RCS Server Multicast Routing for Network Load Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Telecommunications networks experience performance degradation when the number of user equipment (UEs) acting as sources or destinations of content exceeds a certain threshold, due to the inefficiencies in routing unicast messages for services like webcasts and live television streaming, which leads to increased network load and transmission delays.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a rich communication services (RCS) server that routes multicast messages instead of unicast messages, creating multicast groups, determining UE capabilities, and selectively using multicast or unicast messaging based on device capabilities to reduce network load and improve performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If unicast messages are used to distribute content to multiple UEs, then individual message routing is achieved, but network load increases and transmission delays occur when the number of UEs exceeds a certain threshold
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple unicast message streams into a single multicast message stream by creating a multicast group with a shared group identifier. Instead of routing individual unicast messages from the source UE to each destination UE separately, the system combines these routing operations into one multicast message that is efficiently distributed to all group members simultaneously, thereby reducing network load and transmission delays while maintaining reliable delivery.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of UEs acting as source or destination of content increases, then service coverage is improved, but network performance degrades due to increased message routing overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses copying by creating a multicast group record that contains a group identifier and member information, which serves as a template for routing operations. Instead of performing complex individual routing decisions for each UE, the system copies the multicast group configuration and uses it to efficiently route messages to multiple destinations simultaneously. This copying approach simplifies routing operations and reduces the complexity burden that would otherwise increase with more UEs.
3Adaptability or versatility
If unicast messaging is used for all UEs regardless of capability, then compatibility is maintained, but network efficiency decreases due to unnecessary message replication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by determining the specific capabilities of each UE (whether it supports multicast messaging) and applying different routing strategies locally for each UE. UEs with multicast capability receive optimized multicast messages, while UEs without multicast capability receive traditional unicast messages. This localized adaptation ensures compatibility with all UEs while maximizing network efficiency for capable devices, avoiding unnecessary message replication.
Data Source
AI summary
An improved telecommunications network that can reduce the network load on a rich communication services (RCS) server and/or local routers that implement 1-to-N and/or M-to-N services is described herein. In particular, the improved telecommunications network may include an improved RCS server that can route multicast messages instead of and/or in addition to unicast messages. For example, the improved RCS server can create a multicast group for a group of UEs in response to a request from a UE to create a group of UEs. Creation of the multicast group may include assigning a group Internet protocol (IP) address to the multicast group. The improved RCS server can then determine which UEs in the multicast group are capable of sending and/or receiving multicast messages, and send multicast messages instead of unicast messages to these UEs.