Gateway Relocation Procedure for Wireless Networks

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing 'explicit detach with reattach required' (EDRR) procedure in wireless networks disrupts ongoing data services due to its lack of awareness of data transfer activities, as it may reattach user equipment to a new gateway without considering ongoing data communications, leading to service disruptions.

Innovation Solution

An enhanced EDRR procedure is implemented, where a network device with access to user plane information, such as a serving gateway or packet data network gateway, monitors data flows and network conditions to determine the impact of the EDRR procedure on ongoing communication sessions, allowing for the postponement or deferral of the procedure to minimize disruptions, and communicates with the mobility management entity to initiate the reattachment process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the EDRR procedure is implemented to redistribute user equipment to multiple gateways, then network load balancing is improved, but service disruption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork load balancingVSAvoidservice continuity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by having the MME proactively evaluate the impact of EDRR on ongoing data services before executing the reattachment procedure. The MME checks whether the user equipment has active data sessions and whether the target gateway can maintain these sessions, thereby preventing service disruption before it occurs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback by establishing a mechanism where the MME receives information about the user equipment's data service status and uses this feedback to determine whether to proceed with or defer the EDRR procedure. This feedback loop ensures that reattachment decisions are made based on real-time service state information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Speed

If the MME initiates reattachment without checking data transfer activities, then gateway relocation efficiency is improved, but data service disruption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegateway relocation speedVSAvoiddata service disruption
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by requiring the MME to check for ongoing data transfer activities before initiating the reattachment procedure. This preliminary check ensures that user equipment with active data sessions are identified and their reattachment is carefully managed to avoid disrupting services.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses the MME as an intermediary between the user equipment and the gateways. The MME mediates the reattachment process by evaluating service impact, selecting appropriate target gateways, and coordinating the handover to minimize disruption to ongoing data transfers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2608609B1Systems and methods for gateway relocation
Publication Date: 2016.08.03 CISCO TECHNOLOGY INC
  • EP2608609B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2608609B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2608609B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Network operators have deployed multiple network devices to provide stable data services amid a rapid increase in data traffic. One way to balance data load among the multiple network devices is by distributing the user equipments across the multiple network devices using an explicit detach with reattach required procedure. However, the explicit detach with reattach required procedure can disrupt on-going data services of user equipments. This disclosure provides systems and methods of an enhanced explicit detach with reattach required procedure that reduces disruption of on-going data services due to the explicit detach with reattach required procedure.