User Equipment Data Transmission Under Wireless Congestion Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communications, network congestion leads to back-off timers being activated, preventing user equipment (UE) from transmitting user data via control or user plane connections until the timer expires, which can result in prolonged waiting and performance issues for IoT applications like CIoT and NB-IoT.
Innovation Solution
The UE determines whether a back-off timer is running and, if so, establishes an alternative connection to transmit user data either via the user plane or control plane connection, allowing data transmission to proceed without waiting for the timer to expire.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the network node uses a back-off timer to regulate retry intervals during congestion, then network overload is controlled, but the UE cannot transmit user data until the timer expires, resulting in prolonged waiting and performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional congestion control approach by allowing the UE to switch from the blocked control plane connection to an alternative user plane connection when a back-off timer is detected, rather than forcing the UE to wait passively for timer expiration. This inversion transforms the UE from a passive victim of congestion control to an active participant that can bypass the restriction through alternative pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a user plane connection as an intermediary pathway when the control plane connection is blocked by congestion control. This intermediary allows user data to bypass the back-off timer restriction imposed on the control plane, enabling continuous data transmission through an alternative route while the network manages congestion on the original path.
2Productivity
If the UE establishes a user plane connection to transmit user data, then data transmission can proceed without back-off timer restrictions, but more signaling messages are required to establish the connection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by establishing a user plane connection only when necessary - specifically when the UE detects that a back-off timer is running on the control plane connection. This conditional approach avoids the overhead of always maintaining user plane connections while ensuring data transmission continuity only when congestion control blocks the control plane, thus balancing productivity gains with signaling overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by having the UE detect and respond to back-off timer conditions in real-time, proactively switching to alternative connections before complete data transmission failure occurs. This preliminary detection and switching mechanism prevents total communication breakdown while minimizing the need for extensive re-establishment signaling later.
3Device complexity
If the control plane connection is used for transmitting user data in IoT applications, then signaling overhead is reduced, but during network congestion the UE must wait for back-off timer expiration, affecting user experience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operational parameters of connection selection dynamically based on network conditions. When the control plane connection is available, the UE uses it for its signaling efficiency. When congestion control activates a back-off timer, the UE changes parameters by switching to a user plane connection, thus adapting to changing network conditions and maintaining user experience while preserving the signaling benefits of control plane usage during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamics into the connection selection process by making it adaptive rather than static. The UE continuously monitors for back-off timer conditions and dynamically switches between control plane and user plane connections based on real-time network status, ensuring optimal balance between signaling efficiency and user experience under varying congestion conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
Various solutions for transmitting user data under congestion control with respect to user equipment and network apparatus in wireless communications are described. An apparatus may establish a control plane connection to transmit user data. The apparatus may determine whether a back-off timer is running. The apparatus may establish a user plane connection when the back-off timer is running. The apparatus may transmit the user data via the user plane connection.