User Equipment Data Offload via Adapted Layer Protocol
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing demand for mobile bandwidth in LTE wireless communications networks leads to insufficient transmission bandwidth, resulting in higher investment and maintenance costs, as existing systems struggle to efficiently offload data from LTE air interfaces to other access technologies.
Innovation Solution
A method and user equipment implementation that allows data offloading by receiving offload configuration signaling from a base station, de-multiplexing and transmitting adapted layer protocol data units (AL PDUs) to corresponding service access points, enabling data transmission over LTE air interfaces to be offloaded to other available access technologies like WLAN.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If LTE base stations are deployed to increase transmission bandwidth, then mobile bandwidth capacity is improved, but investment costs and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces WLAN access points as intermediary nodes to share LTE network capacity. The WLAN APs act as mediators that can offload data traffic from the LTE air interface, allowing existing LTE base station resources to be shared with additional users through the WLAN infrastructure, thereby increasing transmission bandwidth without proportionally increasing LTE network investment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables WLAN access points to serve dual functions: traditional WLAN service provision and LTE network capacity sharing. By making WLAN infrastructure multi-functional, the system can satisfy increasing mobile bandwidth demands using existing WLAN deployments, avoiding the need to deploy additional LTE base stations
2Quantity of substance
If LTE base stations are deployed to increase transmission bandwidth, then mobile bandwidth capacity is improved, but operational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a control plane architecture where the MME (Mobility Management Entity) acts as an intermediary to manage both LTE and WLAN access. This centralized control mechanism coordinates data offloading between LTE and WLAN networks, managing the complexity centrally rather than distributing it across multiple base stations
3Productivity
If data offloading to WLAN is implemented, then LTE network burden is reduced, but protocol compatibility challenges arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an adapted layer as an intermediary protocol layer between the LTE network and WLAN access points. This adapted layer handles protocol translation and compatibility issues, enabling seamless data offloading by mediating between the different protocol stacks of LTE and WLAN without requiring changes to the core LTE network protocols
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide a data offload method and a user equipment, where the data offload method includes: receiving offload configuration signaling sent by a base station, which indicates to perform wireless network offload configuration, and performing offload configuration according to the offload configuration signaling; and offload data according to the offload configuration. The user equipment includes a offload control unit and an adapted layer unit. Therefore, data transmitted over an LTE air interface is offload to other available access technologies, thereby satisfying increasing mobile bandwidth demands and making up for the regret of insufficient transmission bandwidth over the LTE air interface.