Dual Controller Signaling Rerouting for Wireless Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
The signaling interface between controllers of different radio access networks (RANs) can fail, preventing seamless transition for users engaging in PSTN voice calls, leading to direct transition to the fallback RAN and loss of service from the primary RAN.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a dynamic reconfiguration method where a secondary controller takes over inter-RAN signaling for CSFB functionality while the primary controller maintains bearer connectivity and tracking area updates, ensuring continuous service by rerouting signaling through a secondary interface when the primary interface fails.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single signaling interface is used between controllers of different RANs, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates when the interface fails
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-configures a secondary signaling interface alongside the primary interface before any failure occurs. This preliminary setup ensures that when the primary interface fails, the secondary interface is already ready to take over without requiring complex real-time reconfiguration or increasing operational complexity during failure events.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different qualities to different interfaces: the primary interface handles normal operational signaling, while the secondary interface is specifically optimized for failover scenarios. Each interface has specialized characteristics suited to its specific function, allowing the system to maintain reliability without treating all interfaces uniformly.
2Reliability
If dynamic reconfiguration is implemented to switch between signaling interfaces, then reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The secondary signaling interface is pre-established and configured in advance, so when a failure occurs, the system only needs to switch between pre-configured interfaces rather than performing complex real-time reconfiguration. This preliminary preparation significantly reduces the complexity of dynamic reconfiguration while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The base station acts as an intermediary that receives signaling from the UE and routes it to the appropriate controller based on interface availability. This intermediary routing mechanism simplifies the reconfiguration process by centralizing the switching decision at the base station level rather than requiring complex changes throughout the entire signaling path.
3Productivity
If direct transition to fallback RAN is used when signaling interface fails, then loss of service time is reduced, but productivity deteriorates due to loss of primary RAN service
Solution Approach 1:
The secondary signaling interface is pre-configured and ready to take over immediately when the primary interface fails. This preliminary preparation enables rapid failover that maintains service continuity, preventing both the delays associated with complex reconfiguration and the service loss that would occur with direct transition to fallback RAN.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent ensures continuous signaling functionality by having the secondary interface ready to immediately take over the primary interface's role. This continuity prevents service disruption and maintains productive operation throughout the failure event, avoiding both the time loss of direct fallback and the complexity of complete reconfiguration.
Data Source
AI summary
In normal operation, a primary signaling controller in a first RAN manages bearer connectivity and tracking area updates for a UE and further interfaces with a second RAN over a primary signaling interface to facilitate inter-RAN signaling related to transition of the UE from being served by the first RAN to being served by the second RAN, such as circuit-switched fallback signaling. Upon detecting failure of the primary signaling interface, the first RAN is dynamically reconfigured to have such inter-RAN signaling for the UE pass over a secondary signaling interface between the second RAN and a secondary signaling controller of the first RAN, while the primary signaling controller continues to manage bearer connectivity and tracking area updates for the UE.