Handover Traffic Steering Information Transfer Between Base Stations
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communication systems, traffic steering information provided to terminal devices may not be suitable for the network node they are currently served by, leading to incorrect routing of traffic between Wi-Fi and cellular networks during handovers, resulting in suboptimal network performance.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves transferring traffic steering information from the source base station to the target base station during or after a handover, ensuring that the terminal device receives updated information suitable for its current network node, and allowing the target base station to acknowledge the suitability of the information for use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traffic steering information is provided to terminal devices during handover, then network interworking control is improved, but the information may not be suitable for the target base station leading to incorrect traffic routing
Solution Approach 1:
The source base station performs preliminary actions by determining traffic steering information before handover occurs. This information is then transferred to the target base station in advance, ensuring the target node has the necessary data to make accurate routing decisions immediately upon taking over the terminal device.
Solution Approach 2:
The source base station acts as an intermediary by processing and determining the traffic steering information, then transferring it through the handover procedure to the target base station. This intermediary role ensures the information is properly formatted and suitable for the target node's context.
2Productivity
If traffic steering information is transferred from source to target base station, then network performance is improved, but additional signaling and processing overhead is introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The traffic steering information transfer is merged with the existing handover signaling procedure. By combining these functions, the patent avoids creating a separate complex signaling mechanism and leverages the already-established handover message structures to carry the additional information efficiently.
3Ease of operation
If terminal devices use traffic steering information from previous base station, then interworking control is simplified, but incorrect routing decisions are made for current network conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The source base station performs preliminary determination of traffic steering information that is specifically tailored for the target base station's context. This preliminary action ensures the terminal device receives appropriate routing instructions for its new serving node without needing to re-evaluate conditions after handover.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by having the source base station determine traffic steering information based on knowledge of both current and target cell conditions. This feedback loop ensures the terminal device receives accurate routing decisions that account for the target base station's specific network state.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a method of operating a network node in a first network that is operating according to a first radio access technology, RAT, the network node controlling a first cell in the first network, the method comprising receiving information for a terminal device served by the first cell (913; 1113), the received information corresponding to information for the terminal device that was provided to the terminal device from another cell of the first network, the information being for use in a network interworking feature that enables and controls interworking between the first network and a network operating according to a second RAT.