Single Radio Access Network Multi-Network Service Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless devices face complexity and incompatibility issues when trying to access services from multiple wireless networks simultaneously, as they require multiple radio access technologies and transceivers, leading to increased hardware and software complexity and limited power efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A wireless device is configured with a primary and secondary SIM/eSIM, allowing it to access services from a secondary network through the radio access network of a primary network, using an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) server and a tunneled connection, eliminating the need for dual transceivers and complex switching software.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a wireless device supports multiple radio access technologies to access services from multiple wireless networks simultaneously, then the device can access services from multiple wireless networks, but the hardware complexity and software complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway as an intermediary component that bridges the primary wireless network and the secondary wireless network. The gateway receives service requests from the wireless device via the primary network, forwards them to the secondary network, and relays responses back. This mediator approach allows the device to access multiple networks through a single radio access technology without requiring multiple transceivers or complex multi-RAT support, thereby resolving the contradiction between network access versatility and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway is designed with multi-functional capabilities, serving as both a network bridge and a service router. It can handle multiple types of service requests (data, voice, messaging) and forward them to appropriate networks based on device preferences or network availability. This universal design allows a single component to perform multiple functions that would otherwise require separate hardware or software modules, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining access to multiple wireless networks
2Productivity
If a wireless device uses multiple transceivers to access different radio access technologies simultaneously, then the device can access multiple wireless networks in parallel, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the radio access functionality for the secondary network from the wireless device itself and relocates it to the gateway. The device only maintains a single active radio connection to the primary network, while the gateway handles all radio communications with the secondary network. This extraction eliminates the need for the device to operate multiple power-consuming transceivers simultaneously, while still enabling parallel access to services from both networks through the gateway's mediation
3Adaptability or versatility
If a wireless device implements complex switching software to manage multiple SIMs and radio access networks, then the device can maintain parallel service subscriptions, but the software complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway acts as a software intermediary that manages the complexity of multiple SIM profiles and network subscriptions. Instead of the device implementing complex switching logic to manage multiple radio access technologies and SIMs, the gateway handles all network management functions including authentication, session management, and service routing. The device simply communicates service requests to the gateway, which resolves the software complexity issue by centralizing management functions in the network infrastructure rather than the device
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and methods to access services of multiple wireless networks by a wireless device are disclosed. The wireless device attaches to a primary wireless network using a primary subscriber identity module (SIM) or electronic SIM (eSIM) via a radio access network (RAN) of the primary wireless network; establishes (i) a context for Internet Protocol (IP) network data connections using the primary SIM or eSIM and (ii) a packet data network (PDN) connection via the RAN of the primary wireless network to a gateway of a secondary wireless network using a secondary SIM or eSIM; and registers for access to services of the secondary wireless network with a server of the secondary wireless network using the secondary SIM or eSIM. The wireless device can access services of both the primary wireless network and the secondary wireless network simultaneously via the RAN of the primary wireless network.