RRC Connection Release for 5G Non-Terrestrial Network UE Context
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Solution Overview
Problem
In 5G wireless communication systems with non-terrestrial networks, user equipment (UE) often experiences unsuitable context when moving across geographical areas, leading to inefficient RRC connection management and potential service disruptions.
Innovation Solution
The UE and network nodes implement a method to determine location changes and release RRC connections proactively, allowing for seamless transition to new coverage areas by releasing the RRC connection based on current location, enabling efficient context switching and reducing signaling overhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the UE maintains an RRC connection when moving to a different coverage area, then service continuity is maintained, but the UE context becomes unsuitable leading to inefficient connection management
Solution Approach 1:
The UE proactively releases the RRC connection upon detecting a coverage area change before the existing context becomes completely invalid. This preliminary action prevents the system from entering a degraded state where the UE tries to use outdated context information, thereby maintaining overall service reliability while improving connection management efficiency.
2Productivity
If the UE releases the RRC connection upon location change, then connection management efficiency is improved, but service continuity may be disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The network provides feedback to the UE about coverage area boundaries and valid context regions. The UE uses this feedback information to intelligently determine when to release the RRC connection, ensuring that service continuity is maintained within valid coverage areas while enabling efficient connection management when moving to different coverage areas.
3Loss of energy
If the UE context is retained across coverage areas, then signaling overhead is reduced, but the context becomes invalid leading to potential service disruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The UE proactively releases the RRC connection and associated context upon detecting a coverage area change, before the context becomes completely invalid. This preliminary release prevents the system from attempting to use outdated context information, thereby maintaining service reliability. The timing is optimized to balance the signaling overhead of context release with the risk of service disruption from using invalid context.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides methods and associated apparatus that address or at least alleviate the issues of a user equipment (UE) context when the UE moves from one geographical area to another geographical area. A communication system (1) is disclosed that includes a non-terrestrial network portion comprising a plurality of cells each cell serving at least one coverage area. A UE (3) has a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection in a first coverage area. When the UE (3) detects, based on location information, that it has moved to a different coverage area it releases the RRC connection based on the location of the UE (3).