Interworking Unit for Seamless Heterogeneous Network Handover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current next-generation communication systems face challenges in providing seamless high-speed services with guaranteed mobility and Quality-of-Service (QoS) across heterogeneous networks like IEEE 802.11 and IEEE 802.16, particularly experiencing delays during handovers and service interworking due to signaling and traffic delays.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for data transmission and reception in heterogeneous communication systems, where a terminal accesses a first controller to determine if it can receive a communication service, and if not, an interworking unit facilitates a request to a second controller to provide the service, enabling seamless handovers and adaptive network usage based on the communication environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a terminal performs handover between heterogeneous communication systems (IEEE 802.11 and IEEE 802.16), then service continuity and mobility are improved, but signaling delays and traffic delays increase causing service interruption
Solution Approach 1:
The interworking unit performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing communication paths and allocating IP addresses before handover occurs. The terminal is pre-configured with IP address information from the target network, and the interworking unit prepares forwarding paths in advance, so that when handover occurs, the terminal can immediately switch networks without waiting for IP address allocation or path establishment, thus reducing handover delay while maintaining service continuity
Solution Approach 2:
The interworking unit acts as an intermediary between heterogeneous communication systems (IEEE 802.11 and IEEE 802.16). It translates and forwards packets between different network protocols, manages IP address allocation across networks, and maintains communication paths. This intermediary function enables seamless handover by absorbing signaling delays and transparently handling protocol conversions, thus improving service continuity without requiring the terminal to experience the full impact of network heterogeneity and delay
2Reliability
If an interworking unit manages communication paths between heterogeneous networks, then seamless handover and service continuity are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The interworking unit is designed with multi-functionality to handle multiple communication systems (IEEE 802.11 WLAN and IEEE 802.16 WMAN) through a single device. It performs IP address allocation, packet forwarding, path management, and protocol translation functions that work across different network types. This universal design reduces the need for separate handover management mechanisms for each network type, thereby managing complexity centrally while maintaining service continuity across heterogeneous networks
Solution Approach 2:
The interworking unit serves as a centralized intermediary that abstracts the complexity of heterogeneous network management from the terminal. All path management, IP address allocation, and protocol translation operations are performed by this single intermediary device, which maintains communication paths between the terminal and different networks. This concentrates system complexity in one manageable component rather than distributing it across multiple network elements, enabling seamless handover while keeping overall system complexity controllable
3Adaptability or versatility
If Mobile IP is assigned to support handover between heterogeneous systems, then mobility support is improved, but signaling delays and service interruption occur
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of assigning Mobile IP addresses dynamically during handover (which causes signaling delays), the interworking unit performs preliminary IP address allocation. The terminal is pre-configured with IP address information from the target network before handover occurs. The interworking unit also pre-establishes forwarding paths and configures itself to forward packets to the terminal's new location. This preliminary action eliminates the need for real-time Mobile IP signaling during handover, maintaining mobility support while reducing signaling delays and service interruption
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for transmitting/receiving data in a heterogeneous communication system. A terminal accesses a first controller of a first communication system supporting a first communication service to make a communication path to the first communication system. After making the communication path to the terminal, the first controller determines whether it is possible to provide the first communication service to the terminal over the first communication system. If it is not possible, the first controller transmits to an interworking unit a first request indicating that the terminal requires the first communication service over the second communication system. The interworking unit transmits a second request to a second controller of the second communication system in response to the first request, the second request indicating that the second controller provides the first communication service to the terminal. Upon receiving a response to the second request, the interworking unit controls the first controller to provide the first communication service to the terminal over the second communication system according to the response.