Handover Location Continuity via Target Node Identity Transfer
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication networks face challenges in maintaining location continuity for user equipment (UE) during handovers between different radio access networks, especially during emergency calls, as existing solutions fail to ensure seamless location service support across network transitions.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves transferring the identity of the target serving node to the target location server during handover, allowing the Location and Routing Function (LRF) to initiate and maintain location sessions, and potentially removing the source location server if it differs from the target server, ensuring continuous location services across network transitions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the UE is handed over from one wireless network to another during a call, then the communication service continuity is maintained, but the location service continuity is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The target serving node proactively provides its identity to the target location server before the handover is complete, enabling the location server to prepare for maintaining location services. This preliminary action ensures that when the handover occurs, the location service continuity is already established rather than being reactive to the handover event.
Solution Approach 2:
The LRF acts as an intermediary between the serving nodes and location servers, receiving identity information from the target serving node and coordinating with both source and target location servers. This intermediary function enables seamless transition of location services during handover by managing the interactions between different network elements.
2Measurement precision
If the source location server is removed after handover, then the location service accuracy is improved, but the service interruption risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The target location server is provided with the target serving node identity before the source location server is removed, allowing the location estimation process to be seamlessly transferred. This preliminary setup ensures that when the source server is removed, the target server is already prepared to take over without causing service interruption or reducing accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the LRF monitors the handover process and coordinates the removal of the source location server only after confirming that the target location server is ready and capable of providing accurate location estimates. This feedback loop ensures that accuracy is maintained while managing the transition safely.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Techniques for maintaining location continuity for a user equipment (UE) following handover are described. The UE communicates with a first radio access network (RAN) and is served by a source serving node and a source location server prior to handover. The UE communicates with a second RAN and is served by a target serving node and a target location server after the handover. In an aspect, location continuity may be maintained for the UE by transferring an identity of the target serving node to a location server during handover of the UE. In one design, the target serving node sends its identity to the target location server, which updates a Location and Routing Function (LRF) serving the UE. In another design, for handover from packet- switched domain to circuit-switched domain, the source serving node sends the target serving node identity to the source location server, which updates the LRF.