Access Network Device Congestion Reporting via Selective Bearer Identification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for reporting cell congestion in LTE networks either disrupt existing protocols or increase processing complexity and congestion by adding congestion state indications to uplink data packets, affecting the performance of gateway devices.
Innovation Solution
An access network device obtains identifiers of gateway devices corresponding to bearers and reports congestion state information selectively via specific bearers, reducing the processing burden on gateway devices and improving their performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If congestion state indication is added to uplink data packets of each bearer, then gateway devices can sense cell congestion, but processing complexity of gateway devices increases and processing performance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the congestion indication function from all uplink data packets and concentrates it into a specific control message (UL Data Transport message) that is sent separately. This allows gateway devices to receive congestion information without having to process congestion indications in every data packet, thereby reducing processing complexity while maintaining congestion sensing capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary control message mechanism between the access network device and gateway device. Instead of embedding congestion indications directly in all uplink data packets, a dedicated control message serves as an intermediary to convey congestion state information efficiently, reducing the processing burden on gateway devices
2Reliability
If congestion notifying message is sent to mobility management entity, then core network can learn congestion state, but there is no similar processing procedure in present 3GPP protocol causing great influences on existing protocol
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes an existing multi-functional message (UL Data Transport message) that can carry both user data and congestion indication information. By making this existing message structure serve multiple purposes, the patent avoids creating new protocol procedures while still achieving reliable congestion state reporting to the core network
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter structure of an existing message type (UL Data Transport) to include congestion indication information. Instead of creating a new message type or protocol procedure, the existing message's parameters are extended to carry additional congestion state information, thereby avoiding protocol complexity while maintaining reliability
3Reliability
If congestion state indication is added to each uplink data packet, then gateway devices can receive congestion information, but congestion state is further aggravated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the congestion indication function from the data plane and places it in a control plane message. This separation removes the harmful effect of adding congestion indications to every data packet, as the control message does not consume data plane resources and does not aggravate congestion while still delivering congestion information reliably
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
Figure 5A~5B
AI summary
A congestion state reporting method and an access network device are provided by the present invention. The method comprises: obtaining, by an access network device, an identifier of a gateway device corresponding to bearers, and reporting to the gateway device congestion state information of a cell covered by the access network device via part of bearers from the bearers corresponding to the identifier. The method mentioned above can avoid the problem in the prior art that the congestion state is further aggravated, so that the gateway device can process the problem of cell congestion more rapidly, and can reduce the processing complexity of the gateway device in the prior art.