User Equipment Connection Resume Handling for Different Core-Network Types

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Solution Overview

Problem

User equipment (UE) faces connection failures when attempting to resume a wireless connection with a base station that supports a different core-network type, leading to wasted network resources and delayed communications due to unsupported resource control states.

Innovation Solution

A resource control module in the UE determines if the core-network type of the selected base station differs from the previous one, and if so, it releases the connection, performs a connection-establishment procedure, postpones the connection-resume, or sends a message to an upper layer instead of attempting the connection-resume procedure, thereby avoiding failures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the UE performs a connection-resume procedure with a selected base station, then the connection can be quickly restored, but the procedure may fail if the base station supports a different core-network type

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection-resume success rateVSAvoidconnection restoration time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The UE performs a preliminary check of the base station's core-network type support before initiating the connection-resume procedure. By determining whether the selected base station supports the required core-network type in advance, the UE avoids attempting to resume connections that would inevitably fail, thereby improving reliability while minimizing time loss through targeted connection attempts

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If the UE attempts to resume connection with any selected base station, then cell selection flexibility is maximized, but network resources are wasted on failed connection attempts

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebase station selection flexibilityVSAvoidnetwork resource wastage
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs a preliminary determination of core-network type compatibility between the UE and the selected base station before attempting connection resumption. This advance check ensures that connection attempts are only made with compatible base stations, maintaining selection flexibility while preventing wasted network resources on incompatible connections

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The UE receives and processes system information from base stations regarding their supported core-network types. This feedback mechanism allows the UE to make informed decisions about which base stations to attempt connection with, balancing selection flexibility with resource efficiency by avoiding attempts with incompatible stations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3689091B1Method and user equipment to resume a wireless connection
Publication Date: 2024.11.13 GOOGLE LLC
  • EP3689091B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3689091B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3689091B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

This document describes techniques and devices for handling an attempt to resume a wireless connection using a base station that supports a different core-network type. While in a current resource control state, such as an inactive state (332), a user equipment (UE) (111) or (112) selects a base station (124) with a different core-network type than a previously selected base station (122) or (121). In some cases, this selected base station (124) does not support the current resource control state or does not enable the UE (111) or (112) to transition to a different resource control state, such as a connected state (330). Consequently, if the UE (111) or (112) attempts to perform a procedure that would result in the UE (111) or (112) transitioning to the unsupported resource control state, the procedure may fail and consequently waste network resources or delay communications with the UE (111) or (112).