RAN Node IE Support Indication Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing criticality mechanisms in wireless communication networks are limited to single interface instances and fail to ensure that all nodes involved in a procedure support the necessary functionalities and signaling, leading to potential failures and undefined outcomes during procedures like handover.
Innovation Solution
A method where radio access network (RAN) nodes and core network (CN) nodes exchange indications about the support of information elements (IEs) and functionalities involved in a procedure, ensuring that all nodes involved are aware of the support status and can filter out unsupported IEs before forwarding indications to other nodes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing criticality mechanisms are used for single interface instances, then the mechanism is simple to implement, but it fails to ensure that all nodes involved in multi-node procedures support the necessary functionalities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the criticality checking process by introducing separate indication messages for each node's support status. Instead of a single criticality mechanism, the system divides the checking into multiple independent indications exchanged between RAN nodes and CN nodes, allowing each node to report its support status separately and enabling comprehensive verification across all involved nodes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses indication messages as intermediaries to convey support status information between nodes. These indication messages act as mediators that carry criticality information from RAN nodes to CN nodes and vice versa, enabling indirect communication of support status without requiring direct complex interaction between all nodes.
2Reliability
If nodes exchange detailed support status information for all IEs, then procedure compatibility is ensured, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential criticality information needed for procedure compatibility into separate indication messages. Instead of exchanging complete detailed support status for all Information Elements, the system extracts and communicates only the critical support status indicators, reducing signaling overhead while maintaining sufficient information for compatibility verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial action by exchanging only the necessary criticality indications rather than complete detailed support information for all IEs. This partial exchange of information is sufficient to ensure procedure compatibility while avoiding the excessive signaling overhead that would result from comprehensive information exchange.
Data Source
AI summary
A method performed by a first Radio Access Network. RAN node is provided. The method is for handling supported Information Elements (IEs) related to a procedure involving a number of network nodes, towards a second RAN node in a wireless communications system. The first RAN node sends (301) a first indication towards the second RAN node. The first indication indicates whether or not one or more first IEs, that are part of the procedure are supported by the first RAN node during the procedure. The first RAN node receives (302) a response comprising a second indication from the second RAN node. The second indication indicates whether or not one or more second IEs that are part of the procedure are supported by the second RAN node during the procedure.