Interest Indication for Group Communication in Wireless Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current wireless communication systems, particularly in LTE, lack an efficient method for supporting group communication via multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS), which is essential for public safety and critical communication applications.

Innovation Solution

A method for transmitting an interest indication for group communication is developed using the MBMS, allowing users to establish RRC connections and transmit uplink interest indication messages to the network, enabling efficient resource allocation and switching between unicast and multicast delivery modes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If group communication is supported via MBMS in LTE, then resource efficiency is improved through multicast delivery, but the system lacks mechanisms for users to indicate interest and for dynamic switching between unicast and multicast modes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by having users pre-indicate their interest in MBMS services before actual group communication begins. The interest indication message is transmitted in advance, allowing the network to prepare multicast delivery resources proactively, thereby improving resource efficiency without requiring complex real-time decision-making mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism through the interest indication message that mediates between user demand and network resource allocation. This intermediary allows the network to understand user preferences and dynamically switch between unicast and multicast modes, resolving the contradiction between resource efficiency and system complexity by adding a simple signaling layer rather than complex control logic.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the network dynamically switches between unicast and MBMS delivery modes, then service continuity is improved, but signaling burden increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice continuityVSAvoidsignaling burden
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the essential interest indication information from complex service requests, separating only the critical elements needed for mode switching decisions. By taking out only the necessary interest indication parameters rather than processing full service requests, the system maintains service continuity while minimizing signaling burden.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial action by implementing interest indication only for MBMS services rather than for all communication types. This selective approach provides sufficient information for dynamic mode switching in group communication scenarios without generating excessive signaling overhead across the entire system, thus maintaining service continuity with controlled signaling burden.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3050330B1Method and apparatus for transmitting interest indication for group communication in wireless communication system
Publication Date: 2019.11.20 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP3050330B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3050330B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3050330B1 patent drawingFigure 3(a)~3(b)

AI summary

A method and apparatus for transmitting an interest indication for group communication in a wireless communication system is provided. A user equipment (UE) receives a paging message indicating a group, establishes a radio resource control (RRC) connection with an establishment cause indicating the group, and transmits an uplink interest indication message which informs a service or the group.