Verizon Communications Inc.
Systems and methods for UE location and mobility

Abstract:

Systems described herein provide techniques for establishing and modifying user plane communications sessions between Long-Term Evolution ("LTE") User Equipment ("UE") devices, connected to LTE base stations, and a Fifth Generation ("5G") core network. An LTE-5G Interworking function ("LTE-5G IWF") may logically generate a virtual 5G UE and/or 5G base station, map a LTE UE to the virtual 5G UE, and cause the establishment of a Protocol Data Unit ("PDU") Session, at the 5G core network, with the virtual 5G UE. The LTE-5G IWF may also maintain a 5G context, including the information of the virtual 5G UE and/or 5G base station, based on the actual location of the LTE UE and/or an LTE base station to which the LTE UE is connected. The LTE-5G IWF may further update this context, including location information, when the LTE UE is handed over from one LTE base station to another.