Autonomous Handoff Management in Wireless Networks

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional wireless handoff techniques require significant involvement from the source wireless access point, which can be inefficient when the connection between the user equipment and the access point is poor, limiting the ability to facilitate a seamless handoff to another access point.

Innovation Solution

User equipment is empowered to monitor trigger conditions and initiate handoffs to selected candidate access points, reducing the source access point's involvement by using a pre-allocated control channel for notifications of handoff attempts and completions, allowing for proactive decision-making and resource management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the source wireless access point manages the handoff process, then the handoff can be coordinated between access points, but the source access point's involvement becomes a bottleneck when connection is poor

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehandoff reliabilityVSAvoidsource access point involvement

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The user equipment is empowered to autonomously monitor trigger conditions and initiate handoff to selected candidate access points without requiring continuous involvement of the source access point. The UE independently evaluates connection quality metrics and executes handoff decisions, making the system self-sufficient in the critical handoff phase.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The source access point pre-configures the user equipment with a list of candidate target access points and trigger conditions before the handoff is needed. This preliminary preparation enables the UE to quickly execute handoff when conditions are met, without requiring real-time coordination with the source AP during the actual handoff event.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If the source access point prepares and initiates handoff, then coordination between access points is maintained, but the handoff process becomes slower and less responsive

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehandoff speedVSAvoidhandoff execution time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The user equipment independently monitors trigger conditions and initiates handoff execution autonomously when conditions are satisfied, eliminating the need for time-consuming coordination cycles with the source access point during the critical handoff execution phase.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If the source access point redirects uplinks/downlinks and forwards buffered communications, then connectivity is maintained, but the source access point requires strong connection to perform these functions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnectivity continuityVSAvoidsource access point capability requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The user equipment autonomously manages the handoff execution and connection redirection to target access points without requiring the source access point to maintain strong connections for redirecting uplinks/downlinks. The UE independently handles connection management, making the process independent of source AP connection quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The handoff execution functions (redirecting uplinks/downlinks, selecting target AP) are extracted from the source access point and transferred to the user equipment. This separation allows the source AP to simply provide candidate lists and trigger conditions, while the UE handles the actual handoff execution independent of source AP connection quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS11006337B2Handoff management in a wireless network environment

Publication Date: 2021.05.11 CHARTER COMM OPERATING LLC

AI summary

According to one configuration, a system includes user equipment in communication with a wireless base station. The user equipment receives a notification from a first wireless access point of multiple wireless access points. The notification indicates a set of candidate wireless access points in the wireless network environment in which to selectively perform a handoff from a first wireless access point. The user equipment monitors for occurrence of a trigger condition. In response to detecting a trigger condition, the user equipment identifies (such as selects) a second wireless access point (from the set of candidate wireless access points) in which to perform the handoff. Via communications from the user equipment to the second wireless access point, the user equipment initiates the handoff. The user equipment notifies the first wireless access point of the attempted and/or failed attempt of the handoff to the second wireless access point.