Source Gateway Context Release in LTE X2 Handover
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In LTE wireless communication systems, during X2 handover, the source gateway fails to release context-related resources of a user equipment, leading to resource exhaustion and network access failures due to incorrect handling of UE context release messages.
Innovation Solution
A method where the source intermediate node, such as a gateway, receives a user equipment context release request message with a terminating identifier, indicating it should not send a release message to the core network, and subsequently releases the context-related resources of the user equipment, ensuring proper resource management and network access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the source gateway follows the prior art scheme of releasing UE context only at the access network node, then the source eNB can release its context-related resources, but the source GW retains stale context resources causing resource exhaustion and network access failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the UE context release process into two independent parts: (1) source eNB releases its context resources upon receiving UE context release message, and (2) source GW releases its context resources upon receiving the same message. This segmentation ensures that both network elements independently clean up their resources, preventing resource exhaustion at the gateway level while maintaining reliable network access.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the source GW receives the UE context release message (sent by target eNB to source eNB) and uses it as a trigger to release its own context-related resources. This feedback loop ensures that the gateway is aware of UE handover completion and can accordingly release stale resources, resolving the contradiction between maintaining resource availability and ensuring reliable network access.
2Device complexity
If the source GW continues to hold context resources after UE handover, then resource management simplicity is maintained, but network access reliability deteriorates due to resource exhaustion
Solution Approach 1:
The source GW uses the UE context release message as feedback to determine when to release its context resources. This feedback-driven approach maintains simple resource management logic at the gateway while ensuring that resources are released at the appropriate time (after handover completion), thereby preventing resource exhaustion and maintaining network access reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The source GW autonomously releases its own context resources upon receiving the UE context release message, without requiring additional signaling or coordination with other network elements. This self-service mechanism simplifies the overall system complexity while ensuring reliable resource cleanup, allowing new UEs to access the network successfully.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
The embodiments of the present invention provide a method and a device for releasing a context-related resource of a user equipment. The method for releasing the context-related resource of the user equipment includes: receiving, by a source intermediate node, a control message, where the control message carries an identifier of a user equipment handed over to a target access network node; and releasing, by the source intermediate node, a context-related resource of the user equipment corresponding to the identifier of the user equipment. With the embodiments of the present invention, the context-related resource of the user equipment in the source intermediate node can be released, so that a new user equipment may access a network successfully, and resources are saved.