Mobile Terminal Standby State Management via PRA List

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mobile terminals in standby mode do not receive advertising messages when they enter or leave a shopping area defined by a presence reporting area (PRA) zone, as they only switch to connected mode upon exiting the registered tracking area list, leading to missed notifications and unnecessary network signaling.

Innovation Solution

A method where a mobility management entity provides a PRA-list of zones to the mobile terminal when switching to sleep mode, and the terminal switches to connected mode and sends notifications upon entering or leaving these zones, ensuring targeted message delivery while minimizing excessive signaling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If mobile terminals remain in standby mode to save energy and reduce signaling, then energy consumption and network signaling are reduced, but the terminal cannot receive advertising messages when entering or leaving PRA zones

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidadvertising message reception
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The network pre-configures PRA zone information and monitoring requirements before the terminal enters standby mode. The terminal is provided with a list of PRA zones and instructed to monitor for location changes within these zones while in standby, enabling it to wake up and receive advertising messages only when relevant location events occur, rather than continuously monitoring all tracking areas.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If mobile terminals switch to connected mode upon exiting the registered tracking area list, then location tracking accuracy is improved, but unnecessary network signaling occurs when terminals leave PRA zones

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocation tracking accuracyVSAvoidnetwork signaling overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies different monitoring requirements to different geographic zones. Terminals are provided with a specific list of PRA zones relevant to their service requirements, and location monitoring is applied locally to these zones rather than globally to all tracking areas. This allows precise tracking within PRA zones while avoiding unnecessary signaling when terminals move outside these specific zones.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Loss of information

If mobile terminals continuously monitor tracking area changes while in standby mode, then location awareness is improved, but energy consumption and signaling overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocation awarenessVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring scope is segmented from all tracking areas to only the specific PRA zones relevant to the terminal's services. The network provides a filtered list of PRA zones rather than requiring monitoring of the entire TA-list, reducing the monitoring burden while maintaining location awareness where it matters for service delivery.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3476141B1Method for managing the standby state of a mobile terminal
Publication Date: 2022.06.15 ORANGE SA
  • EP3476141B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3476141B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for managing the standby state of a mobile terminal in a data packet network, comprising the following steps: upon opening a connectivity session for a mobile terminal, a mobility management entity (MME) of the network receives a list of areas, known as the "PRA list", configured according to a given service and the location of the mobile terminal; when the mobile terminal switches from "connected" mode to "standby" mode, the mobile terminal receives said "PRA-list" of areas from the mobility management entity (MME) via a network access point; when the mobile terminal enters one of the areas included in the "PRA-list" of areas, it switches from "standby" mode to "connected" mode, and transmits a notification to the mobility management entity (MME) via a network access point. The invention is suitable for evolved packet core networks (EPC).