Paging Message Scheduling with Priority-Based Mode Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mechanisms for scheduling paging messages in communications networks face capacity limitations, leading to message overflow and discard, especially during high traffic conditions, which reduces the ability to page multiple user equipment devices efficiently.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method that switches between a first-come-first-served mode and a priority-based mode for scheduling paging messages based on the volume of messages, prioritizing higher priority messages over lower priority ones during congestion, thereby optimizing the use of the paging channel capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If paging messages are scheduled multiple times to increase delivery probability, then the reliability of paging delivery is improved, but the paging channel capacity is exceeded causing overflow and message discard
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic scheduling where the number of paging repetitions is adjusted based on current network conditions and message priority. High priority messages receive more repetitions while low priority messages receive fewer, allowing the system to adapt to varying traffic loads and prevent channel overflow while maintaining delivery reliability for critical messages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different scheduling strategies to different paging messages based on their priority levels. Critical messages are scheduled with higher repetition counts and preferred time slots, while non-critical messages use standard scheduling. This differentiated approach ensures reliable delivery of important messages without uniformly increasing load across all messages.
2Loss of substance
If the paging area size is reduced to decrease location update frequency, then the signaling overhead is reduced, but the number of paging messages that can be handled is further limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the paging area into smaller sub-areas and implements priority-based scheduling within each segment. This allows the system to handle more paging messages by distributing them across multiple smaller paging areas with optimized scheduling, effectively increasing overall paging capacity while maintaining reduced location update frequency.
3Device complexity
If a first come first served basis is used for scheduling paging messages, then the scheduling simplicity is maintained, but the critical messages may be delayed or discarded during high traffic conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces priority levels as an additional parameter to the scheduling mechanism. Messages are tagged with priority indicators and the scheduler uses this parameter to determine scheduling order and repetition counts. This adds minimal complexity while significantly improving the reliability of critical message delivery during high traffic conditions.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of scheduling paging messages in a communications network comprises the steps of receiving new paging messages to be scheduled, and scheduling the paging messages on a first come first served basis during a first mode of operation, and scheduling the paging messages based on priority levels of the paging messages during a second mode of operation, and switching between the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation according to the volume of paging messages being scheduled.