Base Station Identity Request Reduces Signaling Load

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current public land mobile networks face inefficiencies in determining the number and capabilities of user equipment within a geographic area, leading to high signaling loads and privacy concerns, especially when handling user equipment mobility and energy management.

Innovation Solution

A method where a base transceiver station sends a broadcast identity request information element to all user equipment, allowing them to respond with identity information once within a defined time period, without specifying individual equipment, thereby reducing signaling traffic and enhancing data privacy by only collecting general information about user equipment capabilities and status.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the network broadcasts paging messages in many radio cells to locate user equipment, then the user equipment can be found even with fast mobility, but the signaling load on broadcast channels increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser equipment location trackingVSAvoidsignaling load on broadcast channels
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The user equipment autonomously announces its presence and location information on the uplink channel when moving between cells, eliminating the need for the network to broadcast paging messages across multiple cells. This self-service approach reduces downlink signaling load while maintaining reliable location tracking.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of the network initiating location tracking by broadcasting paging messages downlink, the approach is inverted so that user equipment主动 announces its location information on the uplink channel, reversing the direction of information flow and reducing network broadcast requirements.

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

2Loss of information

If the user equipment announces its presence at each radio cell change, then the network has accurate location information, but the signaling requirements between user equipment and network increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocation information accuracyVSAvoidsignaling between user equipment and network
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The user equipment provides location information selectively based on local conditions - specifically when changing between radio cells. This targeted approach maintains accurate location information while reducing signaling compared to continuous announcements, as updates are triggered only by relevant local events (cell changes).

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2848011B1Method for determining the number and/or capabilities of user equipments in a geographic area of an access network, user equipment for use in a geographic area of an access network, base transceiver station for determining the number of user equipments in a geographic area of an access network, program and computer program product
Publication Date: 2021.01.13 DEUTSCHE TELEKOM AG
  • EP2848011B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for determining the number and/or capabilities of user equipments in a geographic area of an access network of a public land mobile network, wherein the access network comprises at least one base transceiver station, wherein a plurality of user equipments in the geographic area receive control signals from the base transceiver station, wherein the method comprises the following steps: in a first step, an identity request information element is sent from the base transceiver station to the plurality of user equipments, in a second step, an identity information element is sent to the base transceiver station by at least a part of the user equipments of the plurality of user equipments.