Network Selection Priority Field for Roaming Agreements
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current network selection processes in radio communication systems, such as WiMAX, are inadequate for accommodating flexibility and efficiency in managing authorized access and enforcing agreements among network service providers, particularly in determining priority and selection of network access providers.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that include a selection module to process information specifying a list of network access providers, using a field with values indicating priority or selection criteria, such as higher, equal, or exclusive priority for listed providers, to facilitate efficient network selection based on contractual and roaming agreements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If present discovery procedures are used for network selection, then network access is provided, but the process lacks flexibility and efficiency in managing authorized access and enforcing agreements among network service providers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring priority information in network selection lists before the terminal device needs to select a network. The home network service provider determines and establishes the priority ordering of network access providers in advance, so that when the terminal device performs network selection, it can directly use the pre-established priority information without needing to perform complex real-time negotiations or evaluations, thus improving flexibility while managing complexity.
2Productivity
If network access providers are selected without priority information, then more providers can be accessed, but the selection process becomes inefficient and agreements among providers cannot be enforced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the network selection list with priority information as an intermediary mechanism that carries and transmits the home network service provider's agreements and priority determinations to the terminal device. This intermediary structure efficiently conveys the necessary priority information without requiring direct communication between the terminal device and multiple network access providers, thus improving selection efficiency while preserving agreement information.
3Productivity
If priority information is included in network selection lists, then selection efficiency improves, but the information structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the network selection list structure to include a priority parameter for each network access provider. By adding this single priority parameter to the existing list structure, the patent achieves improved selection efficiency without creating substantial structural complexity. The priority parameter can be processed by standard terminal device software, avoiding the need for complex information structures.
Data Source
AI summary
An approach is provided for performing network discovery and selection. Information specifying a list of network access providers that may be associated with a home network service provider is received (e.g., the information may be pre-provisioned, or manually configured). The information includes a field that having at least one of the following values: a first value indicating that the network access providers in the list have a higher priority than unlisted network access providers, a second value indicating that the network access providers in the list have equal priority with the unlisted network access providers, or a third value indicating that only the network access providers on the list are to be selected. A network access provider is selected according to the value of the field. This selection process can also be performed for network service providers.