Access Gateway Router Handoff Management in Mobile Networks

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing handover management in mobile communication networks faces challenges with memory consumption and processing performance due to the need for timer-based record management in access switch routers, and user terminals lack knowledge of radio resource distribution, leading to handover delays and inefficient mobility detection.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for handover management in an Identifier and Locator separation framework, where the access gateway router initiates and manages handover requests, allocates new route location identifiers, updates mapping relationships, and establishes forwarding relationships using tunnel encapsulation, reducing memory load and processing overhead, and enabling efficient handover without modifying user terminal protocols.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the access switch router stores records of all correspondent nodes with timer-based management, then the routing information can be maintained, but memory consumption increases and the number of storable records is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverouting information maintenanceVSAvoidnumber of storable correspondent node records
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the timer-based management mechanism from the access switch router and replaces it with a mapping server that handles timer management centrally. This removes the memory overhead of individual timers from each router while maintaining the necessary routing information updates, allowing unlimited correspondent node records to be stored.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The mapping server acts as an intermediary between access switch routers and correspondent nodes. It receives handover requests, manages the mapping relationships, and handles timer-based record expiration centrally, freeing the access switch routers from storing and managing timer records for each correspondent node.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the access switch router sets a deleting timer for each correspondent node record, then expired records can be automatically removed, but processing performance decreases due to CPU overhead

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic record expiration managementVSAvoidprocessing performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the timer-setting and record-expiration management functions from the access switch router's CPU and relocates them to the mapping server. This eliminates the per-record timer processing overhead at the router level while maintaining automatic expiration management through the centralized mapping server.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The mapping server provides self-service timer management for all correspondent node records across the network. Instead of each router independently managing its own timers (consuming CPU resources), the mapping server centrally manages all timers, reducing overall processing overhead while maintaining automatic record expiration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Adaptability or versatility

If the user terminal initiates handover based on mobility detection, then handover can be triggered, but handover delay increases due to lack of radio resource distribution knowledge

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemobility detection capabilityVSAvoidhandover delay
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of the user terminal initiating handover based on its own mobility detection (which lacks radio resource context), the system inverts the approach by having the network side (access switch router) initiate handover based on radio resource distribution information and mobility patterns. This allows handover decisions to be made with complete network knowledge, reducing delays.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The access switch router performs preliminary handover preparation by monitoring radio resource distribution and identifying suitable target access routers before the user terminal actually moves. This preliminary action allows the handover to be executed quickly with pre-established routing paths, reducing handover delay.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2466954B1Method, system and access gateway router for handoff management and user data management when handing off
Publication Date: 2019.10.09 ZTE CORP
  • EP2466954B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2466954B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2466954B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method for handoff management of a Mobile Node(MN) is disclosed in the present invention, applying to identifier-location-separating framework. When the current source Radio Access Network(RAN) of the MN determines the MN needs to initiate handoff, the source RAN initiates a handoff request containing target RAN information to the first Access Gateway Router(AGR1), and the AGR1 transmits the handoff request to the second Access Gateway Router(AGR2) of the target RAN; the AGR2 returns a handoff response; the AGR1 transmits a handoff command to the MN; the MN initiates an access request to the target RAN and finishes the handoff to the target RAN. A corresponding system and an Access Gateway Router(AGR) are also disclosed in the present invention. The relative procedure of mobility management in the present invention, based on the identifier-location-separating framework, is implemented by network side equipments and can be supported by the MNs with no need of change.