ISC Session Transfer Signaling Delay Reduction via Media Anchoring

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Solution Overview

Problem

The IMS service continuity (ISC) session transfer procedure experiences significant signaling delays, particularly during remote leg updates, which can lead to call interruptions and degraded service experiences, especially during rapid handovers between IP-CAN and circuit domain networks.

Innovation Solution

Introducing a media anchor point to divide the session between local and remote UEs into two independent sub-sessions, allowing only one sub-session to be updated during handovers, thereby reducing signaling delays by terminating SIP signaling at the SCC AS or equivalent entities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the existing ISC session transfer procedure is used, then service continuity can be maintained, but significant signaling delay occurs during remote leg update

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice continuityVSAvoidsignaling delay
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the session into two independent sub-sessions: a local sub-session and a remote sub-session. This segmentation allows the local sub-session to be updated independently during handover without triggering a remote leg update, thereby eliminating the signaling delay while maintaining service continuity through the segmented architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If remote leg update is performed during handover, then service continuity is maintained, but call interruption occurs due to long signaling delay

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice continuityVSAvoidcall interruption duration
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the session into local and remote sub-sessions, the patent enables independent updates of the local sub-session during handover. This prevents the need for remote leg update during handover, eliminating call interruption while maintaining service continuity through the segmented session architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple nodes are involved in SIP signaling path, then comprehensive session control is achieved, but signaling delay increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesession control capabilityVSAvoidsignaling delay
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the SIP signaling path into two independent paths: one for the local sub-session and one for the remote sub-session. This segmentation allows the local sub-session to be updated locally without involving multiple nodes in the SIP signaling path, thereby reducing signaling delay while maintaining comprehensive session control through the segmented architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2496014B1Method, network units and system for reducing the signaling delay in ISC session transfer
Publication Date: 2018.12.05 ALCATEL LUCENT SA
  • EP2496014B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2496014B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2496014B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention provides a method for shortening signaling delay of ISC session transfer procedure, a network element for controlling ISC session transfer, a network element for anchoring a media path in ISC session transfer and a communication system including at least two terminals and the above two network elements. In the present invention, the SCC AS decides if a media path needs to be anchored in a media anchor point MRF, and if yes, then instructs a MRF to assign respective media endpoints for a local UE and a remote UE and connect the two media endpoints together, so as to divide the session between the local UE and the remote UE into two independent sub-sessions: a session between the local UE and the MRF, and a session between the remote UE and the MRF. For these two sub-sessions, the SIP signaling is terminated and sent out in the SCC AS. Thus, when a local UE or a remote UE triggers handover, only one sub-session needs to be updated/influenced.