MME SMLC Selection for Location Services
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Solution Overview
Problem
In cellular communications networks, location requests to Serving Mobile Location Centers (SMLCs) often fail, leading to repeated failures when the Mobile Management Entity (MME) continues to query the same failing SMLC, preventing accurate location determination for emergency services and other location-based applications.
Innovation Solution
The MME is configured to attempt location requests with multiple SMLCs, maintaining status information to avoid querying failing SMLCs and instead send requests to available ones, ensuring that location requests are not repeatedly sent to a failing server, thereby improving the chances of obtaining a valid location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the MME continues to query the same SMLC for location requests, then the location determination process can be simplified, but the reliability of location services deteriorates due to repeated failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the SMLC selection process by maintaining a list of multiple SMLCs and selecting different SMLCs based on their status. Instead of repeatedly querying the same SMLC, the system divides the workload across multiple SMLCs and selects from them based on current operational status, thereby improving reliability without significantly complicating the overall process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by maintaining status information about SMLCs in advance. Before attempting location requests, the MME checks the status of SMLCs and selects appropriate ones, preventing repeated failures rather than reacting to them after they occur. This proactive approach improves reliability while keeping the process manageable.
2Reliability
If the MME maintains status information for multiple SMLCs to avoid failing servers, then the reliability of location services improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the MME multi-functional by enabling it to manage multiple SMLCs and their status information. The MME not only processes location requests but also maintains awareness of SMLC operational states and dynamically selects appropriate SMLCs. This universal capability improves reliability while the complexity increase is managed through integrated functionality rather than separate systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A cellular network may provide location services so that clients such as public service access points (PSAPs) can obtain locations of mobile devices. A location request is received first by a Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC), which responds by querying a Mobility Management Entity (MME). The MME is configured to query a Serving Mobile Location Center (SMLC) for the location. In some cases, the SMLC fail to respond or may respond with an error indication. In response to certain types of errors, the MME is configured to attempt to obtain the requested location from an alternate SMLC, rather than reporting an error back to the GMLC. Status information is maintained by the MME to keep track of any SMLCs that have returned errors, and these SMLCs are avoided when processing further requests.