ProSe Handover Capability Signaling in Mobile Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
In mobile communication networks, handovers can disrupt Proximity Services (ProSe) as user terminals may face different radio environments in target cells, with uncertainty about the target cell's capability to support ProSe, leading to service interruptions.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that enable user terminals and network nodes to acquire and indicate whether a target cell can support ProSe during handovers, by detecting and transmitting capability information, ensuring seamless service continuity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If handover is performed from source cell to target cell, then user terminal can maintain connection with network, but proximity services may be disrupted due to uncertainty about target cell's ProSe capability
Solution Approach 1:
The target cell node determines its ProSe capability support status before the handover is completed, and this capability information is included in the handover confirmation message sent to the user terminal. This preliminary provision of capability information ensures that the user terminal is informed in advance about ProSe support in the target cell, preventing service disruptions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by including the target cell's ProSe capability indication in the handover confirmation message. This feedback loop provides the user terminal with necessary information about the target cell's capabilities, enabling the terminal to adjust its ProSe operations accordingly and maintain service continuity.
2Loss of information
If capability information is transmitted during handover, then user terminal is informed about target cell's ProSe capabilities, but handover signaling complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ProSe capability indication is merged with the existing handover confirmation message (RRCConnectionReconfiguration). By combining the capability information with the standard handover signaling, the patent avoids creating separate signaling messages, thereby reducing overall signaling complexity while still providing necessary ProSe capability information to the user terminal.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a method, comprising: acquiring, by a user terminal capable of performing proximity services with at least one other user terminal, an indication that a handover from a source cell to a target cell is to be performed; and acquiring a capability indication on whether or not a target node of the target cell is capable to support the proximity services.