Communication Terminal NPN Access Group Identification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Communication terminals often incorrectly assume they do not have access to non-public networks (NPNs) due to erroneous configurations, leading to unnecessary avoidance of network registration, even when they are authorized to access them, resulting in inefficient NPN access management.

Innovation Solution

A communication terminal is configured to store a list of access group identifications and includes a transceiver to request registration with a non-public network, even if the terminal does not initially know it belongs to an access group, and a controller to receive notifications from the network confirming its access rights, allowing it to establish connections and update its memory with access group information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If a communication terminal checks its stored access group identifications before attempting NPN registration, then unnecessary registration requests are avoided, but authorized terminals may incorrectly avoid accessing NPNs due to erroneous configurations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy consumption from unnecessary registration requestsVSAvoidaccess reliability to NPN
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal performs preliminary checking of stored access group identifications against the NPN's access group identification before registration. This preliminary action filters out obviously unauthorized terminals while allowing terminals with potential access rights (including those with configuration errors) to proceed with registration, ensuring authorized access is not blocked

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The network provides feedback by broadcasting the access group identification and the terminal's configuration information. The network then evaluates whether the terminal should be allowed to access the NPN and sends appropriate registration accept or reject messages. This feedback mechanism corrects erroneous configurations and ensures reliable access decisions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If a terminal attempts registration with every NPN without checking access group identifications, then access reliability is improved, but network congestion increases due to unnecessary registration requests

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess reliability to NPNVSAvoidnetwork efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal performs preliminary comparison between its stored access group identifications and the NPN's broadcast access group identification before initiating registration. This preliminary filtering prevents obviously unauthorized terminals from consuming network resources, while authorized terminals proceed smoothly without unnecessary delays

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The terminal performs a partial check by comparing only the access group identification portion of its stored configurations against the NPN's broadcast information, rather than performing a complete authentication procedure. This partial action efficiently eliminates unauthorized access attempts while allowing potential authorized terminals to continue with full registration

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Measurement precision

If a terminal stores detailed access group identification information, then access accuracy to NPNs is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess group identification accuracyVSAvoidmemory and processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal extracts and stores only the essential access group identification information from complete NPN configuration data. This extracted minimal information is sufficient for the preliminary access check against broadcast NPN identifiers, reducing memory requirements and processing complexity while maintaining accurate access control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The terminal performs a partial verification by comparing only the access group identification portion of its stored configurations against the NPN's broadcast access group identification. This partial verification approach avoids complex full-configuration matching while achieving accurate access group identification and reliable access decisions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3866552B1Communication terminal, method for configuring a communication terminal, access management component and method for access management of a non-public network
Publication Date: 2022.09.28 NTT DOCOMO INC
  • EP3866552B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3866552B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3866552B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

According to one embodiment, a communication terminal is described comprising a memory for storing a list of identifications of access groups to which the communication terminal belongs, wherein each access group has access to one or more non-public networks, a transceiver configured to establish a connection with a non-public network even if the memory does not store an indication of an access group which has access to the non-public network as an access group to which the communication terminal belongs and receive, from the non-public network, a notification that the communication terminal belongs to a group of communication terminals that have access to the non-public network and a controller configured to store an indication of the group of communication terminals that have access to the non-public network in the list of identifications in the memory.