Base Station Context Transfer for Inactive UE Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication systems face challenges in optimizing data delivery to and from user equipment (UE) in an inactive network state, leading to inefficiencies in resource allocation and increased overhead in establishing connections for small data exchanges.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves methods for a base station to determine whether to transfer the context of a UE to another base station based on factors like data amount and network conditions, allowing for efficient data processing and delivery without dedicated resources, and using stored or new security keys for encryption and integrity verification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a UE maintains an inactive network state without dedicated resources, then resource allocation efficiency is improved and overhead is reduced, but data delivery capability and connection reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The network performs preliminary actions by establishing and storing the UE context (including security keys, bearer configurations, and mobility information) at the anchor base station before the UE transitions to inactive state. This allows the UE to quickly resume data transmission without full re-authentication when becoming active again, resolving the contradiction by preparing resources in advance while maintaining the inactive state's resource efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor base station acts as an intermediary that maintains the UE context and security credentials during the inactive state. When data needs to be delivered to or from the inactive UE, the anchor base station mediates the process by receiving data from the core network, managing the context, and facilitating efficient reconnection, thus enabling reliable data delivery without requiring the UE to maintain active dedicated resources.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the UE context is transferred to another base station, then mobility support and service continuity are improved, but signaling overhead and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and separates the UE context management function from the serving base station, concentrating it at the anchor base station. When a UE moves to a new base station, only the necessary context information is transferred rather than the entire UE state, reducing signaling overhead while maintaining mobility support. The anchor base station retains the master context, and only essential parameters are exchanged during handover.
3Reliability
If security keys are updated for each base station, then security is improved, but processing time and computational overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor base station's stored security credentials are designed to be universally applicable across multiple serving base stations. When a UE moves between base stations, the same security keys stored at the anchor base station can be reused for data encryption and integrity verification, eliminating the need for repeated key generation and exchange processes. This multi-functional security approach maintains strong security while significantly reducing processing time and computational overhead during mobility events.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for wireless communication by a base station is described, the method comprising: receiving an indication of downlink data for or uplink data from a user equipment, UE , that is in a state with no dedicated resources allocated to the UE in a network; determining whether or not to transfer context of the UE to another base station; and processing the data in accordance with the determination, by at least: performing a UE context transfer to the other base station, and transferring downlink data without a UE context transfer to the other base station if the determination is not to transfer context. Further, a corresponding apparatus and computer program are described.