Gateway Relocation via Intermediate Nodes

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Solution Overview

Problem

In wireless communication systems, gateway relocation often disrupts services and requires a full reassociation of user equipment (UE) with the target gateway, leading to potential service disruptions and inefficiencies.

Innovation Solution

The method involves utilizing intermediate nodes to facilitate gateway relocation without recreating the association from scratch, allowing for a more efficient and optimal reassociation of the UE with the target gateway, minimizing service disruptions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the initial attach procedure is invoked with the target core node for gateway relocation, then the UE can be associated with the target core node, but the association with the current source core node is not utilized leading to service disruption and inefficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice continuityVSAvoidreassociation time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The source core node is notified of the gateway relocation in advance and prepares the target core node before the UE actually needs to be reassocated. The intermediate node maintains the existing association temporarily and initiates the attach procedure with the target core node proactively, allowing the UE to switch gateways without service interruption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The intermediate node acts as a mediator between the source core node and the target core node during gateway relocation. It maintains the UE's association while facilitating the transition, allowing the UE to communicate with the target core node through the intermediate node before the association is fully transferred, thus avoiding service disruption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If the initial attach procedure is invoked with the target core node, then the UE can be associated with the target core node, but recreating the association from scratch leads to inefficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegateway relocation efficiencyVSAvoidreassociation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the essential association information from the source core node and transfers it to the target core node through the intermediate node. Instead of recreating the entire association from scratch, the necessary parameters and context are extracted and reused, significantly simplifying the reassociation process and improving efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The association information from the source core node is copied to the target core node during the gateway relocation process. The intermediate node facilitates this copying by maintaining the association and transferring the necessary parameters, allowing the target core node to assume the UE's connection without recreating it entirely.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP2137988B1Method and apparatus for providing gateway relocation
Publication Date: 2017.07.19 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP2137988B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2137988B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2137988B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3c

AI summary

An apparatus and method for providing gateway relocation to an external network wherein a user equipment (UE) includes an initial external network connection via a source core node, e.g., a PDNGW, comprises initializing a mobility event, reallocating the initial external network connection from via the source core node to via a target core node to create a new external network connection, allocating the new IP address to the UE for the new external network connection, and using the new IP address. The UE may have several bearers established, including local breakout bearers.