Bearer Session Status Detection Using Release Time Information

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing solutions for detecting session status in communication systems fail to accurately account for the delay time between the control plane of a base station detecting a bearer release and sending a request to the user plane, leading to incorrect session status determinations.

Innovation Solution

Incorporate time information, such as universal time coordinated (UTC) representation or elapsed time, to determine the session status of bearers by considering the delay time between the control plane's detection of a release and the user plane's response, allowing for more accurate session status determination.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If the control plane sends a bearer release request to the user plane without considering delay time, then the response time is reduced, but the session status detection accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresponse timeVSAvoidsession status detection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The control plane performs preliminary actions by recording the bearer release detection time and including it in the release request message sent to the user plane. This allows the user plane to calculate the delay time and accurately determine session status without requiring additional communication rounds, thus maintaining fast response while improving detection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If the control plane includes time information in the bearer release request, then the session status detection accuracy is improved, but the message complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesession status detection accuracyVSAvoidmessage complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The time information (bearer release detection time) is merged into the existing bearer release request message that is already being exchanged between control plane and user plane. By combining the release command with the time stamp in a single message, the solution improves detection accuracy without requiring separate signaling or additional message exchanges.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Measurement precision

If the user plane calculates session status using delay time, then the detection accuracy is improved, but the processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection accuracyVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The user plane performs self-service by automatically calculating the delay time using the recorded bearer release detection time from the incoming message and its own current time. The user plane then uses this calculated delay to accurately determine whether the bearer was in-session, eliminating the need for external assistance or complex coordination with other network elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4272515B1Methods and apparatuses for detection of session status
Publication Date: 2025.12.03 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
  • EP4272515B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP4272515B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6
  • EP4272515B1 patent drawingFigure 7~8

AI summary

Methods and apparatuses for detection of session status are disclosed. According to an embodiment, a user plane (UP) of a base station receives, from a control plane (CP) of the base station, a request for releasing at least one bearer for a terminal device. The request comprises time information usable for deriving a first time at which the at least one bearer was detected by the CP of the base station as needing to be released. The UP of the base station determines a session status of the at least one bearer based on the time information and sends, to the CP of the base station, a response to the request. The response comprises the determined session status of the at least one bearer.