SCEF-Based Reachability Notification for PSM Power Saving
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Solution Overview
Problem
In mobile wireless communication networks, user equipment in power saving mode (PSM) cannot receive mobile terminated services, leading to rejected traffic delivery and network congestion due to lack of awareness of PSM state by application services, causing unnecessary signaling and data buffering.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where application services subscribe to triggers via the Service Capability Exposure Function (SCEF) to monitor the reachability of user equipment, allowing for notification when the equipment is available to receive data, and deactivating PSM mode when necessary to facilitate mobile terminated data delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If user equipment enters power saving mode (PSM) to conserve battery energy, then battery life is extended, but the user equipment becomes unable to receive mobile terminated services and traffic delivery is rejected
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the network side (MME/SGSN) monitors the PSM state of user equipment and provides reachability information to application services through the SCEF. This feedback loop allows application services to make informed decisions about data transmission timing, ensuring reliable delivery while respecting the PSM state and energy conservation goals.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by notifying application services in advance about the user equipment's reachability status and PSM state. The SCEF provides提前 notification about when the UE will be reachable, allowing application services to prepare data transmission timing appropriately, thus ensuring reliable delivery without forcing the UE to exit PSM unnecessarily.
2Productivity
If application services continue to send data to PSM-enabled user equipment without awareness of PSM state, then data transmission attempts are made, but network congestion occurs due to unnecessary signaling and data buffering
Solution Approach 1:
The Service Capability Exposure Function (SCEF) acts as an intermediary between application services and the mobility management entities (MME/SGSN). It exposes reachability information and PSM state to application services, enabling them to make intelligent transmission decisions. This intermediary mechanism prevents unnecessary data transmission attempts and reduces network signaling overhead without requiring changes to application services themselves.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables application services to self-manage their data transmission timing by providing them with reachability information through the SCEF. Application services can autonomously determine when to transmit data based on the UE's current state, eliminating the need for network-side intervention to prevent each unnecessary transmission attempt and reducing overall network signaling load.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method is provided in one example embodiment and may include determining that a periodic timer for a user equipment (UE) is about to expire; communicating to an application service, prior to expiration of the periodic timer for the UE, an indication associated with an availability of the UE to receive data from the application service; and communicating the data from the application service to the UE upon receiving the indication. In some cases, the method can include registering, by the application service, to receive the indication from a Mobility Management Entity (MME) or a serving General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) support node (SGSN), wherein the registering is performed via a service capability exposure function (SCEF) in communication with the MME or the SGSN and the application service.