled to the RF device and configured to allocate the RF device to selectively communicate with a Packet Switched (PS)-based network using a first subscriber identity or with a service network using a second subscriber identity, and ignore a paging message associated with the first subscriber identity during an ongoing on-demand service associated with the second subscriber identity.

A method and corresponding system for configuring an eNodeB for improved circuit-switched-fallback (CSFB) service. The method includes detecting that, during past CSFB call setup for UEs served by the eNodeB, UEs reported as a strongest fallback coverage area a fallback coverage area that is not included in the eNodeB's CSFB-candidate data. And the method includes responsively (i) determining, based on location information and based on an identifier of the reported fallback coverage area, a node of the fallback network that the eNodeB's network can contact to facilitate CSFB call setup in the reported fallback coverage area, and (ii) adding to the CSFB-candidate data a record of the reported coverage area in association with a node identifier of the determined node, the added record being thereafter useable by the eNodeB to facilitate CSFB call setup in the reported fallback coverage area for a UE served by the eNodeB.

A method, an apparatus and a system for a handover to a circuit switched domain are disclosed. In an embodiment, a system includes a mobility management entity (MME) and at least two a mobile switching center (MSCs), wherein the at least two MSCs comprise a first MSC capable of supporting a circuit switched fallback (CSFB) and a single radio voice call continuity (SRVCC) and a second MSC not capable of supporting the SRVCC, and wherein the MME is configured to select the first MSC for a user equipment (UE) from the at least two MSCs in a combined tracking area update procedure of the UE when a location service of a circuit switched (CS) domain triggers an SRVCC procedure for the UE and when the UE has a Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) service in progress.