Dual Active Handover Connections for Continuous Data Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems experience service interruptions during handovers as mobile devices disconnect from a first access point before connecting to a second, leading to a loss of data connectivity during the transition period.
Innovation Solution
Implementing dual active connections with a mobile device to maintain communication with both the first and second access points during the handover process, allowing data transfer through both connections until the handover is complete.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mobile device disconnects from a first access point before establishing a connection with a second access point during handover, then the handover procedure is simple and fast to execute, but service interruptions occur and data access is lost during the transition period
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile device establishes a second connection with the target access point before terminating the first connection with the source access point. This preliminary action ensures that a backup communication path is ready before the current path is disconnected, thereby preventing service interruptions and maintaining continuous data access during handover.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains both the first connection and second connection simultaneously during the handover transition period. By keeping both connections active temporarily, the mobile device ensures continuous data access without interruption, as data can flow through either connection depending on availability and quality.
2Reliability
If dual active connections are maintained during handover, then service interruptions are minimized and continuous data access is enabled, but the device complexity and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile device maintains dual active connections only partially - specifically during the critical handover transition period - rather than continuously. Once the second connection is fully established and verified, the first connection is terminated. This partial application of dual connectivity minimizes energy consumption while still achieving service continuity during the necessary transition window.
3Reliability
If dual active connections are maintained during handover, then service interruptions are minimized, but the device complexity and packet management overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism in the form of packet markers and sequence number tracking systems that automatically identify, reorder, and filter duplicate packets received during handover. This intermediary layer handles the complexity of dual connection management, allowing the mobile device to maintain service continuity while the intermediary infrastructure manages the overhead of packet reconciliation.
Data Source
AI summary
A technique is disclosed to minimize service interruption at a wireless user equipment device during a handover by maintaining dual active connections during the handover. Upon initiating the handover, an initial/first connection with a first access node is maintained while establishing a second connection with a second access node. The user equipment device can receive data over the first connection and second connection during the handover. The first connection may be terminated (by the user equipment device or by timing out due to inactivity) after the handover is completed. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described.