Mobile Switching Center Paging Method for LTE Network Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the context of the SAE network, when the VLR loses subscriber data and the HLR fails to return the MME identification, existing technologies face challenges in successfully paging the terminal, leading to call failures due to the inability to obtain necessary information for paging.
Innovation Solution
A paging method and apparatus that involves the mobile switching center analyzing user identification to determine if the UE is in the LTE network, finding overlapping MMEs, and sending paging messages to these MMEs, along with performing location update or service requests, ensuring that subscriber data are processed correctly for successful paging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the VLR loses subscriber data and relies on HLR to return MME identification for paging, then the paging process can proceed through traditional channels, but the system fails when HLR cannot return the MME identification, leading to call failures
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile switching center performs preliminary analysis of user identification to determine if the UE is in the LTE network before attempting traditional paging. This preliminary action allows the system to prepare alternative paging paths in advance, preventing failure when the traditional HLR-based method cannot retrieve MME identification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the mobile switching center directly communicates with multiple mobility management entities to obtain user location information, bypassing the failed HLR intermediary. This alternative intermediary path enables successful paging when the traditional HLR-VLR chain fails.
2Ease of operation
If the system uses traditional paging through HLR and VLR, then the process is simple and direct, but it becomes ineffective when subscriber data is lost and MME identification cannot be retrieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic paging approach where the mobile switching center adapts its paging strategy based on real-time analysis of user identification and network status. The system dynamically switches from traditional HLR-based paging to direct MME querying when conditions indicate the traditional method will fail, maintaining both simplicity and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the paging parameters by directly querying multiple mobility management entities with user identification information instead of relying on HLR to provide MME identification. This parameter change in the paging process allows the system to succeed where the traditional approach fails.
3Reliability
If the mobile switching center queries multiple mobility management entities for user location, then paging success rate improves when traditional methods fail, but the complexity of the paging process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile switching center performs preliminary analysis of user identification to determine LTE network presence before initiating multi-MME paging. This preliminary action filters cases that need extended paging, reducing the overall time impact while maintaining high success rates for problematic cases.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial excessive action by querying multiple mobility management entities only when necessary (when traditional paging fails or user identification suggests LTE network presence). This selective approach ensures high paging success rate while minimizing the time overhead associated with querying multiple entities.
Data Source
AI summary
A paging method includes, when needing to page a user equipment (UE) according to service requirements, a mobile switching center (MSC) analyzing a user identification if finding that subscriber data are lost at present, judging whether the UE has a possibility of residing in a long term evolution (LTE) network, if yes, finding out one or more mobility management entities (MMEs) which are overlapped with the coverage area of the MSC itself, and sending a paging message for the UE to the MMEs. An MSC includes a first module, a second module, a third module and a fourth module. With the paging method and apparatus provided, the UE in the LTE can be successfully paged under the condition that a visitor location register (VLR) loses the subscriber data and a home location register (HLR) fails to return an MME identification.