Femtocell Handover Authorization via CSG Identity Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
In telecommunications networks with femtocells, handover procedures often result in inefficiencies due to unauthorized user devices being directed to target femtocells, leading to failed handovers and wasted efforts.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where base stations determine if a user device is authorized to access alternative base stations before initiating a handover, by identifying authorized groups and sending access control queries to potential handover targets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the base station initiates handover to any detected femtocell without access control verification, then the handover procedure is simple and fast, but the handover may fail when the user device is not authorized on the target femtocell
Solution Approach 1:
The base station performs access control verification by querying the target femtocell's CSG identity against the user device's authorized CSG list before initiating the handover procedure. This preliminary check ensures that handover attempts are only made to femtocells where the user device is authorized, thereby improving handover success rate without significantly complicating the overall procedure.
2Reliability
If the base station performs access control check by querying target femtocell before handover, then handover success rate improves, but network signaling overhead and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system utilizes the CSG identity information that is already broadcast by the target femtocell and stored in the user device's authorized CSG list. Instead of performing complex real-time authentication queries, the base station simply compares the CSG identities, which are already available copies of the access control information. This approach verifies access authorization with minimal additional signaling overhead and processing time.
3Productivity
If the base station attempts handover to unauthorized femtocells, then all possible handover targets are explored, but network resources are wasted on failed handover attempts
Solution Approach 1:
The base station takes preliminary action to prevent wasted handover attempts by verifying access authorization before initiating handover procedures. By querying the target femtocell's CSG identity and comparing it against the user device's authorized CSG list, the system identifies and eliminates unauthorized handover targets in advance. This preliminary anti-action ensures that handover signaling resources are only consumed for legitimate handover attempts, thereby improving network efficiency and reducing wasted energy.
Data Source
AI summary
A femtocell base station in a telecommunications network identifies, for each user device served by the base station, which other base stations in the network that user device is authorized to access. The base station also determines a group identity for each of a plurality of possible neighbor cell base stations in the network. Based on this information, the base station identifies at least one possible handover target cell base station for each user device served by the base station, based on the identified other base stations in the network that user device is authorized to access; and based on the identified group identity for each of a plurality of possible neighbor cell base stations in the network.