MDT Service-Specific Measurement Tagging for Network Performance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current Minimization of Drive Tests (MDT) functionality in mobile communication networks, as defined in 3GPP Rel-11, is insufficient for accurately measuring multimedia telephony (MMTEL) voice/video traffic statistics, leading to inaccurate performance assessments due to the inability to distinguish between different service-specific measurements and the mixing of traffic types within MDT measurement results.

Innovation Solution

Enhancing MDT configuration and reporting to include service-specific measurement triggers and tagging, allowing for the identification of individual service data flows and enabling service-level measurements, which are then collected and evaluated by the UE and P-GW, providing detailed service-specific data that can be distinguished from mixed traffic types.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If MDT measurements are performed without service-specific tagging, then measurement collection is simple and device complexity is low, but measurement precision is insufficient and different service data flows cannot be distinguished

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice-specific measurement precisionVSAvoidMDT configuration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments MDT measurements by service data flow, introducing service-specific measurement configurations that allow distinct measurement collections for different services (e.g., voice, video, browsing). This segmentation enables precise measurement of individual service performance while maintaining manageable complexity through structured configuration parameters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by assigning different measurement parameters and reporting requirements to different service data flows. Each service can have customized measurement objects, reporting configurations, and evaluation criteria tailored to its specific performance requirements, thereby achieving high measurement precision for each service type.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Loss of information

If all traffic types are measured together in MDT, then measurement collection is efficient and loss of time is minimized, but loss of information occurs as different service performances are mixed and cannot be distinguished

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice-specific performance informationVSAvoidmeasurement collection efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments MDT measurement collection by service data flow identifier, allowing the network to collect measurements for multiple services simultaneously while maintaining separate measurement records for each service. This prevents information loss by ensuring that performance data for voice, video, and other services remain distinct and can be individually evaluated.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If service-specific measurement triggers are implemented, then service-level monitoring accuracy is improved, but device complexity and configuration overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice performance monitoring reliabilityVSAvoidMDT configuration overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces service-specific parameters including service data flow identifiers, service-specific measurement objects, and service-level reporting configurations. These parameter changes enable reliable service performance monitoring by allowing the network to configure and evaluate measurements according to the specific requirements of each service type.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3372000B1Enhancement of MDT services
Publication Date: 2023.07.26 IPCOM GMBH & CO KG
  • EP3372000B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3372000B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4
  • EP3372000B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention provides a method for a user equipment, UE, device to perform measurements in order to assess network performance, preferably minimization of drive test, MDT, measurements, the method comprising receiving configuration information at the UE, the configuration information providing information for controlling service specific measurements and for controlling tagging of measurement reports by the UE with at least one of a service flow identifier and an indication that the measurement relates to one of a single service data flow and a multiplicity of service data flows.