5G RAN Neighbor Relationships With Slice-Aware Mobility Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing 5G wireless systems face challenges in managing radio access neighbor relationships due to the lack of slicing knowledge during mobility, leading to inconsistent and potentially interrupted service delivery for diverse traffic scenarios.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a Radio Access Network (RAN) intelligent controller with an Automatic Neighbor Relationship (ANR) micro-service that includes an ANR-slicing capability (ANR-SC) to provide slice-level visibility and optimize mobility management by splitting cells based on their capabilities, enabling enhanced mobility management and resource allocation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional ANR is used without slicing knowledge, then device complexity is reduced, but service consistency and reliability deteriorate during mobility

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice consistencyVSAvoidcontroller complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a Radio Access Network Intelligent Controller as an intermediary between the radio access network and the core network. This controller includes an Automatic Neighbor Relationship Slicing Capability function that maintains slicing knowledge and provides it to relevant network elements, enabling service-consistent mobility management without burdening individual network elements with complex slicing management capabilities

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the ANR functionality into traditional ANR (for basic connectivity) and ANR-Slicing Capability (for service-specific management). This segmentation allows the system to maintain both simplicity and service consistency by handling different aspects of neighbor relationship management separately

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Manufacturing precision

If slice-level visibility is implemented, then resource allocation precision is improved, but information processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource allocation precisionVSAvoidinformation processing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The Intelligent Controller acts as an intermediary that centralizes slicing knowledge management. It receives slicing information from the core network, processes it, and distributes relevant slice-level visibility information to radio access network elements that need it for resource allocation, thereby improving precision without dispersing processing complexity across the network

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of information availability by introducing slice-level visibility as a new parameter that is selectively provided to network elements based on their specific needs, enabling precise resource allocation while controlling information processing complexity through selective information distribution

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If ANR-SC is deployed, then adaptability to diverse traffic scenarios is improved, but loss of information is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetraffic scenario adaptabilityVSAvoidslicing knowledge loss

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The Intelligent Controller proactively maintains slicing knowledge and pre-processes slicing information before mobility events occur. By having slicing knowledge readily available in advance, the system can adapt to diverse traffic scenarios and ensure service consistency during handovers without losing slicing information

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where the Intelligent Controller monitors mobility events and service requirements, continuously updating and maintaining slicing knowledge. This feedback loop ensures that slicing information is preserved and adapted based on actual network conditions and traffic scenarios

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS12604261B2Facilitation of radio access neighbor relationships for 5G or other next generation network

Publication Date: 2026.04.14 AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I L P

AI summary

Automatic neighbor relationships (ANR) can be implemented within a radio access network intelligent controller (RIC), which receives load information from network nodes and user equipment measurements from user equipment. The RIC can create and maintain real-time load information and leverage slicing knowledge of neighbor cells during mobility to direct the user equipment to various network slices. Thus, an enhanced radio access network (RAN) neighbor relationship that utilizes slicing information can provide slice level RAN neighbor visibility on top of physical ANR relationships to enable enhancements for mobility management optimization.