Terminal Network Assistance Metrics for RAN–Application Integration
Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication networks struggle to efficiently support diverse devices with varying data traffic profiles and latency/reliability requirements, particularly in 5G systems, due to the mutual exclusivity of Network Assistance (NA) mechanisms at the RAN and application layers, lacking standardized NA metrics for seamless integration.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a set of NA metrics that are compatible with both RAN and application layers, enabling unified NA reporting through the Media Session Handler, which includes bitrate recommendations and delivery boosts, using standardized XML schema extensions for efficient network assistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Network Assistance is implemented at the RAN layer, then network control and optimization is improved, but integration with application layer services becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a unified NA metrics reporting framework that operates across both RAN and application layers, enabling the same metric set to serve multiple functions and layers simultaneously. This universal approach allows NA to maintain reliability at the RAN layer while also being adaptable to application layer services through standardized metric collection and reporting mechanisms that work across layer boundaries.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces standardized NA metrics as an intermediary layer between RAN and application layer services. These metrics act as a common language that enables communication and coordination between the two layers, allowing network assistance information to flow seamlessly between RAN control functions and application layer service requirements without direct complex integration.
2Manufacturing precision
If separate NA mechanisms are used at RAN and application layers, then layer-specific optimization is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the NA mechanisms at RAN and application layers into a unified framework that uses a common set of standardized metrics. Instead of maintaining separate NA implementations with different metrics and protocols, the patent combines them into a single coherent system where the same metrics serve both layers, thereby reducing system complexity while preserving layer-specific optimization capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized NA metrics are designed to be multi-functional, serving both RAN layer optimization and application layer service requirements simultaneously. This universal metric set eliminates the need for separate measurement and reporting mechanisms, simplifying the overall system while maintaining the ability to optimize at each layer for its specific requirements.
3Reliability
If comprehensive NA metrics are collected, then streaming quality is improved, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and standardizes only the essential NA metrics that are most critical for streaming quality, separating them from unnecessary or redundant measurements. By identifying and collecting only the key metrics needed for effective network assistance, the patent reduces signaling overhead while maintaining comprehensive monitoring of streaming quality parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the parameters of NA metrics reporting by standardizing the metric set and reporting format, changing how metrics are collected and transmitted to reduce overhead. The standardized approach allows for efficient encoding and transmission of metric information, maintaining comprehensive quality monitoring while minimizing the signaling burden on the network.
Data Source
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AI summary
A terminal device comprising: transceiver circuitry configured to communicate with infrastructure equipment; and processing circuitry configured to control the transceiver circuitry to: provide Network Assistance metrics information to the network, the Network Assistance metrics information including: a server identifier that identifies the Network Assistance server; a bitrate recommendation metric that defines the number of bitrate recommendations in a predefined period of time and a boost metric that defines the number of delivery boosts in the predefined period of time.