Multicast Service Continuity in Cellular Handover
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Solution Overview
Problem
In cellular communication networks, particularly in 5G and future networks, there is a need to ensure continuity of multicast services when a user equipment (UE) in an inactive state selects a target cell for handover that does not deliver the multicast service, leading to potential delays and inefficiencies in service continuity.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves an apparatus with a processor and memory that determines the lack of multicast service delivery in a target cell and requests reconnection to the original serving cell, using threshold values and criteria for handover decisions, ensuring service continuity by aligning UE and network node decisions for cell selection and handover.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the UE selects a target cell for handover based on measurement criteria, then the handover decision is optimized, but the multicast service continuity may be disrupted if the target cell does not deliver the multicast service
Solution Approach 1:
The network node provides information to the UE about which cells support multicast service delivery in advance. This allows the UE to perform preliminary checks before handover, ensuring that it only selects target cells that can maintain multicast service continuity, thus resolving the contradiction between optimized handover decisions and service continuity reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The network node receives information from the UE about the target cell's multicast service support status and uses this feedback to make informed handover decisions. This feedback mechanism ensures that handover decisions are optimized while maintaining multicast service continuity by avoiding cells that cannot support the service
2Reliability
If the UE requests reconnection to the original serving cell to maintain multicast service, then service continuity is maintained, but handover delays increase
Solution Approach 1:
The network node provides multicast service support information to the UE before handover occurs. This preliminary action enables the UE to identify suitable target cells that support multicast service in advance, avoiding the need for reconnection to the original serving cell and thus maintaining service continuity without incurring additional handover delays
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of allowing handover to any cell based on measurement criteria and then reconnecting to the original serving cell if multicast service is not available, the invention inverts the approach by first filtering target cells based on their multicast service support capability, thus eliminating the need for reconnection and avoiding handover delays
3Measurement precision
If the network provides detailed criteria for multicast service delivery, then the UE can make accurate handover decisions, but the signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network node extracts and provides only the essential information needed for the UE to make accurate handover decisions regarding multicast service support, rather than providing all possible criteria. This reduces signaling overhead while maintaining sufficient accuracy for the UE to identify suitable target cells
Solution Approach 2:
The network node provides specific information about multicast service support status for each cell rather than general criteria applicable to all cells. This localized information approach enables the UE to make accurate handover decisions for each specific cell without receiving unnecessary signaling overhead
Data Source
AI summary
According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method, comprising determining by an apparatus, while the apparatus is in an inactive state and receiving a multicast service from a cell of a first wireless network node, that there is no delivery for the multicast service for user equipments in the inactive state in a cell of a second wireless network node, wherein the cell of the second wireless network node is a target cell intended by the apparatus for camping, transmitting to the first wireless network node by the apparatus, based on said determination, a request for reconnection to the cell of the first wireless network node and transmitting by the apparatus, to the first wireless network node, an indication indicating that the request is for reconnecting for service continuity of the multicast service.