Mobility Management Entity Authentication Caching

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Solution Overview

Problem

The frequent transmission of messages between the mobility management entity (MME) and the home subscriber server (HSS) leads to overload issues at the home subscriber server, degrading the performance of the wireless communication system.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that collect terminal-related information by determining if the MME stores the context of the terminal, and if not, request authentication information from appropriate nodes, such as the serving GPRS support node (SGSN), to reduce the number of messages sent to the home subscriber server.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the MME frequently requests authentication information from the HSS, then the authentication functionality is ensured, but the HSS becomes overloaded and system performance degrades

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication functionalityVSAvoidsystem performance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The MME stores authentication information locally after receiving it from the HSS, so that subsequent authentication requests can be fulfilled without contacting the HSS. This preliminary storage of authentication data prevents repeated messaging to the HSS while ensuring authentication reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The MME acts as an intermediary that caches authentication information from the HSS, reducing the direct communication burden on the HSS. By storing and reusing authentication data, the MME mediates between the authentication requirement and the HSS load, preventing overload while maintaining system performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If the MME stores context information locally, then the number of messages to HSS is reduced, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemessage transmission efficiencyVSAvoidMME storage capability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The MME provides self-service by storing authentication information and context data locally, enabling it to fulfill authentication requests independently without continuous HSS involvement. This self-service capability reduces message transmission while the stored data structure is designed to minimize complexity overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3032852B1Method and apparatus for obtaining authentication information
Publication Date: 2021.12.08 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP3032852B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3032852B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP3032852B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for collecting authentication information of a terminal while reducing the load of a home subscriber server (HSS). The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for transmitting a location registration message of a terminal for convenience of the mobility management node selection by a base station, a method and an apparatus for the mobility management node selection by a base station, and a method and an apparatus for collecting authentication information by the mobility management node. According to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to obtain authentication information of the terminal while reducing the load of the HSS.