Modem APN Parsing for Dual-Stack Connectivity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 3GPP standards do not provide a method to define multiple access point names (APNs) for multi-stack connectivity, leading to issues when a terminal attempts to establish separate channels for different versions of communication protocols, such as IPv4 and IPv6, in networks that require separate APNs for each protocol.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating multiple APNs in a single command field using separator characters, allowing the modem to extract and establish separate channels for each APN, enabling backward compatibility with existing standards and supporting dual-stack connectivity by using characters like '/' or '---' as separators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple APNs are specified in a single command field, then dual-stack connectivity is enabled and compatibility with pre-Release 8 networks is improved, but the command parsing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the APN field by introducing separator characters (such as '/') that divide multiple APNs into distinct components. The modem parses the command by identifying these separators and extracting individual APN values, transforming a complex multi-APN specification into manageable discrete elements that can be processed sequentially for establishing separate IPv4 and IPv6 channels.
2Reliability
If separate channels are established for different protocol versions, then connectivity reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal command structure that handles both single-APN and multi-APN scenarios through the same interface. The modem's command parser is designed to universally process APN fields regardless of whether they contain one or multiple separated APN values, enabling the system to automatically adapt to different network requirements (pre-Release 8 or Release 8+) without requiring separate control logic for each case.
Data Source
AI summary
A modem comprising: a wireless transceiver for connecting to a wireless cellular network; second interface apparatus for connecting to a terminal; and processing apparatus which performs operations of a wireless cellular modem to enable the terminal to access a further, packet-based network via access points of the wireless cellular network. The processing apparatus receives a modem command from the terminal, the modem command comprising a field for specifying the name of one of the access points in the form of a text string. The field comprises the names a plurality of the access points and one or more separator characters between them. The processing apparatus is configured to extract each of the names from the field based on the one or more separator characters, and to establish a different respective channel with each of the plurality of access points based on the extracted names.