FIELD

The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to wireless communications and more particularly relates to network slice authentication.

BACKGROUND

The following abbreviations are herewith defined, at least some of which are referred to within the following description: Third Generation Partnership Project (“3GPP”), Fifth Generation Core Network (“5CG”), Fifth Generation System (“5GS”), Access and Mobility Management Function (“AMF”), Positive-Acknowledgment (“ACK”), Access Stratum (“AS”), Base Station (“BS”), Binary Phase Shift Keying (“BPSK”), Bandwidth Part (“BWP”), Clear Channel Assessment (“CCA”), Cyclic Prefix (“CP”), Cyclical Redundancy Check (“CRC”), Channel State Information (“CSP”), Common Search Space (“CSS”), Connection Mode (“CM”, this is a NAS state in 5GS), Core Network (“CN”), Control Plane (“CP”), Data Radio Bearer (“DRB”), Discrete Fourier Transform Spread (“DFTS”), Downlink Control Information (“DCI”), Downlink (“DL”), Downlink Pilot Time Slot (“DwPTS”), Dual Connectivity (“DC”), Dual Registration mode (“DR mode”), Enhanced Clear Channel Assessment (“eCCA”), Enhanced Licensed Assisted Access (“eLAA”), Enhanced Mobile Broadband (“eMBB”), Evolved Node-B (“eNB”), Evolved Packet Core (“EPC”), Evolved Packet System (“EPS”), EPS Mobility Management (“EMM”, this is a NAS state in EPS), Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (“E-UTRA”), European Telecommunications Standards Institute (“ETSI”), Frame Based Equipment (“FBE”), Frequency Division Duplex (“FDD”), Frequency Division Multiple Access (“FDMA”), Frequency Division Orthogonal Cover Code (“FD-OCC”), Guard Period (“GP”), Globally Unique Temporary UE Identifier (“GUTI”), Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (“HARQ”), Internet-of-Things (“IoT”), International Mobile Subscriber Identity (“IMSI”), Licensed Assisted Access (“LAA”), Load Based Equipment (“LBE”), Listen-Before-Talk (“LBT”), Long Term Evolution (“LTE”), Multiple Access (“MA”), Mobility Management Entity (“MME”), Modulation Coding Scheme (“MCS”), Machine Type Communication (“MTC”), Multiple Input Multiple Output (“MIMO”), Multi User Shared Access (“MUSA”), Narrowband (“NB”), Negative-Acknowledgment (“NACK”) or (“NAK”), New Generation Node B (“gNB”), New Generation Radio Access Network (“NG-RAN”, a RAN used for 5GS networks), New Radio (“NR”), Non-Access Stratum (“NAS”), Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (“NOMA”), Operation and Maintenance System (“OAM”), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (“OFDM”), Packet Data Unit (“PDU”, used in connection with ‘PDU Session’), Packet Switched (“PS”, e.g., Packet Switched domain or Packet Switched service), Primary Cell (“PCell”), Physical Broadcast Channel (“PBCH”), Physical Downlink Control Channel (“PDCCH”), Physical Downlink Shared Channel (“PDSCH”), Pattern Division Multiple Access (“PDMA”), Physical Hybrid ARQ Indicator Channel (“PHICH”), Physical Random Access Channel (“PRACH”), Physical Resource Block (“PRB”), Physical Uplink Control Channel (“PUCCH”), Physical Uplink Shared Channel (“PUSCH”), Public Land Mobile Network (“PLMN”), Quality of Service (“QoS”), Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (“QPSK”), Radio Access Network (“RAN”), Radio Access Technology (“RAT”), Radio Resource Control (“RRC”), Random-Access Channel (“RACH”), Random Access Response (“RAR”), Radio Network Temporary Identifier (“RNTI”), Reference Signal (“RS”), Registration Area (“RA”, similar to tacking area list used in LTE/EPC), Registration Management (“RA”, refers to NAS layer procedures and states), Remaining Minimum System Information (“RMSI”), Resource Spread Multiple Access (“RSMA”), Round Trip Time (“RTT”), Receive (“RX”), Radio Link Control (“RLC”), Sparse Code Multiple Access (“SCMA”), Scheduling Request (“SR”), Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (“SC-FDMA”), Secondary Cell (“SCell”), Shared Channel (“SCH”), Session Management Function (“SMF”), Signal-to-Interference-Plus-Noise Ratio (“SINR”), Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (“S-NSSAI”), Single Registration mode (“SR mode”), Sounding Reference Signal (“SRS”), System Information Block (“SIB”), Synchronization Signal (“SS”), Supplementary Uplink (“SUL”), Tracking Area (“TA”), Transport Block (“TB”), Transport Block Size (“TBS”), Time-Division Duplex (“TDD”), Time Division Multiplex (“TDM”), Time Division Orthogonal Cover Code (“TD-OCC”), Transmission Time Interval (“TTI”), Transmit (“TX”), Unified Data Management (“UDM”), Uplink Control Information (“UCI”), User Entity/Equipment (Mobile Terminal) (“UE”), Uplink (“UL”), User Plane (“UP”), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (“UMTS”), UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (“UTRA”), UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (“UTRAN”), Uplink Pilot Time Slot (“UpPTS”), Ultra-reliability and Low-latency Communications (“URLLC”), and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (“WiMAX”). As used herein, “HARQ-ACK” may represent collectively the Positive Acknowledge (“ACK”) and the Negative Acknowledge (“NACK”). ACK means that a TB is correctly received while NACK (or NAK) means a TB is erroneously received.

Certain mobile networks may be configured to provide User Identities with related User Identifiers for a user, which are independent of existing identifiers relating to subscription or device (e.g., independent of IMSI, MSISDN, IMPI, IMPU, SUPI, GPSI, IMEI). Here, a User Identifier may be provided by some entity within the operator's network or by a 3rd party. Moreover, the mobile networks may support a mechanism to perform authentication of a User Identity regardless of the user's access, the user's UE and its HPLMN as well as the provider of the User Identifier. When delivering a service, such mobile networks may take into account settings that are specific to a User Identity. Additionally, such mobile networks may support user authentication with User Identifiers from devices that connect via the internet, e.g., they support secure provisioning of credentials to those devices to enable them to access the network and its services according to the subscription that has been linked with the User Identity.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Methods for network slice authentication are disclosed. Apparatuses and systems also perform the functions of the methods.

A first method for network slice authentication includes receiving, at the application at the application layer, network slice authentication information for a subscribed service and storing the network slice authentication information at an application module. The first method includes associating the network slice authentication information with single network slice selection assistance information (“S-NSSAI”) and registering the application with the non-access stratum (“NAS”) layer, said registration pointing to the associated S-NSSAI. The first method includes exchanging, via the NAS layer, authentication messages with an authentication, authorization, and accounting (“AAA”) server for network slice authentication information.

