Radio Bearer Reconfiguration Without Unnecessary MAC Resets

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication systems face inefficiencies in managing security key changes for a subset of radio bearers during connection reconfigurations, leading to potential data loss, increased latency, and radio link failures due to unnecessary resets of Medium Access Control (MAC) entities affecting unrelated bearers.

Innovation Solution

Implement bearer-specific changes to a subset of radio bearers by releasing and adding new bearers with distinct logical channel identities, avoiding MAC resets and maintaining separate security keys for affected bearers, while allowing other bearers to continue operations without disruption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If security key changes are implemented for all radio bearers during connection reconfiguration, then security is improved, but data loss and latency increase due to unnecessary MAC resets

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesecurityVSAvoidlatency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the radio bearers into two groups: those requiring security key changes and those that do not. By identifying and isolating only the affected bearers through specific message elements, the system applies security updates selectively rather than universally, thus avoiding unnecessary MAC resets for unaffected bearers and reducing overall latency and data loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements local quality by applying different treatment to different bearers based on their specific security requirements. Affected bearers receive security key changes while unaffected bearers continue operating with existing keys, allowing the system to optimize security updates locally rather than globally, thereby minimizing disruption to overall communication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If security key changes are implemented for all radio bearers during connection reconfiguration, then security is improved, but data loss increases due to unnecessary MAC resets

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesecurityVSAvoiddata loss

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the radio bearers into two groups: those requiring security key changes and those that do not. By identifying and isolating only the affected bearers through specific message elements, the system applies security updates selectively rather than universally, thus avoiding unnecessary MAC resets for unaffected bearers and reducing overall latency and data loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements local quality by applying different treatment to different bearers based on their specific security requirements. Affected bearers receive security key changes while unaffected bearers continue operating with existing keys, allowing the system to optimize security updates locally rather than globally, thereby minimizing disruption to overall communication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If connection reconfiguration is performed to change security keys, then security is improved, but communication interruption occurs due to MAC resets

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesecurityVSAvoidcommunication continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the radio bearers into two groups: those requiring security key changes and those that do not. By identifying and isolating only the affected bearers through specific message elements, the system applies security updates selectively rather than universally, thus avoiding unnecessary MAC resets for unaffected bearers and reducing overall latency and data loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements local quality by applying different treatment to different bearers based on their specific security requirements. Affected bearers receive security key changes while unaffected bearers continue operating with existing keys, allowing the system to optimize security updates locally rather than globally, thereby minimizing disruption to overall communication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4712527A1Method and apparatus for implementing bearer specific changes as part of a connection reconfiguration that impacts the security keys being used

Publication Date: 2026.03.18 MOTOROLA MOBILITY LLC

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Figure 3~4B

AI summary

A method and apparatus provides a communication connection between a user equipment and a network entity including a plurality of radio bearers having security keys. A connection reconfiguration message is received (1002), which identifies bearer specific changes to be made to a subset of radio bearers including less than all of the plurality of radio bearers, that impact the security keys being used by the subset of radio bearers, where the connection reconfiguration message includes a bearer identification field that identifies the radio bearers included in the subset and a chaining counter. The requested changes are applied (1004) to the subset of radio bearers associated with the bearer identification field without resetting the communication connection with the communication network.