Communication Session Transfer Between Base Stations

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing communication systems require a client agent in the radio terminal to manage communication sessions when handing over from one base station to another, which is inefficient and disrupts the payload data stream, as they typically rely on a single data source throughout the session.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that transfer a communication session from a first data source to a second data source by sending session data and payload data through devices connected to both sources, allowing seamless handover without the need for a client agent in the radio terminal, maintaining uninterrupted data transmission and initializing the second data source for continued data delivery.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a client agent is deployed in the radio terminal to manage communication sessions during handover, then the communication session can be maintained, but the device complexity and computational burden increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication session continuityVSAvoidclient agent complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the session management functionality from the radio terminal and relocates it to the network infrastructure (gateway device and base stations). The terminal simply maintains its connection with the serving base station while the network handles the session transfer transparently, eliminating the need for complex client agents in the terminal device.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The gateway device acts as an intermediary that coordinates the session transfer between base stations. It receives session information from the source base station, establishes connection with the target base station, and manages the payload data routing, thereby simplifying the terminal's role to basic communication only.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If a single data source is used throughout the communication session, then the session management is simplified, but the productivity and data transmission efficiency decrease during handover

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata transmission efficiencyVSAvoidsession management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic session management where the data source can change during the communication session based on handover events. The session is transferred from a first data source associated with the source base station to a second data source associated with the target base station, allowing the system to adapt to changing network conditions and maintain high productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the data source parameter during handover from a static single source to a dynamic multi-source configuration. The gateway device manages this parameter change by establishing new data paths to the second data source while maintaining session continuity, thereby improving transmission efficiency without requiring complex terminal-side management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If the communication session is transferred between data sources during handover, then the productivity and data transmission efficiency improve, but the loss of information may increase if not properly managed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata transmission efficiencyVSAvoidsession state information
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The gateway device performs preliminary actions by receiving and storing session information from the source base station before the handover is completed. This includes session establishment parameters, active data streams, and connection state, ensuring that when the session is transferred to the target base station, all necessary information is already prepared and no data is lost.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where the gateway device monitors the session transfer process and verifies that all payload data and session state information have been successfully transferred. This feedback loop ensures information integrity during the handover from the first data source to the second data source.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2309819B1Method and system for transferring a communication session between data sources
Publication Date: 2019.04.17 CORIANT
  • EP2309819B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2309819B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2309819B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

To transfer a communication session from a first data source to a second data source, the following operations are carried out when a radio terminal is handed over from a first base station to a second base station: the session settings and status information related to the communication session are transferred (503) to be used in conjunction with the second data source, a first portion of the payload data related to the communication session is sent (504) in accordance with the session settings from the first data source to the radio terminal via the second base station, and the next portion of the payload data which according to the status information still has to be sent to the radio terminal during the communication session is sent (506) in accordance with the session settings from the second data source to the radio terminal via the second base station. The transfer of the communication session is not visible to the radio terminal because the transmission of payload data continues uninterrupted and the session settings, such as TCP socket parameters, remain unchanged during the transfer.