HSS PSM Status Flag for CS Domain Service Blocking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current telecommunications networks waste resources due to the lack of support for Power Saving Mode (PSM) in the Circuit Switched (CS) domain, leading to unnecessary paging and resource utilization when User Equipments (UEs) are in PSM, as CS domain nodes do not recognize or respect the PSM status of UEs, resulting in failed terminating services and resource wastage.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a node in the telecommunications network, such as a Home Location Register (HLR) or Home Subscriber Server (HSS), that receives and stores PSM status data, controls access to UEs based on this status, and sends subscription messages to other nodes to manage PSM updates, ensuring that terminating CS and IMS services are blocked when UEs are in PSM, except for Short Messaging Service (SMS) which is allowed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If UEs use Power Saving Mode to reduce power consumption, then power consumption is reduced, but terminating services cannot reach the UE during PSM periods
Solution Approach 1:
The HSS proactively sets a PSM status flag and stores it before any terminating service attempt occurs. This preliminary action allows the network to know in advance whether the UE is in PSM mode, preventing futile service attempts and enabling appropriate routing decisions to be made before resources are wasted.
Solution Approach 2:
The PSM status flag stored in the HSS acts as an intermediary indicator between the UE's power saving state and the network's service routing decisions. This flag mediates the interaction by providing a simple binary state that network nodes can query to determine whether to attempt service delivery or redirect to alternative approaches.
2Reliability
If CS domain nodes attempt to page UEs in PSM, then terminating services can potentially reach the UE, but network and radio resources are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The HSS provides feedback to the network about the UE's PSM status by storing and making accessible the PSM status flag. This feedback mechanism allows network nodes to make informed decisions about whether to attempt paging or service delivery, avoiding the waste of resources on UEs that are known to be in PSM mode and unreachable.
Solution Approach 2:
By pre-storing the PSM status flag in the HSS before any terminating service attempt, the network has advance knowledge of the UE's reachability state. This preliminary information allows CS domain nodes to avoid unnecessary paging attempts and resource allocation, directing services only when the UE is known to be reachable.
3Loss of energy
If the HSS stores and controls access based on PSM status, then resource usage is optimized, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The PSM status flag is stored locally in the HSS, which is a centralized database node already present in the network architecture. By confining the PSM status information to a specific local location (the HSS) rather than distributing it throughout the network, the solution achieves resource optimization without requiring complex coordination across multiple network nodes.
Solution Approach 2:
The PSM status flag is a simple copied indicator that can be stored and retrieved without modifying the core HSS functionality. This copying approach allows the HSS to maintain PSM status information as a separate, manageable data element that can be queried by network nodes without requiring complex integration or modification of existing network protocols.
Data Source
AI summary
Nodes and methods of operation thereof for use with a UE capable of utilizing power saving mode. A Home Location Register/Home Subscriber Server (HLR/HSS) network node includes a receiver configured to receive power saving mode status data relating to a user equipment, a status flag determiner configured to set a status flag based on the received power saving mode status data and to store the status flag in a memory, and an access controller configured to control access to the user equipment by a terminating service originating in a Circuit Switched domain and/or an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem domain of the telecommunications network, in which access is controlled based on the stored status flag. A Serving General Packet Radio Service Support Node/Mobile Management Entity (SGSN/MME) network node is also provided.