Time Synchronization Subscription Using Serving AMF Coverage Checks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing 3GPP coverage area-based time synchronization method fails to accurately determine whether user equipment is within the service coverage area, leading to unnecessary subscriptions and resource wastage.
Innovation Solution
A communication method where a time synchronization function network element obtains the identifier of a serving access management network element to verify if it serves the coverage area, thereby determining whether to initiate a subscription, thus avoiding unnecessary requests and optimizing resource usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the time synchronization function network element subscribes to a non-serving access management network element to check whether the terminal device is located in the coverage area, then the subscription can be initiated, but the subscription will fail and cannot determine whether to start the access stratum time synchronization indication
Solution Approach 1:
The time synchronization function network element obtains the identifier of the serving access management network element in advance and uses it to determine whether to initiate subscription. This preliminary identification action ensures that the subscription is only initiated when necessary, improving reliability while avoiding unnecessary subscription attempts to non-serving network elements.
2Loss of information
If the time synchronization function network element initiates subscription to check terminal device location, then location information can be obtained, but unnecessary subscriptions waste resources
Solution Approach 1:
The solution extracts and uses only the identifier of the serving access management network element to make the subscription decision. By taking out this key identification information, the system can determine whether to initiate subscription before actually performing the subscription operation, thereby avoiding unnecessary signaling and resource consumption while still being able to obtain location information when needed.
3Productivity
If the time synchronization function network element determines whether to subscribe based on coverage area, then resource usage can be optimized, but the determination process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The time synchronization function network element uses the identifier of the serving access management network element as a copy or representation of the coverage area information. Instead of directly processing complex coverage area data, the system uses this identifier copy to make subscription decisions, simplifying the determination process while maintaining the ability to optimize resource usage based on coverage area considerations.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A
Figure 3B
AI summary
A communication method and a communication apparatus are provided. According to the method, a time synchronization function network element may obtain an identifier of a serving access management network element of a terminal device, and may further determine whether a target access management network element set includes the serving access management network element of the terminal device. In this way, when determining that the target access management network element set includes the serving access management network element of the terminal device, the time synchronization function network element subscribes to, from the serving access management network element of the terminal device, whether a location of the terminal device is in a coverage area of a time synchronization service, to avoid initiating unnecessary subscription. The target access management network element set includes an access management network element that serves a TA in the coverage area of the time synchronization service.