Base Station NAS Message Prioritization During Congestion

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Solution Overview

Problem

In conventional LTE networks, base station congestion leads to failure in normal call connections due to the discarding of all NAS messages during downlink transmission and inability to receive control signaling during uplink transmission, affecting base station services.

Innovation Solution

A method and device that identify NAS messages configured to transmit SMS or control signaling, allowing the base station to discard or delay downlink NAS messages configured to transmit SMS, and inform UE of congestion to selectively discard or delay uplink NAS messages, thereby relieving congestion and ensuring normal call connections.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the base station discards all NAS messages during downlink transmission to relieve congestion, then the base station can reduce message processing load, but normal call connection fails and base station services are affected

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebase station message processing capacityVSAvoidnormal call connection
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments NAS messages into different types (SMS messages and control signaling messages) and applies different processing strategies to each type. Control signaling messages are prioritized and not discarded, while SMS messages can be discarded or delayed. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by ensuring critical services maintain reliability while non-critical services can be managed to relieve congestion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different quality treatment to different parts of the message stream. Control signaling messages receive high priority and guaranteed delivery, while SMS messages receive lower priority and can be discarded or delayed. This local quality differentiation allows the base station to maintain essential services while managing overall load.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If the base station cannot receive other control signaling during uplink transmission congestion, then the base station can focus on processing existing messages, but services of the base station are affected

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedownlink message processing capabilityVSAvoidbase station service
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments uplink NAS messages into SMS messages and control signaling messages. During uplink congestion, the base station can process SMS messages while blocking control signaling messages, or vice versa depending on the congestion condition. This segmentation ensures that essential control signaling can be received even during periods of high load.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different reception quality to different message types during uplink transmission. Control signaling messages are given high priority and are not blocked during congestion, while SMS messages can be blocked. This ensures base station services remain reliable while allowing flexible management of uplink resources.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Speed

If the base station prioritizes control signaling over SMS messages, then real-time performance is maintained, but SMS delivery may be delayed or discarded during congestion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol signaling transmission speedVSAvoidSMS delivery time
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments messages by priority level, with control signaling messages marked as high priority and SMS messages marked as low priority. During normal conditions, both types are processed normally. During congestion, the segmentation enables selective processing where control signaling is maintained while SMS delivery is delayed or discarded, resolving the time loss issue for critical services.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the processing parameters for different message types based on network conditions. Control signaling messages maintain their original processing parameters (immediate transmission), while SMS messages have their parameters changed (delayed or discarded) during congestion. This parameter change resolves the contradiction between maintaining real-time performance for critical services and accepting time loss for non-critical services.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2852210B1Method and device for processing message overload
Publication Date: 2018.09.19 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP2852210B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2852210B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2852210B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Disclosed are a method and a device for processing message overload. The method comprises: a base station receiving a downlink NAS transmission message sent by a network device, the downlink NAS transmission message comprising indication information indicating whether to transmit an SMS; when being congested, the base station determining, according to the indication information, that the received downlink NAS transmission message is used to transmit an SMS; and processing the downlink NAS transmission message used for transmitting an SMS. In embodiments of the present invention, during a downlink transmission procedure, when the base station is congested, a downlink NAS transmission message for transmitting an SMS may be identified according to indication information in the downlink NAS transmission message, so that the base station discards the downlink NAS transmission message or performs delay transmission on the downlink NAS transmission message, so as to relieve the congestion of the base station, and therefore, an NAS transmission message for transmitting control signaling can be transmitted normally, the base station can perform normal call connection, thereby ensuring implementation of a base station service.