Relay Node Management for Wireless Network Access Continuity
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Solution Overview
Problem
In LTE-D operations, user equipment (UE) may move out of range of base station coverage, necessitating the management of ProSe UE-to-Network Relay nodes to maintain communication with the network.
Innovation Solution
The management of relay nodes involves receiving relay search messages, initiating relay association procedures, and periodically reporting link quality between the UE and the relay, with the base station selecting and configuring relay nodes to ensure seamless communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If a UE moves out of range of base station coverage to maintain communication, then network access continuity is improved, but connection reliability deteriorates due to reliance on relay nodes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a relay node as an intermediary device between the out-of-coverage UE and the base station. The relay node receives and forwards communications, enabling the UE to maintain network access despite being outside direct base station coverage. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by providing a indirect communication path that restores connectivity while acknowledging the inherent reliability challenges of extended connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The base station performs preliminary actions by selecting and configuring relay nodes before the UE needs to access the network. The base station identifies suitable relay nodes, establishes their configurations, and prepares them in advance to handle incoming UEs. This proactive preparation ensures that when a UE moves out of coverage, a reliable relay path is already in place, improving both continuity and reliability.
2Ease of operation
If relay nodes are managed with centralized control to simplify operation, then ease of operation is improved, but system complexity increases due to base station selection and configuration processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complexity of relay node management from the individual UEs and concentrates it at the base station level. The base station handles relay node selection, configuration, and coordination, while UEs simply need to discover and connect to available relays. This extraction of management functions simplifies UE operation while centralizing complexity where it can be efficiently handled.
Solution Approach 2:
The relay nodes operate with pre-configured parameters and protocols that enable them to function autonomously once deployed. The base station performs the complex setup work, and the relay nodes subsequently manage their own operations, forwarding messages and maintaining connections without requiring continuous complex control. This self-service approach reduces ongoing operational complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A UE may move out of range of a network. Accordingly, the UE may use a relay node to communicate. To manage the relay node, a wireless device such as the UE may receive a relay search message from a second UE requesting a relay UE to establish a connection to the network through the relay UE. The UE may transmit a message to a base station informing the base station of the relay search message from the second UE. The UE may receive an initiate relay association procedure message from the base station, the initiate relay association procedure message informing the first UE that the first UE has been selected by the base station to initiate a relay association procedure with the second UE. The UE may transmit a relay association message to the second UE including a request to be the relay UE for the second UE.