Tracking Area List Management for Satellite Network Signaling

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Solution Overview

Problem

In satellite mobile communication networks, the high-speed movement of satellites poses challenges in configuring tracking areas (TAs) for satellite cells and managing idle user terminals, leading to high signaling overhead and energy consumption due to frequent tracking area updates and unnecessary paging resources.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves a method for tracking area planning based on the geographical location of a satellite's nadir, where the terminal maintains and updates its tracking area list using a survival timer, and the network-side node performs paging based on an extended tracking area list after initial paging failures, reducing air interface resource usage and minimizing signaling overhead.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If tracking area updates are performed frequently to maintain accurate terminal location in satellite networks, then location management accuracy is improved, but signaling overhead and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocation management accuracyVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring a tracking area list containing multiple tracking area identifiers at the terminal before the terminal actually moves between tracking areas. This allows the terminal to remain in idle state without frequent wake-ups and location updates, reducing energy consumption while maintaining accurate location management. The network side pre-determines which tracking areas the terminal might enter and includes them in the list in advance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If tracking area updates are performed frequently to maintain accurate terminal location in satellite networks, then location management accuracy is improved, but signaling overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocation management accuracyVSAvoidsignaling overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring a tracking area list containing multiple tracking area identifiers at the terminal before the terminal actually moves between tracking areas. This allows the terminal to remain in idle state without frequent wake-ups and location updates, reducing signaling overhead while maintaining accurate location management. The network side pre-determines which tracking areas the terminal might enter and includes them in the list in advance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If paging is performed in all tracking areas to ensure terminal reachability, then paging reliability is improved, but resource waste increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepaging reliabilityVSAvoidresource waste

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by making the paging process selective rather than universal. When the network needs to page a terminal, it first checks the tracking area list that was previously configured for that terminal. Paging is then performed only in the specific tracking areas included in this list, rather than broadcasting to all tracking areas. This localized approach maintains paging reliability for the target terminal while significantly reducing resource waste in other areas.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Reliability

If paging is performed in all tracking areas to ensure terminal reachability, then paging reliability is improved, but resource waste increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepaging reliabilityVSAvoidresource waste

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

5Productivity

If tracking area configuration is optimized for satellite network geometry, then network efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the satellite network coverage area into multiple discrete tracking areas, each with its own identifier. The terminal is configured with a specific list of tracking area identifiers relevant to its service area. This segmentation allows the system to efficiently manage terminal location by referencing specific area identifiers rather than continuously monitoring position, improving network efficiency while keeping the complexity manageable through standardized identification and listing mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS20240340854A1Tracking area update and paging method for non-terrestrial satellite networks

Publication Date: 2024.10.10 ZTE CORP

AI summary

A wireless terminal receives a network identifier in a message received on a broadcast channel. The wireless terminal determines that a mobile network code in the network identifier corresponds to a non-terrestrial network. The wireless terminal updates a tracking area list of the wireless terminal by adding or deleting a tracking area identifier corresponding to the non-terrestrial network to the tracking area list.