Mobile Terminal Idle State Signalling Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current cellular telecommunications networks experience unnecessary idle state signalling when mobile terminals switch between different Radio Access Technologies (RAT) like LTE, GSM, and UMTS, particularly due to superfluous location and routing area updates during short voice calls or PoC sessions, leading to inefficient resource utilization and increased signalling load.

Innovation Solution

A method is implemented in the mobile terminal to perform initial and subsequent location registrations across multiple bearer technologies, comparing stored and current session management state data to determine if further registration events are necessary, thereby reducing redundant signalling by storing and calculating checksums for session management state data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the terminal performs location registration and routing area updates at every RAT change in idle mode, then the network maintains accurate location information for the terminal, but unnecessary signalling is generated leading to increased network load and reduced efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocation information accuracyVSAvoidnetwork signalling load
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal stores session management state data before leaving idle mode, and upon return checks whether updates are necessary by comparing current state with stored state. This preliminary storage and comparison action prevents unnecessary location registration and routing area updates, reducing signalling load while maintaining location information accuracy when actually needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Speed

If the terminal performs frequent location updates when switching between LTE and 2G/3G, then the network can quickly locate the terminal for incoming calls, but resource utilization becomes inefficient due to redundant signalling

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveterminal location update speedVSAvoidnetwork resource utilization
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal implements a feedback mechanism by storing session management state data and comparing it with current state upon returning to idle mode. This feedback loop determines whether location registration is actually necessary, allowing the terminal to update location information quickly when needed while avoiding redundant updates that would waste network resources.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If the terminal performs routing area updates after short voice calls or PoC sessions, then the network maintains accurate session management state, but superfluous signalling occurs when the state hasn't actually changed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesession management state accuracyVSAvoidsignalling overhead time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal stores session management state data before leaving idle mode for voice calls or PoC sessions. Upon returning to idle mode, it compares the current state with the stored state to determine whether a routing area update is actually necessary. This preliminary comparison action prevents superfluous signalling when the session management state hasn't changed, while ensuring accurate state maintenance when updates are truly needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2046085B1Improvements for idle state signalling in telecommunications networks
Publication Date: 2011.03.09 VODAFONE GRP PLC

AI summary

A method is disclosed for method for reducing signalling between a mobile terminal and a cellular communications network having at least a first bearer technology and a second bearer technology. The method comprise: performing an initial location registration event between the mobile terminal and the cellular communications network; storing session management state data when the terminal enters a state in which the terminal is simultaneously registered with the network over the first and second bearer technologies; when the active bearer technology is changed from the first bearer technology to the second bearer technology, determining the current session management state data and comparing the stored session management state data to the current session management state data; and if the stored session management state data and current session management state data are different, triggering a further location registration event.