Multicast Handover Forwarding Using Unicast Flow Identifiers
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems face challenges in ensuring seamless service continuity for multicast and broadcast services during mobility procedures, particularly in 5G networks, where packet loss and service disruption can occur when user equipment moves between radio access nodes.
Innovation Solution
Implementing techniques for multicast data forwarding that involve replacing a portion of multicast data packets with a unicast flow identifier during handover procedures, allowing for the use of shared tunnels and dummy flows to ensure continuous service delivery, either through unicast or broadcast modes based on radio access node capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multicast data packets are forwarded during handover procedures, then service continuity is improved, but packet loss and service disruption occur when user equipment moves between radio access nodes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a tunnel mechanism as an intermediary between the source and target radio access nodes. Multicast data packets are encapsulated in tunnel packets with identifiers that allow the target node to recognize and forward them to the user device, ensuring continuous service delivery during handover without packet loss
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes tunnel connections and prepares data forwarding paths before the handover is complete. The source radio access node begins forwarding multicast data through the tunnel to the target node in advance, ensuring that service continuity is maintained without interruption when the user equipment moves
2Reliability
If unicast flow identifiers are used to replace multicast data packets, then reliable delivery is improved, but device complexity and network complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the identifier parameter in data packets from multicast-specific identifiers to unicast flow identifiers during handover. This parameter substitution allows the network to use existing unicast forwarding mechanisms for multicast data, ensuring reliable delivery while avoiding the need for complex new multicast handover protocols
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the unicast flow identifier mechanism serve multiple functions: it identifies unicast flows for regular data transmission and also identifies forwarded multicast data packets during handover. This multi-functionality reduces network complexity by reusing existing unicast infrastructure for multicast service continuity
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatus, and systems for providing multicast handover are disclosed. In one example aspect, the method includes receiving, by a first radio access node, a multicast flow comprising data packets of a multicast service, determining, by the first radio access node, whether to initiate a handover procedure for a user device from the first radio access node to a second radio access node, replacing, upon determination to initiate the handover procedure, by the first radio access node, a first portion of the data packets with a flow identifier of a unicast flow, and forwarding, by the first radio access node, the data packets of the multicast service including the flow identifier of the unicast flow to the second radio access node.