Paging Processing for Bearer Context Consistency
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the coexistence of 2G/3G and LTE networks, the ISR mechanism leads to a loss of bearers or inconsistent bearer contexts, affecting service usage and user experience due to paging by the network side during radio access type changes.
Innovation Solution
The user equipment receives paging messages from mobility management entities and sends tracking or routing area update messages based on the value of temporary identities (TIN), allowing the network to acquire and synchronize bearer contexts, ensuring consistency between the UE and network-side contexts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the network side pages the UE during radio access type changes in ISR activated state, then the UE can be reached and services can be delivered, but bearer contexts become inconsistent between UE and network side, causing bearer loss or service disruption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the UE proactively send a TAU/RAU message upon receiving a paging message, before the network side can establish bearers with potentially inconsistent contexts. This preliminary location update ensures the network side retrieves the latest bearer context from the other access network node, preventing context inconsistency before bearer setup occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback through the TAU/RAU procedure triggered by paging. When the UE receives a paging message, it sends a TAU/RAU message that provides feedback to the network side about its current location and status. This feedback loop ensures the network side has accurate, up-to-date bearer context information before establishing bearers, maintaining consistency between UE and network side.
2Loss of information
If the UE sends TAU/RAU messages frequently to maintain context consistency, then bearer context consistency is maintained, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by triggering TAU/RAU messages only when necessary - specifically when the UE receives a paging message during radio access type changes in ISR activated state. This selective approach maintains bearer context consistency without requiring continuous or frequent TAU/RAU messages, thereby avoiding excessive signaling overhead while still preventing context inconsistency when it would actually occur.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the network maintains UE context in both MME and SGSN simultaneously, then mobility between networks is supported, but the risk of context inconsistency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the network side retrieve the latest bearer context from the other access network node (MME or SGSN) through the TAU/RAU procedure triggered by paging. This ensures that before bearers are established, both the serving node and the UE have consistent context information, even though contexts are maintained in both nodes for mobility support.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the TAU/RAU procedure as an intermediary mechanism that mediates between the dual context storage in MME and SGSN. When triggered by paging, this intermediary procedure ensures that the serving node obtains the latest bearer context from the other node, maintaining consistency without preventing the dual storage needed for mobility.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a paging processing method, user equipment and system. One method includes: receiving, by a user equipment, a paging message sent by a mobility management network element; sending, by the user equipment, a message for location update according to a value of a temporary identity (TIN) used for next update; and receiving, by the mobility management network element, the message for location update, and acquiring a bearer context of the user equipment. In the embodiments of the present invention, after receiving the paging message, the user equipment sends the message for location update after determining the value of the TIN of the user equipment, and after receiving the message for location update, the mobility management network element acquires the bearer context, so that the bearer context on the mobility management network element on the network side where the user equipment is located and the bearer context on the user equipment may keep consistent, thereby further overcoming a problem of a loss of a part of bearers or setup of a bearer with inconsistent bearer contexts at two ends in a paging process, ensuring normal use of a service, and improving user experience.