Control-User Plane Decoupling for Fewer 5G Handovers
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Solution Overview
Problem
The 5G communication system faces excessive control channel overheads and frequent cell handovers due to terminal device mobility, leading to increased signaling overheads and service disruptions.
Innovation Solution
A network architecture is introduced with a control unit and service units, decoupling the control plane and user plane, allowing common control information to be transmitted on a low-frequency carrier and user data on a high-frequency carrier, reducing handover frequency and improving mobility performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If common control information and user data are transmitted on the same high-frequency carrier, then transmission rate is improved, but handover frequency increases and service continuity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the transmission channels by separating control plane and user plane. Control information is transmitted on low-frequency carriers while user data is transmitted on high-frequency carriers, allowing independent optimization of each channel's characteristics and avoiding the trade-off between speed and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces low-frequency carriers as intermediary channels for control information transmission. These intermediary channels provide stable, wide-coverage control signaling that mediates between the high-speed user data channels and the network management requirements, reducing handover frequency and improving service continuity
2Area of stationary object
If control channel proportion in time domain is increased, then control signaling coverage is improved, but signaling overheads increase excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from time-domain control channel allocation to frequency-domain carrier separation. By moving control information to dedicated low-frequency carriers, the system achieves wide control signaling coverage without increasing the time-domain control channel proportion, thereby reducing signaling overheads while maintaining coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the frequency parameter of control information transmission from high-frequency to low-frequency carriers. This parameter change provides wider coverage and better propagation characteristics for control signaling while reducing the time-domain resources required, thus reducing overall signaling overheads
3Productivity
If high-frequency carriers are used for user data transmission, then transmission capacity is improved, but coverage area decreases and handover frequency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the frequency spectrum into different functional zones: low-frequency carriers for control information and high-frequency carriers for user data. This segmentation allows each frequency range to be optimized for its specific function, maintaining high transmission capacity for user data while using low-frequency carriers to provide wide coverage for control signaling
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a multi-functional frequency domain architecture where low-frequency carriers serve the universal function of control information transmission across wide areas, while high-frequency carriers provide specialized high-capacity user data transmission. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction between capacity and coverage
Data Source
AI summary
A communication method and apparatus communicating to a network architecture are provided. The network architecture includes a control unit and one or more service units. The control unit is connected to the one or more service units. The method implemented by a terminal device includes: receiving a first message from the control unit, wherein the first message includes common control information of the one or more service units; and establishing a data transmission channel with a first service unit in the one or more service units based on the first message, wherein the data transmission channel is used to transmit data between the terminal device and the first service unit. According to this application, complete decoupling of a control plane and a user plane may be implemented, thus the control plane and the user plane can be transmitted on different carriers, thereby improving flexibility of communicating in different scenarios.