Terminal Capability Notification for 5G Access Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current communication technologies lack a method for access network devices to determine when a terminal has disabled the capability to access a 5G network, leading to inefficient handover and resource wastage due to the inability to recognize the terminal's N1 mode capability change.

Innovation Solution

A communication method and apparatus that enables terminals to send notification messages to access network devices indicating the disabled capability, allowing the network to learn and adjust accordingly, and includes a core network device to update stored capability information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If the terminal disables N1 mode capability to avoid accessing the 5G network, then the terminal can prevent unnecessary handovers and resource waste, but the access network device cannot recognize this capability change and continues to attempt handovers to 5G

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy waste from unnecessary handoversVSAvoidinformation about terminal capability change
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal sends a capability indication message to the access network device to provide feedback about its N1 mode capability status. This feedback mechanism allows the access network device to recognize and adapt to the terminal's capability change, preventing unnecessary handovers while maintaining accurate information about terminal capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The terminal proactively sends the capability indication message to the access network device before the network attempts handover. This preliminary action ensures that the access network device has the correct capability information before making handover decisions, avoiding energy waste from unsuccessful handover attempts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If the access network device does not know the terminal's N1 mode capability status, then the terminal maintains connection simplicity, but the network cannot make accurate handover decisions leading to inefficient resource utilization

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection management simplicityVSAvoidnetwork resource utilization efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal autonomously manages its capability information by sending the capability indication message to the access network device. This self-service approach allows the terminal to maintain connection simplicity while simultaneously enabling the network to make accurate handover decisions, thus improving resource utilization efficiency without complicating the connection management process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Measurement precision

If the terminal sends capability indication messages to notify the network of N1 mode changes, then the network can accurately recognize terminal capabilities, but the communication protocol becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecapability recognition accuracyVSAvoidcommunication protocol complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The capability indication message is extracted as a separate, dedicated signaling element rather than being embedded within existing complex protocol structures. This extraction approach enables precise capability recognition while minimizing protocol complexity, as the message contains only the essential capability information without requiring complex encoding or integration with other protocol layers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3923630B1Communication method and apparatus
Publication Date: 2025.06.25 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3923630B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2(b)
  • EP3923630B1 patent drawingFigure 3(a)~4(b)
  • EP3923630B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

Embodiments of this application relate to the field of communication technologies, and disclose a communication method and apparatus, so that an access network device can determine that a terminal has disabled a capability of accessing a first network. The method includes: A terminal disables a capability of accessing a first network. The terminal receives a wireless capability obtaining message from an access network device of a second network, where the wireless capability obtaining message is used to request to obtain a wireless capability of the terminal. The terminal sends a first notification message to the access network device of the second network, where the first notification message is used to indicate that the terminal does not support access to the first network. In this way, the access network device of the second network can learn that the terminal has disabled access to the first network.