Relay UE SIP Proxy for IMS Service Sharing

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Solution Overview

Problem

In scenarios where multiple user equipments (UEs) are in close proximity, such as in a vehicle, existing technologies face challenges in efficiently sharing data connections for Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) services due to differences in service providers, Home Public Land Mobile Networks (HPLMNs), and Visited or Registered Public Land Mobile Networks (VPLMNs, leading to issues with routing incoming and outgoing calls and sessions.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a relay user equipment (UE) that acts as a SIP proxy, allowing sharing of data connections and routing IMS/SIP services across UEs with different service providers, utilizing techniques like STUN and TURN for media routing and encapsulating SIP requests/responses to facilitate communication between UEs with varying network affiliations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a relay user equipment acts as a SIP proxy to share data connections across UEs with different service providers, then connectivity and service sharing is improved, but system complexity increases due to need for multiple protocol handling and network affiliation management

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice sharing capabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The relay user equipment serves as an intermediary SIP proxy between UEs with different service providers and their respective IMS networks. It receives SIP requests from remote UEs, performs protocol translation and routing, and forwards them to the appropriate service provider network, thereby enabling service sharing without requiring direct integration between different network domains.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The relay user equipment implements multi-functionality by simultaneously supporting multiple service providers, handling different network affiliations (HPLMN, VPLMN, RPLMN), and providing both SIP proxying and direct device-to-device communication capabilities within a single system architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If SIP requests and responses are encapsulated to facilitate communication between UEs with varying network affiliations, then communication reliability is improved, but processing overhead and latency increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidprocessing latency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

SIP requests and responses are encapsulated within outer SIP messages, creating a nested structure where inner messages carry the original communication content while outer messages provide routing and affiliation information. This nesting enables reliable delivery across different network domains while maintaining message integrity through structured encapsulation and decapsulation processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple UEs are co-located in a small area with separate service providers, then device independence is maintained, but network resource utilization efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork independenceVSAvoidresource utilization efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple UEs with separate service providers are logically combined through the relay user equipment, which aggregates their communication needs and manages their connections to respective IMS networks. This merging enables shared access to network resources and services while preserving each UE's independent service provider affiliation, thereby improving resource utilization without sacrificing network independence.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3616382B1Method and relay user equipment in an internet protocol multimedia subsystem
Publication Date: 2021.09.15 BLACKBERRY LTD
  • EP3616382B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3616382B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3616382B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method for Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) communication registration through a relay user equipment, the method including: receiving, at the relay user equipment from a remote user equipment, an association message, the association message containing a remote user equipment identifier; and responsive to the receiving, performing a registration from the relay user equipment with a network node, the registration including an association between the remote user equipment and the relay user equipment.