IoT User Equipment Data Transmission via Cellular Attach Messages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current user equipment for IoT devices in cellular networks faces challenges such as high data transmission costs and inability to preconfigure SIM cards, leading to unfavorable roaming agreements, making business models economically unfeasible.
Innovation Solution
The user equipment employs a credential container to send payload items to a central server using standard attach request messages, including a preconfigured qualifier, and determines a response token with payload data, allowing data transmission without establishing a full connection, thus minimizing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If user equipment establishes a full connection for data transmission in cellular networks, then reliable data delivery is achieved, but data transmission costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential authentication and data transfer elements from the full connection establishment process. By using attach request messages and authentication failure messages to carry payload items, the system removes the need for establishing complete data bearers, thereby reducing signaling overhead and transmission costs while maintaining reliable delivery through network-assisted forwarding to central servers
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes standard cellular messages serve multiple functions. Attach request messages and authentication failure messages, which traditionally only handle connection management, are enhanced to carry payload items (data). This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate data transmission channels, reducing costs while ensuring reliable delivery through the network's existing infrastructure
2Device complexity
If user equipment uses standard attach request messages for data transmission, then signaling overhead is reduced, but data transmission reliability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the cellular network and central server as intermediaries. The user equipment sends payload items embedded in attach request or authentication failure messages to the cellular network, which then forwards them to the central server. This intermediary mechanism ensures reliable delivery without requiring the user equipment to establish full connections, maintaining low signaling overhead while achieving trustworthy data transmission
3Adaptability or versatility
If user equipment operates in foreign cellular networks without preconfiguration, then network adaptability is improved, but roaming costs increase due to unfavorable agreements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables user equipment to self-serve by using standardized attach request and authentication failure messages that are universally accepted across different cellular networks. The equipment autonomously embeds payload items in these standard messages and relies on the network's existing infrastructure for forwarding, eliminating the need for preconfigured roaming agreements and reducing dependency on favorable commercial terms
4Reliability
If user equipment establishes full connections for every data transmission, then data delivery assurance is improved, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by using only the minimal necessary signaling elements (attach request or authentication failure messages) to achieve data transmission. Instead of establishing complete data bearers with all associated signaling procedures, the system performs just enough action to deliver payload items reliably through the network's forwarding capability, thereby reducing signaling overhead while maintaining delivery assurance
Data Source
AI summary
A central server for communicating with a user equipment and a cellular network is provided. The server is configured to exchange with the cellular network information relating to at least one preconfigured qualifier assigned to the user equipment and assigned to the central server. The server receives a payload item from the cellular network transmitted by the user equipment to said cellular network by means of an authentication failure message for authenticating a user equipment at a cellular network during an attach comprising the payload item, instead of receiving a SMS or establishing an IP connection with the user equipment. The payload item can result from a latest measurement data of user equipment regularly transmitting data to said central server and/or a sensor connectively coupled to the user equipment when operating as an Internet of Things (IoT) smart-metering device.