Radio Access Controller Decentralized Network Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solutions for access control in wireless networks, particularly in mixed LTE and Wi-Fi environments, face scalability issues and inefficiencies due to reliance on average quality information and centralized entities, leading to suboptimal user experience and increased signaling costs.
Innovation Solution
A decentralized method for access control in wireless networks that assesses access requests based on throughput values for both LTE and Wi-Fi technologies, allowing direct communication between radio access networks to determine the most suitable network for a user, without relying on centralized locators or MMEs, thereby improving decision-making with user-specific quality information and reducing signaling overhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a centralized entity (locator/MME) is used to manage UE location and quality information, then access control decisions can be made with complete information, but signaling overhead increases and scalability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the quality information assessment function from the centralized locator/MME and places it directly in the Wi-Fi Access Controller. The Wi-Fi AC now directly receives and processes throughput information from both Wi-Fi and LTE networks to make access decisions, eliminating the need for a centralized entity to manage this specific assessment function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the quality information collection and access decision-making functions into a single decentralized process at the Wi-Fi Access Controller. The Wi-Fi AC combines throughput information from multiple networks and makes the final access decision locally, rather than separating these functions across multiple centralized entities.
2Ease of manufacture
If average quality information is used for access control decisions, then the system is simpler to implement, but user experience is suboptimal because it doesn't account for user-specific conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality assessment by obtaining user-specific throughput information from both the Wi-Fi network and the LTE network. The Wi-Fi Access Controller compares the user's actual throughput experience in both networks to make an informed decision, rather than relying on average network-wide quality metrics.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the user's actual throughput performance in both Wi-Fi and LTE networks. This real-world performance data is fed back to the access control decision process, allowing the system to adapt to actual user experience rather than relying on theoretical or average quality metrics.
3Measurement precision
If the Wi-Fi AC interrogates a centralized database and communicates with the serving eNB for each UE access request, then accurate user-specific quality information is obtained, but signaling rounds increase processing time and overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the quality information retrieval process from the centralized database interrogation approach and implements it through direct communication channels. The Wi-Fi Access Controller obtains throughput information directly from the network elements providing the service, eliminating the need to query a centralized database and reducing the number of signaling rounds required.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a method in a radio access controller in a first radio access network for providing access control in a wireless network comprising the first radio access network arranged to operate according to a first radio access technology and a second radio access network arranged to operate according to a second radio access technology. The method comprises the steps of receiving an access request (Si3, Si4) originating from a wireless device, said access request comprising wireless device related information including information related to a global cell identity; assessing (P4) the access request based on the received wireless device related information, a throughput related value for the first radio access technology and a throughput related value for the second radio access technology, and responding (Si5, Si6) to the access request based on the assessment. The present disclosure further relates to a method in a radio access controller in a second radio access network, radio access controller, a method in a wireless device and a wireless device.