Mobility Management Entity Relay Device Access Verification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current 5G network architectures face challenges in allowing remote devices to access the network using relay devices efficiently, particularly in verifying the capabilities and subscriptions of both remote and relay devices for seamless access.

Innovation Solution

A method where a mobility management entity obtains and verifies identifiers of remote and relay devices, determining access permissions based on context information and subscription data, and sends a registration success message to enable network access through the relay device, while also establishing a correspondence for Quality of Service (QoS) control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the network architecture supports both mobile devices and fixed network devices accessing through relay devices, then the adaptability and versatility of the network is improved, but the device complexity and difficulty of managing access permissions increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork access capabilityVSAvoidaccess management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the access management process into distinct phases: initial access phase where the relay device establishes connection, and remote device phase where the remote device accesses through the relay. Each phase has dedicated verification procedures for capabilities and subscriptions, allowing complex multi-device access to be managed through structured, modular steps rather than monolithic complex processing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The relay device serves as an intermediary between the remote device and the network. The mobility management entity verifies capabilities and subscriptions of both the relay device and the remote device, using the relay device as a mediator to facilitate access. This intermediary approach allows the network to support diverse device types (mobile and fixed) without requiring direct complex management of each device type, resolving the contradiction between versatility and management complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the mobility management entity verifies capabilities and subscriptions of both remote and relay devices, then the reliability and security of network access is improved, but the processing time and operational complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess verification reliabilityVSAvoidoperational simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The mobility management entity performs preliminary verification of the relay device's capabilities and subscriptions before allowing it to establish access. This preliminary action ensures that only authorized relay devices can facilitate remote device access, improving reliability while maintaining operational simplicity by catching verification issues early in the access process rather than later

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where the mobility management entity sends verification results and access decisions back to the relay device and remote device. This feedback loop ensures that both devices have confirmed capabilities and subscriptions are valid, improving access verification reliability while providing clear operational guidance that maintains simplicity through automated decision communication

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If the system establishes correspondence for QoS control between remote device and relay device, then the quality of service and connectivity performance is improved, but the device complexity and data processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnectivity qualityVSAvoidQoS management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the QoS management functions for both the relay device and remote device into a unified correspondence established by the mobility management entity. Instead of separately managing QoS for each device, the system creates a combined QoS framework that handles both devices together, reducing the overall complexity of QoS management while maintaining high connectivity quality through integrated control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP4087298B1Device access method, device, and system
Publication Date: 2023.11.01 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP4087298B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP4087298B1 patent drawingFigure 4
  • EP4087298B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

Embodiments of this application provide a device access method, device, and system, so that a remote device can access a network by using a relay device. The method includes: obtaining, by a mobility management entity, an identifier of a remote device and an identifier of a relay device; determining, by the mobility management entity based on at least one of the identifier of the remote device and the identifier of the relay device, to allow the remote device to access a network by using the relay device; and sending, by the mobility management entity, a registration success message to the remote device by using the relay device.