Cell Operating Mode Reconfiguration for Emergency Access Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In 4G wireless communications systems, such as 3GPP LTE, there is a need to temporarily reconfigure the communications system to optimize cell coverage and performance during testing or emergency situations without disrupting regular user services, especially to prevent undesirable network traffic and ensure emergency calls can be made without significant signaling overhead or changes to technical standards.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that allow a communications cell to change its operating mode in response to a command, indicating the mode to selected and non-selected devices, where only selected devices can access the cell during specific modes, such as testing or emergency modes, using a communications controller with a receiver, transmitter, memory, and processor to manage operating modes and closed subscriber group identifiers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cell is reconfigured to provide exclusive service to selected devices during testing or emergency situations, then service quality for selected devices is improved, but access availability for non-selected devices deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cell dynamically changes its operating mode between normal mode and restricted mode based on received commands. In normal mode, all devices can access the cell. In restricted mode, only selected devices can access the cell. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the system to adapt to different operational requirements (testing, emergency situations) while maintaining flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The cell changes its access control parameters by switching between operating modes. The operating mode parameter determines whether the cell accepts access requests from all devices or only from selected devices. This parameter change enables the cell to provide exclusive service to selected devices when needed while maintaining general accessibility during normal operations.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a cell restricts access to only selected devices, then interference from regular devices is reduced, but network traffic for emergency calls must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The cell applies different access control policies to different device categories. Selected devices (including emergency services devices) are granted access while regular devices are restricted. This local differentiation allows the cell to reduce interference from regular devices during testing while maintaining the capability to handle emergency calls through the emergency call exception mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The cell preemptively restricts access from regular devices before emergency situations occur, reducing potential interference during testing. However, the system maintains pre-configured capabilities to handle emergency calls by allowing the operating mode to be changed and by maintaining the ability to serve emergency calls even in restricted mode.
3Adaptability or versatility
If operating mode changes are implemented frequently, then system flexibility is improved, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the operating mode indication to the physical layer, allowing the cell to indicate its operating mode through physical layer signals rather than requiring higher-layer signaling for each mode change. This reduces signaling overhead while maintaining system flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The cell autonomously changes its operating mode based on received commands without requiring complex coordination or extensive signaling with the network. The cell can independently switch between normal and restricted modes, reducing the signaling overhead associated with mode changes.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for temporarily reconfiguring a communications system to provide selected services are provided. A method for temporarily providing selected services by a cell of a communications system includes receiving a first command, changing an operating mode of the cell responsive to the first command, and indicating the operating mode to a first selected device and a first non-selected device. The cell operating in the operating mode serves the first selected device based on the first command, and the first non-selected device is a selected device prior to the change in the operating mode and is capable of accessing the cell before the cell changes the operating mode responsive to the first command and is not capable of accessing the cell after the cell changes the operating mode responsive to the first command.