Mobile Terminal Handover Suppression for Cellular Delay Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for mobile terminal operation in cellular networks often result in significant delays and interruptions during handovers between different radio cell types, such as from UMTS to GSM, due to the time required for signal quality changes and reconnection, leading to noticeable delays in data transmission.

Innovation Solution

A method that evaluates the mobile terminal's location and expected re-entry into a radio cell's coverage area within a predefined time interval, suppressing handovers to a different radio cell type if re-entry is anticipated soon, allowing the mobile terminal to maintain the current connection and reduce data transmission delays.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a handover is performed from a first radio cell to a second radio cell when signal quality deteriorates, then connection reliability is improved, but data transmission delay increases due to the time required for handover execution

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection reliabilityVSAvoiddata transmission delay
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary evaluation of location information to predict future re-entry into the first radio cell's coverage area before the handover is actually executed. By assessing whether re-entry is expected within a predefined time interval, the system prepares to suppress the handover in advance, avoiding the time-consuming handover execution process entirely when unnecessary.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors and evaluates location information of the mobile terminal to determine whether the terminal is expected to re-enter the first radio cell's coverage area. This feedback mechanism allows dynamic adjustment of handover execution based on real-time location assessment, preventing unnecessary handovers that would cause delays.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Loss of time

If handover suppression is implemented based on location evaluation, then data transmission delay is reduced, but connection reliability may worsen if the mobile terminal moves out of coverage without proper handover

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata transmission delayVSAvoidconnection reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously evaluates location information to monitor the mobile terminal's movement status. This ongoing feedback ensures that handover suppression is maintained only as long as re-entry is expected, and handover is executed promptly when the terminal moves out of coverage without re-entering, thus maintaining connection reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The handover suppression decision is dynamic rather than static. The system adapts the handover execution decision based on real-time location evaluation results, allowing flexible adjustment between suppression and execution modes to balance delay reduction and connection reliability according to actual terminal movement conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP2672753B1Method for operating a mobile terminal in a cellular communication network as well as a mobile end terminal, a device of a communication network and system for implementing the said method
Publication Date: 2019.05.01 VODAFONE HOLDING GMBH
  • EP2672753B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP2672753B1 patent drawingFigure 4~7
  • EP2672753B1 patent drawingFigure 8

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method for operating a mobile terminal device operable in at least one communication network for a connection change in a communication network, wherein radio cells of a first type and radio cells of a second type of at least one communication network are formed, comprising the following steps: - evaluating information on the location of the mobile terminal device in a coverage area of ​​a radio cell of the first type with regard to whether the mobile terminal device is expected to enter the coverage area of ​​a radio cell of the first type within a predefined time interval; and - suppressing a connection change of the mobile terminal device to a radio cell of the second type if, based on the result of the evaluation, the entry of the mobile terminal device into the coverage area of ​​the radio cell of the first type is expected within the predefined time interval.