LTE to CS Domain Handover for Reduced Voice Call Setup Delay

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Solution Overview

Problem

In current communication networks, the handover process from LTE to 2G or 3G networks for voice calls often results in significant access delays and user experience issues due to the need for circuit switched fallback (CSFB), leading to prolonged wait times before a voice session is connected.

Innovation Solution

A network handover method that allows direct handover from an LTE network to a CS domain of a 2G or 3G network, eliminating the need for a common called procedure post-handover, thereby reducing wait times by generating a voice session during the handover process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If UE falls back to 2G or 3G network for voice service, then voice service can be provided on LTE network, but access delay increases and user experience deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevoice service availabilityVSAvoidaccess delay
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-establishing the voice session context during the handover process from LTE to 2G/3G network. The network side (MSC) proactively creates the voice session before the UE completes the fallback, so that when the UE arrives at the target network, the session is already ready and can be immediately activated without waiting for post-handover call setup procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If common called procedure is performed after handover, then call connection is established, but wait time is prolonged and call may fail

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecall connectionVSAvoidwait time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent eliminates the need for common called procedure after handover by performing the session establishment in advance. The MSC generates the voice session during the handover process itself, based on the handover request message, so that no additional call setup procedures are needed after the UE completes the network transition.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of time

If handover from LTE to CS domain is triggered, then access delay to CS domain is reduced, but complexity of handover process increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess delay to CS domainVSAvoidhandover process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the voice session establishment process with the handover process. The MSC combines the handling of handover request messages with the creation of voice sessions, so that a single message triggers both the handover execution and the session setup, eliminating the need for separate call setup procedures after handover.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3057357B1CSFB handover
Publication Date: 2019.08.21 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3057357B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3057357B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3057357B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention discloses a network handover method, where in a process of implementing circuit switched fallback, handover from an LTE network to a 2G or 3G network is triggered, so that UE can be directly handed over from the LTE network to a CS domain of the 2G or 3G network, and the network or the UE uses a session generated in the process in which the called party is handed over from the LTE network to the CS domain of the 2G or 3G network. Therefore, a common called procedure does not need to be performed after the UE is handed over from the LTE network to the 2G or 3G network, thereby shortening time for which a user waits before the voice session is connected.