Slice-Aware Handover Control in 5G Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
In 5G mobile communication networks, the handover process between network slices is inefficient due to dynamic resource variations and unavailability of slices, leading to increased signaling overhead and latency, as conventional methods lack slice-related treatment in handover control.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a two-stage handover control process that includes slice-aware decision-making at the serving base station and slice-aware adaptation/admission control at the target base station, utilizing slice-related information to select the most suitable target slice and resource allocation, thereby reducing signaling overhead and ensuring seamless handovers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If conventional handover control without slice-related treatment is used, then the handover process is simple, but handover latency increases and service continuity deteriorates due to slice unavailability
Solution Approach 1:
The serving base station performs preliminary slice availability checking for candidate target base stations before executing handover. This preliminary action identifies suitable target slices in advance, preventing handover failures and reducing latency caused by post-handover slice unavailability detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces slice availability information as an intermediary parameter in the handover control process. This information mediates between the serving base station and target base station, enabling informed handover decisions that account for slice compatibility without requiring complex end-to-end slice management.
2Reliability
If slice availability checking is performed for all candidate target base stations, then handover success rate improves, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by checking slice availability specifically at the target base station level rather than globally across the entire network. Each serving base station checks slice availability for its specific candidate target base stations, reducing overall signaling overhead while maintaining high handover success rates through localized, relevant information gathering.
3Stability of the object's composition
If slice-aware handover control is implemented, then service continuity improves, but the complexity of resource management increases
Solution Approach 1:
The target base station autonomously determines slice availability and makes admission decisions based on its own resource status and slice configuration. This self-service approach eliminates the need for complex centralized resource management and inter-base-station context exchange, while ensuring service continuity through locally-informed handover decisions.
4Speed
If handover decisions are made without considering slice compatibility, then the handover process is fast, but handover failure ratio increases leading to more signaling overhead
Solution Approach 1:
Slice compatibility verification is performed as a preliminary action during handover decision-making, before the handover execution. This preliminary check ensures that only compatible handovers are initiated, preventing handover failures and the subsequent signaling overhead required for failure recovery and re-handover procedures.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a network entity (110, 150) configured to control a handover of a user equipment (120) from a serving base station (110) to a candidate target base station (130) of a mobile communication network (100), wherein the serving base station (110) provides at least a first slice (110a-c) of a first slice type and the candidate target base station (130) provides at least a second slice (130a-c) of a second slice type, wherein the user equipment (120) is registered to the first slice (110a-c) of the serving base station (110). The network entity (110, 150) comprises a processor (113, 153) configured to control, in response to a handover trigger, the handover of the user equipment (120) on the basis of a requested slice type and the second slice type provided by the candidate target base station (130). Moreover, the invention relates to a corresponding target base station (130) which comprises a processor (133) configured to process the handover request on the basis of the requested slice type and the second slice type. Additionally, the invention relates to the corresponding handover control methods performed by the network entity (110, 150) and the target base station (130), as well as to a corresponding computer program for performing either one of those methods.