RAN Node Identifier Translation for MEC Direct Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
In Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) environments, there is a challenge in directly exchanging control messages between the MEC server and the Radio Access Network (RAN) node due to the lack of a common terminal identifier, which hinders effective radio resource management and scheduling for radio terminals.
Innovation Solution
A communication module is implemented in the radio access network node to receive a first identifier used by the MEC server to identify a radio terminal and associate it with a second identifier used by the RAN node, enabling direct communication between the MEC server and the RAN node using the first identifier.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the MEC server uses its own terminal identifier system to identify radio terminals, then the MEC server can independently manage applications and services, but the RAN node cannot directly recognize these identifiers for radio resource management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a core network node as an intermediary that performs identifier translation. The core network node receives the first identifier from the MEC server, translates it to the second identifier used by the RAN node, and forwards it. This mediator resolves the incompatibility between the MEC server's identifier system and the RAN node's identifier system, enabling direct communication without requiring the MEC server to adopt the RAN's identifier format.
2Speed
If the MEC server directly communicates with the RAN node using its own identifier, then communication speed improves, but the RAN node cannot properly manage radio resources for those terminals
Solution Approach 1:
The core network node acts as a translation intermediary that receives identifiers from the MEC server, converts them to the appropriate RAN node identifiers, and forwards them. This enables direct MEC-to-RAN communication while ensuring the RAN node receives properly formatted identifiers for effective radio resource management, thus maintaining both communication speed and management reliability.
3Ease of operation
If a common terminal identifier is established between MEC server and RAN node, then direct control message exchange becomes possible, but the identifier systems of both entities must be unified
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than unifying the identifier systems, the patent uses a core network node intermediary that performs on-the-fly translation. The MEC server maintains its original identifier system while the RAN node continues using its own identifier format. The intermediary translates between these systems in real-time, enabling direct control message exchange without requiring either entity to change its identifier structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A RAN node (2) receives, from a core network node (6, 7, 8), a first identifier that is used by a service, an application, or an edge server (5) to identify a radio terminal (1) connected to the RAN node (2), and associates the first identifier with a second identifier that is used by the RAN node (2) to identify the radio terminal (1). Further, the RAN node (2) communicates with the edge server (5) using the first identifier. It is thus, for example, possible to allow an MEC server (or an MEC application hosted on the MEC server) and a radio access network (RAN) node to directly exchange therebetween a control message regarding a specific radio terminal.