MME Feature Announcement for Data-Centric UE Attachment

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is a need for an efficient method to connect User Equipment (UE) to a Mobility Management Entity (MME) that supports specific supplementary functions in wireless communication systems, particularly for data-centric communication, as existing systems lack an effective mechanism for UE to identify and connect to MMEs with the necessary features.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves a wireless communication system and method that enables UE to efficiently connect to an MME supporting the intended supplementary functions by using signal flow diagrams and flowcharts to manage attachments and feature notifications, ensuring the UE can perform data-centric communication efficiently by identifying and selecting MMEs with the required features.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the UE connects to any MME in the network, then the connection establishment is simple and fast, but the UE cannot access supplementary functions that require specific MME features

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveAccess to supplementary functionsVSAvoidConnection establishment complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The MME publicly announces its supported supplementary functions and features in advance through system information blocks (SIB) or other signaling mechanisms before the UE attempts to connect. This allows the UE to identify compatible MMEs beforehand, ensuring both adaptability to supplementary functions and efficient connection establishment without trial-and-error attempts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where the MME communicates its capability information to the UE, and the UE uses this information to select an appropriate MME. This bidirectional information exchange ensures that the UE can access required supplementary functions while maintaining simple and efficient connection procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Adaptability or versatility

If the UE attempts to connect to multiple MMEs to find one supporting the required supplementary function, then the adaptability to supplementary functions is improved, but the connection establishment time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveSupplementary function supportVSAvoidConnection establishment time
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The MME publishes its supported supplementary functions in advance through broadcasting or dedicated signaling before the UE connection attempt. This preliminary announcement allows the UE to identify a compatible MME in a single attempt, eliminating the need to try multiple MMEs and significantly reducing connection establishment time while maintaining full adaptability to supplementary functions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If the network uses a centralized MME for all UEs, then the network structure is simple, but UEs requiring specific supplementary functions cannot connect to MMEs with the required features

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveFeature-specific MME accessVSAvoidNetwork structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The network is segmented into multiple MMEs, each specializing in specific supplementary functions or feature sets. This segmentation allows different UEs with different requirements to be served by appropriately specialized MMEs, achieving both feature-specific access and manageable network complexity through functional decomposition.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different MMEs are assigned different supplementary function capabilities based on local requirements and network deployment needs. This local quality approach allows the network to provide feature-specific MME access without requiring a completely complex centralized structure, as each MME can be independently configured with specific capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3531728B1Wireless communication system and method for establishing a connection between user equipment and a mobility management entity thereof
Publication Date: 2023.09.27 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP3531728B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3531728B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3531728B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a wireless communication system and method for establishing connection between a User Equipment (UE) and a Mobility Management Entity (MME) in the wireless communication system in which the data-centric terminal requests the mobility management entity for attachment and checks, when the mobility management entity responds, data-centric features supported by the mobility management entity. According to the present invention, it is possible to connect the data-centric terminal to the mobility management entity supporting the data-centric features of the corresponding data-centric terminal efficiently in the wireless communication system.