RAN-Level Cellular Non-Cellular Interworking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cellular networks face congestion due to growing data traffic, necessitating efficient traffic offloading from licensed to unlicensed spectrum, but existing solutions require separate WLAN/WiFi access networks and impact the 3GPP core network, lacking integration at the radio access network (RAN) level.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method and apparatus for obtaining and reporting access point information at the RAN level to manage traffic offloading from cellular to non-cellular systems, enabling seamless integration and aggregation of cellular and non-cellular networks without affecting the core network, using interfaces like X3 for efficient information exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traffic offloading is implemented at the core network level using separate WLAN/WiFi access networks, then network capacity is increased, but device complexity and operational costs increase due to requiring complete WLAN/WiFi access network deployment and impacting 3GPP core network entities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges cellular and non-cellular access network components at the radio access network level by introducing a non-cellular access controller that manages both cellular base stations and non-cellular access points within a unified architecture. This integration allows traffic offloading without requiring separate complete WLAN networks or impacting core network entities, thereby increasing network capacity while reducing deployment complexity and operational costs.
2Quantity of substance
If separate WLAN/WiFi access networks are deployed for traffic offloading, then bandwidth is increased, but loss of information occurs due to lack of integrated information exchange between cellular and non-cellular systems
Solution Approach 1:
The non-cellular access controller performs multiple functions including managing cellular base stations, managing non-cellular access points, and facilitating information exchange between cellular and non-cellular systems. This multi-functional approach enables integrated information exchange that maintains seamless communication while providing increased bandwidth through traffic offloading to non-cellular networks.
3Ease of manufacture
If LTE/UTRA-WiFi interworking is supported only at the core network level, then implementation is simpler, but adaptability is reduced by lacking integration at the radio access network level
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the radio access network management functions by introducing a non-cellular access controller that operates at the RAN level, separate from but coordinated with the core network. This segmentation enables enhanced adaptability and integration flexibility at the RAN level while maintaining the simplicity of core network operations, allowing LTE/UTRA-WiFi interworking to be supported at both RAN and core network levels.
Data Source
AI summary
There are provided measures for information exchange for cellular non-cellular interworking such as for example LTE/UTRA-WiFi interworking. Such measures may exemplarily comprise measures for reporting, e.g. from an access point of a non-cellular local-area communication system or a terminal being served in a cellular wide-area communication system, information about at least one access point of the non-cellular local-area communication system to a radio access network level of the cellular wide-area communication system, and performing, at the radio access network level of the cellular wide-area communication system, traffic offloading management for at least one terminal being served in the cellular wide-area communication system to enable offloading of terminal-related traffic from the cellular wide-area communication system to the non-cellular local-area communication system on the basis of the obtained access point information.