Base Station IP Tunnel for WLAN Multi-Stream Aggregation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current communication systems face challenges in ensuring service continuity and user experience due to the insensitivity of the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) to quality changes in wireless local area network (WLAN) links when used as a convergence and splitting point.
Innovation Solution
A data transmission method and device that utilize a base station to request and establish an IP tunnel with user equipment through a WLAN access point, enabling multi-stream aggregation data transmission, with the base station adding or deleting IP headers to protocol data units to manage radio bearer information and ensure seamless communication across wireless cellular and WLAN networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the EPC is used as a convergence and splitting point for WLAN integration, then network coverage and mobility support are improved, but service continuity cannot be ensured due to insensitivity to WLAN link quality changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the base station as an intermediary between the EPC and WLAN network. The base station establishes IP tunnels to the WLAN access point and performs protocol conversion, acting as a mediator that bridges the cellular and WLAN networks. This resolves the contradiction by enabling the base station to monitor WLAN link quality and manage service continuity without requiring the EPC to be directly sensitive to WLAN changes, thus maintaining service continuity while avoiding excessive complexity in the core network.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the network control functions by separating WLAN-specific management tasks from the EPC. The base station handles WLAN link quality monitoring, IP tunnel management, and protocol conversion, while the EPC maintains its simplified core functions. This segmentation allows the base station to ensure service continuity through localized WLAN management without increasing overall network architecture complexity.
2Productivity
If multi-stream aggregation data transmission is implemented through IP tunnel, then data transmission efficiency is improved, but protocol processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the protocol processing complexity from the end devices and concentrates it in the base station. The base station adds IP headers to protocol data units before transmission through the WLAN network and removes them upon reception. This extraction allows efficient multi-stream aggregation data transmission through the IP tunnel while managing protocol complexity centrally at the base station rather than distributing it across multiple devices.
3Reliability
If base station adds IP header to protocol data unit, then radio bearer information management is improved, but data processing overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the base station add IP headers to protocol data units before they are transmitted through the WLAN network. The IP header includes pre-configured radio bearer information that enables proper routing and processing. This preliminary preparation of data units with necessary IP header information reduces real-time processing delays and ensures reliable radio bearer management without significant time loss during actual data transmission.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide a data transmission method and a device. The method includes: sending, by a base station, request information, an identifier of a wireless local area network access point WLAN AP, and a first IP address of the base station to user equipment, where the request information is used to request the user equipment to perform multi-stream aggregation data transmission to the base station by using the WLAN AP; receiving, by the base station, a second IP address assigned by the WLAN AP to the user equipment and confirmation information that are sent by the user equipment, where the confirmation information is used to confirm that the user equipment performs multi-stream aggregation data transmission to the base station by using the WLAN AP; and performing, by the base station, multi-stream aggregation data transmission to the user equipment by using the WLAN AP and through the IP tunnel, where the IP tunnel is determined by using the first IP address and the second IP address. According to the embodiments, service continuity is ensured in an offloading process.