SNPN Handover Capability Assessment for Service Continuity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ensuring service continuity of terminal devices during handover processes in stand-alone non-public networks (SNPNs) is challenging due to limitations in existing communication systems, which often fail to assess the terminal device's capability to support handovers to different SNPNs effectively.
Innovation Solution
A communication method and device architecture that involves a source access network device and a source core network device, where the devices exchange capability information to determine whether a handover to a different SNPN is supported, allowing for informed decision-making and seamless handover processes by identifying suitable target access network devices and SNPNs based on the terminal device's capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If handover to a different SNPN is performed without assessing terminal capability, then handover flexibility is improved, but service continuity reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the terminal device report its SNPN handover capability in advance during the registration process. The core network device records this capability information and uses it later when making handover decisions, ensuring that only capable terminals are selected for inter-SNPN handovers, thus maintaining service continuity while preserving handover flexibility.
2Reliability
If capability information exchange is implemented, then service continuity is improved, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The capability information is exchanged preliminarily during the terminal's registration process with the core network, rather than during handover decisions. This timing optimization reduces the signaling burden on the handover path while still ensuring service continuity, as the capability data is already available when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal device proactively reports its own SNPN handover capability during registration, eliminating the need for the network to perform complex capability detection. This self-service approach simplifies the network's role to merely storing and using the reported capability information, thereby reducing overall signaling overhead while maintaining reliable service continuity.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication method is applicable to a source access network device. The method includes: receiving first information from a source core network device, wherein the first information is configured for the source access network device to determine whether to perform a handover process on a terminal device, and the first information is related to capability information of the terminal device, wherein the capability information of the terminal device indicates whether the terminal device supports a handover to a different stand-alone non-public network (SNPN).