Dual Group Management for Wireless Network Message Delivery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current wireless communication technologies lack efficient mechanisms for delivering group messages to devices with diverse capabilities and locations across different network areas, leading to unnecessary bandwidth wastage and inefficient group management, especially in scenarios involving large numbers of devices with dynamic membership.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a group management system that deploys both network-side and application-server-side group management modules to create, manage, and communicate with groups of user devices, utilizing internal and external identifiers to track device locations and memberships, allowing for geographic-specific message delivery and optimizing network operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a single group management system is used for all group communication needs, then the system structure is simple, but it cannot efficiently handle diverse group types and device capabilities leading to bandwidth waste

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegroup communication adaptabilityVSAvoidgroup management system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the group management system into two distinct modules: a network-side group management module for managing network-internal groups (e.g., for network control and management), and an application-server-side group management module for managing application-layer groups (e.g., for messaging and collaboration). This segmentation allows each module to be optimized for its specific purpose, improving adaptability while keeping each individual module relatively simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a group communication function as an intermediary layer between the network infrastructure and application servers. This function provides standardized interfaces and protocols that enable different group types to communicate efficiently through a common mechanism, reducing bandwidth waste by optimizing message delivery for each group type while maintaining overall system simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If group messages are delivered to all group members regardless of location, then message delivery is simple, but bandwidth is wasted on devices that do not need the messages

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemessage delivery efficiencyVSAvoidbandwidth waste
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements location-aware message delivery where the network-side group management module determines the geographic locations of group members and delivers messages only to devices within relevant service areas. This local quality approach ensures that message delivery is optimized for each location, preventing bandwidth waste on devices that are geographically irrelevant to the message content while maintaining simple delivery mechanisms through standardized network interfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If manual group management is used, then the system is easy to understand, but it becomes inefficient for managing large numbers of devices with dynamic membership

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegroup management efficiencyVSAvoidgroup management system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements automated group management where the network-side and application-server-side modules automatically handle device registration, group membership updates, and message routing based on pre-configured rules and real-time device status. This self-service capability dramatically improves efficiency for managing large numbers of devices with dynamic membership, while the automated nature of the processes keeps the user-facing interface simple and intuitive.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

4Measurement precision

If a single identifier system is used for all groups, then the system is simple, but it cannot track device locations and memberships across different network areas effectively

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice location tracking precisionVSAvoididentifier system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a hierarchical identifier system where global group identifiers contain nested location information and device identifiers. This nested structure allows the system to track device locations and memberships across different network areas with high precision, while the hierarchical organization keeps the identifier system manageable and systematic rather than chaotic or overly complex.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentEP3216238B1Group communication function for delivering group communication messages in communication netwoks
Publication Date: 2020.06.03 ZTE CORP
  • EP3216238B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3216238B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3216238B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A communication network handles group management of two different types of groups of user devices. The first type of group is an application server managed group and is used for communication to/from application servers external to the network. The second type of group is a mobile network operator managed group and is used for group communication of network- specific messages to user devices.