Control Server Bearer Service Guarantee via Preliminary Action
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mechanisms for guaranteeing service requirements negotiated through a signalling layer into a bearer layer are inefficient, particularly when user equipment capabilities vary, leading to incomplete or delayed installation of control rules, which can hinder service delivery.
Innovation Solution
A control server acts as a Policing and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) to interface with both the bearer and signalling layers, determining and installing control rules based on user equipment capabilities, either immediately for established bearers or waiting for subsequent bearers, to ensure seamless service delivery while maintaining existing signalling levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If control rules are installed immediately for established bearers, then service requirements are guaranteed faster, but signalling complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control server stores UE capabilities information in advance before actual service delivery. When a bearer is established, the server can immediately install control rules by matching stored capabilities with service requirements, eliminating the need for complex real-time capability negotiation and reducing signalling overhead while ensuring fast service guarantee.
2Device complexity
If control rules are installed for subsequent bearers only, then signalling procedures are simplified, but service delivery is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
UE capabilities are captured and stored in advance during initial network attachment or capability exchange. This preliminary action enables the control server to have all necessary information ready before service delivery, allowing immediate control rule installation for established bearers without waiting for subsequent bearer establishment, thus reducing service delivery time while maintaining simplified signalling.
3Measurement precision
If UE capabilities are obtained through complex negotiation, then capability information is more accurate, but signalling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs capability information acquisition in advance during initial network access or capability exchange procedures. The control server stores this capability information for future use, eliminating the need for repeated complex negotiations. This approach maintains accurate capability information while significantly reducing ongoing signalling overhead for service establishment.
4Adaptability or versatility
If control rules are installed for both established and subsequent bearers, then service coverage is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By storing UE capabilities in advance and creating a matching mechanism between stored capabilities and service requirements, the system can uniformly apply the same control rule installation process to both established and subsequent bearers. This eliminates the need for different handling logic, improving service coverage across all bearer types while keeping the control rule installation process simple and consistent.
Data Source
AI summary
In scenarios where service requirements are negotiated through a signalling layer whereas the services are carried out through a bearer layer, control rules are created at a control server logically interposed between the signalling and bearer layers. These control rules are based on service requirements received from an entity in the signalling layer, and are installed in an entity in the bearer layer for a bearer established therein. However, not all the service requirements negotiated through the signalling layer can be supported at the bearer layer by any user's equipment. The invention provides for a method and devices whereby the control server can create control rules based on the service requirements received from the signalling layer and also based on capabilities of the user's equipment currently used by the user, and whereby the control rules are installed for a currently established bearer or for a new subsequent bearer further established, depending on these control rules.