Context-less Short Message Transmission for MTC Signaling Overhead
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mobile communication networks, particularly those based on LTE architecture, are inefficient for Machine Type Communication (MTC) terminals due to excessive signaling overhead and mobility management requirements, which are not well-suited for devices that transmit small amounts of data infrequently and with low mobility.
Innovation Solution
A communications terminal that communicates data packets in a 'context-less' or 'quasi-context-less' manner, reducing signaling overhead by avoiding the establishment of full RRC and NAS connections, and using non-access stratum security, allowing for efficient transmission of small data packets without setting up conventional connections, and implementing reduced mobility management for MTC terminals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional RRC and NAS connections are established for data transmission, then connection reliability is improved, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the RRC connection establishment step from the conventional data transmission process. By allowing direct NAS layer data transmission without requiring prior RRC connection setup, the invention eliminates unnecessary signaling messages while maintaining transmission reliability through the existing NAS layer protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by performing only the essential NAS layer connection setup without the full RRC connection establishment. This partial approach retains sufficient reliability for MTC applications while reducing signaling overhead by omitting redundant connection setup procedures.
2Reliability
If full connection setup procedures are implemented, then transmission reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex RRC connection setup procedures from the MTC data transmission process. By allowing direct NAS layer transmission, the invention significantly reduces device complexity while maintaining adequate transmission reliability through simplified connectionless operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial connection setup by utilizing only the essential NAS layer mechanisms without the full RRC connection establishment. This approach reduces device complexity by eliminating unnecessary connection management functions while retaining sufficient reliability for infrequent MTC transmissions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional mobility management is implemented, then mobility support is improved, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable, short-lived NAS connections for each data transmission event rather than maintaining persistent RRC connections. This approach provides sufficient mobility support for MTC applications while minimizing signaling overhead, as each connection is established only when needed and immediately released after transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial mobility management by using simplified NAS layer procedures without full RRC connection establishment. This provides adequate mobility support for low-mobility MTC devices while reducing signaling overhead by omitting extensive mobility management procedures.
Data Source
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AI summary
A communications terminal communicates data packets to or from a mobile communications network via a radio access interface. The mobile communications network comprises a radio network part including a plurality of base stations for communicating data packets to or from the mobile communications terminals via the radio access interface, and a core network part which is configured to communicate the data packets to destination addresses from the radio network part or to communicate the data packets to the radio network part from source addresses. The mobile communications network being configured to establish one or more communications bearers for communicating the data packets to or from the communications terminal via the radio network part and the core network part, each of the one or more communications bearers being established using context information associated with one or more connections from the communications terminal to the destination addresses, or to the communications terminal from source addresses. The communications terminal is configured when in an idle state, to communicate a short message data packet to the base station of the radio network part as a signalling message, using predetermined parameters for configuring a transmitter of the mobile communications terminal, which correspond with parameters with which a receiver in the base station is configured to receive the short message data packet, the short message data packet including an indication of context information for use by the mobile communications network for communicating the short message data packet to a mobility manager of the mobile communications network. . A short message data packet can therefore be communicated in a context-less or quasi-context-less manner without a communications bearer being established thereby reducing an amount of signalling overhead required, which can be an efficient way of communicating relatively small amounts of data.