Decoupled Control and User Plane Entities in 5G RAN
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Solution Overview
Problem
The 5G communication system faces challenges in optimizing RAN mobility due to the collocated control plane and user plane functionality, leading to inefficient handover processes and increased signaling overhead, especially in multi-connectivity scenarios where terminals access services from multiple radio access technologies and gateways.
Innovation Solution
Decoupling the control plane and user plane into separate entities within the radio access network, allowing for independent management and optimization of control plane and user plane connections, thereby enabling service-specific mobility and reducing signaling overhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If control plane and user plane are collocated in the same network entity, then device complexity is reduced and architecture is simplified, but RAN mobility optimization is hindered and signaling overhead increases during handover events
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the collocated control plane and user plane entities into separate network entities. The control plane entity (CP entity) and user plane entity (UP entity) are segmented into distinct functional units that can be independently managed and optimized, allowing control plane connectivity to be established separately from user plane connectivity, thereby improving RAN mobility efficiency without significantly increasing overall architecture complexity.
2Productivity
If control plane and user plane are separated into different entities, then RAN mobility is optimized and signaling overhead is reduced, but device complexity and architecture complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway entity that acts as an intermediary between the control plane entity and user plane entity. This intermediary facilitates the establishment of control plane connectivity from the terminal to the control plane entity through the gateway, while user plane connectivity is established separately. This mediator approach enables the benefits of separation (optimized RAN mobility, reduced signaling overhead) while managing the complexity through a standardized interface and mediation layer.
3Ease of operation
If collocated control plane and user plane handle mobility events together, then coordination is simplified, but handover processes become inefficient and require more signaling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the mobility handling functions by separating control plane connectivity management from user plane connectivity management. During handover events, the control plane entity can independently manage control plane connectivity updates while the user plane entity manages user plane connectivity, allowing parallel processing of mobility procedures and reducing overall handover latency without compromising coordination effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables preliminary establishment of control plane connectivity between the terminal and control plane entity through the gateway before user plane connectivity is fully established. This preliminary action allows control plane procedures (such as handover signaling and mobility management) to be prepared and executed more efficiently, reducing the time required for complete mobility events while maintaining proper coordination between entities.
Data Source
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AI summary
There are provided measures for enabling/realizing decoupling of the control plane and the user plane in a radio access network. Such measures exemplarily comprise respective entities which are operable in a radio access network of a communication system and their respective operations, wherein a control/user plane entity provides control/user plane functionality in the radio access network for controlling control/user plane connectivity of at least one terminal to the core network of the communication system via the radio access network, and establish/provide a control/user plane connection to at least one user/control plane apparatus configured to provide user/control plane functionality in the radio access network for realizing user/control connectivity of the at least one terminal to the core network of the communication system via the radio access network.