MME Membership Verification for Hybrid HeNB Handover
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing wireless communication systems face challenges in efficiently performing membership verification and access control, particularly during handover procedures in hybrid cell environments, which can lead to increased signaling overhead and handover delays due to the need for core network involvement and membership verification by the Mobility Management Entity (MME).
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced where the Mobility Management Entity (MME) performs membership verification by receiving a path switch request message with a Closed Group Subscription (CSG) ID and access mode from the target HeNB, and transmits verified user equipment (UE) membership information, allowing for efficient access control and prioritization based on membership status, even when the target HeNB operates in a closed mode or hybrid mode.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the MME performs membership verification during handover in hybrid cell environments, then access control reliability is improved, but signaling overhead increases and handover delays occur
Solution Approach 1:
The MME performs membership verification in advance during the handover preparation phase, before the handover is executed. The MME receives handover request information from the source eNB, verifies the UE's membership status for the target HeNB, and determines access permission beforehand. This preliminary verification ensures that when handover occurs, the access control decision is already made, avoiding delays during the actual handover execution.
Solution Approach 2:
The membership verification function is extracted from the general handover procedure and performed as a separate, dedicated process by the MME. The MME specifically handles the verification of UE membership status for hybrid cells, separating this access control function from the core handover signaling flow. This extraction allows the verification to be performed independently and efficiently without blocking the overall handover process.
2Reliability
If the MME performs membership verification during handover, then access control accuracy is improved, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The membership verification process is merged with the existing handover signaling流程. The MME utilizes the handover request information already being transmitted from the source eNB and combines the membership verification with this existing signaling exchange. By merging the verification function into the established handover signaling framework, the patent avoids creating separate dedicated verification signaling, thereby reducing additional overhead while maintaining accurate access control.
3Speed
If direct X2 interface handovers are used in hybrid cell environments, then handover speed is improved, but access control capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The MME acts as an intermediary between the direct X2 interface handover process and the access control requirement. Even though the source eNB and target HeNB communicate directly via X2 interface for fast handover, the MME intermediates the membership verification process by receiving handover request information from the source eNB, verifying UE membership status, and providing access control decisions. This intermediary role enables the system to maintain both the speed of direct X2 handover and the reliability of centralized access control.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for performing a membership verification or an access control in a wireless communication system is provided. A mobility management entity (MME) performs the membership verification or the access control of a user equipment (UE), and transmits verified UE membership information to a target HeNB.