Staggering UE Releases to Prevent eNB Control Plane Collisions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Capacity limitations of Evolved Node B (eNB) in processing simultaneous user equipment (UE) releases during mission-critical push to talk (PTT) calls lead to control plane collisions and overloading, which negatively impact performance and user experience.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method for preempting control plane load collisions by determining data activity among UEs and setting inactivity timer countdown values using randomized or non-randomized values to stagger UE releases, thereby managing simultaneous UE releases and preventing correlated C-Plane loading events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the eNB processes simultaneous call initiations for a large number of UEs, then the group call service coverage is improved, but the control plane processing capacity is exceeded causing access class barring
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by detecting when the number of simultaneously connected UEs approaches the processing capacity threshold before the threshold is actually exceeded. The eNB monitors the count of active UEs and identifies the preliminary condition where simultaneous release would cause control plane overload, then proactively applies the inactivity timer mechanism to prevent the problematic simultaneous release scenario from occurring.
2Productivity
If UEs are released simultaneously after group call, then resource allocation efficiency is improved, but control plane collision and overload occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the time parameter of UE release by introducing randomized inactivity timer values. Instead of simultaneous release at a fixed time point, each UE is assigned a different timer duration within a specified range, transforming the release pattern from synchronized to distributed over time, thereby eliminating control plane collision while maintaining resource efficiency.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the inactivity timer uses fixed values, then UE release timing is predictable, but simultaneous UE releases cause C-Plane overload
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static, fixed inactivity timer value to a dynamic mechanism where timer values are randomly selected within a specified range for each UE. This dynamic approach maintains the structured timer-based release mechanism while introducing variability that prevents simultaneous releases, thereby preserving C-Plane processing reliability without completely sacrificing timing predictability at the system level.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments relate to a method and apparatus for preempting simultaneous control plane (“C-Plane”) load collisions from simultaneous user equipment (“UE”) releases on a group call, the method including the steps of determining, by an Evolved Node B (“eNB”), whether at least one of a plurality of UEs has data activity, determining, by the eNB, whether a simultaneous C-Plane simultaneous UE release condition has been met and setting, by the eNB, an inactivity timer countdown value for each of the plurality of UEs using randomized values over a first time interval for the inactivity timer countdown value.