Traffic Steering via Multi-Carrier Connectivity Indication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Deployed radio networks with complex topologies face challenges in configuring User Equipment (UE) with neighbor cells for secondary cell operations due to hardware or software limitations, leading to reduced downlink throughput.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution expands the Connectivity Support Information Element (IE) to indicate multi-carrier connectivity capabilities between neighbor cells, allowing network nodes to make more informed traffic steering decisions and improve UE performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If network nodes restrict secondary cell configurations due to hardware or software limitations, then device compatibility is maintained, but downlink throughput is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-indicating multi-carrier connectivity capabilities between neighbor cells through the Connectivity Support IE during network setup. This allows network nodes to proactively identify suitable target cells for handover before traffic steering decisions are needed, enabling optimized routing without requiring complex real-time assessments of multi-carrier capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the Connectivity Support IE as an intermediary mechanism that carries capability information between network nodes. This intermediary structure allows indirect communication of multi-carrier connectivity capabilities, enabling nodes to make informed traffic steering decisions without directly exposing complex hardware/software capability details to the radio resource management logic.
2Productivity
If network nodes make informed traffic steering decisions using multi-carrier connectivity information, then network performance is improved, but information exchange complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing the Connectivity Support IE to serve multiple functions: it indicates multi-carrier connectivity capabilities, identifies suitable neighbor cells for handover, and provides routing information for traffic steering. This multi-functional approach consolidates multiple information needs into a single standardized structure, reducing overall information exchange complexity while improving network performance.
3Productivity
If UEs are configured with neighbor cells for secondary cell operations, then bandwidth aggregation is enabled, but hardware or software limitations prevent proper configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies copying by creating virtual representations of multi-carrier connectivity capabilities through the Connectivity Support IE. Instead of requiring actual multi-carrier hardware configurations in all nodes, the system copies capability information from nodes that support it, allowing traffic to be steered through intermediate nodes that can aggregate bandwidth even if they don't natively support all multi-carrier configurations.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method performed by a first network node for steering data traffic in a communication with a User Equipment, UE, in a wireless communications network is provided. The first network node sends (601) a request to a second network node. The 5request requests to set up an interface between the first network node hosting a first cell and a second network node hosting a second cell. The second cell is a neighbor to the first cell. The first network node receives (602) a message from the second network node over the requested set up interface. The message comprises indications indicating that: A third cell provided by a third network node is a neighbor to the second cell, the second cell 10is supporting multi carrier connectivity towards the third cell, and the third cell is supporting multi carrier connectivity towards the second cell. The first network node determines (603) whether or not to handover the UE from the first cell to the second cell for multi carrier connectivity towards the third cell, based on the indications in the received message. The first network node then steers (604) the data traffic in the communication 15with the UE according to the determining of whether or not to handover the UE to the second network node.