UE Detach Timer for Cellular Network Context Preservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional user equipment (UE) devices experience inefficient power usage and increased signaling overhead due to the need to perform repeated attach and detach procedures when transitioning between cellular networks, such as LTE/UMTS, and short-range networks like WiFi/Bluetooth, leading to delays and power consumption issues.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a detach timer mechanism that allows UE to store registration and bearer context data, power down the cellular connection, and reconnect to the cellular network via a service request before the timer expires, thereby avoiding the need for attach procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional UE performs attach and detach procedures for every toggle between cellular network and short-range network, then network connectivity is maintained, but power consumption increases and signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The UE stores registration and bearer context data from the cellular network before transitioning to the short-range network. This preliminary action preserves the network context, enabling faster reconnection without full attach procedures, thus reducing power consumption while maintaining connectivity reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a detach timer as an intermediary mechanism that mediates between the cellular network and short-range network transitions. The timer allows the UE to remain in a suspended state with preserved context, acting as a buffer that reduces the frequency of full attach/detach cycles and thereby reduces power consumption
2Reliability
If conventional UE performs attach and detach procedures for every toggle between cellular network and short-range network, then network connectivity is maintained, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
By storing registration and bearer context data before network transition, the UE performs preliminary action that preserves signaling-relevant information. This reduces the need for repeated signaling exchanges during reconnection, thereby reducing signaling overhead while maintaining network connectivity
Solution Approach 2:
The detach timer serves as an intermediary that reduces signaling overhead by allowing the UE to bypass full attach procedures during reconnection. The timer mechanism enables context preservation and reduces the frequency of signaling-intensive attach/detach cycles
3Reliability
If conventional UE performs attach and detach procedures for every toggle between cellular network and short-range network, then network reconnection is achieved, but transition delay increases
Solution Approach 1:
The UE performs preliminary action by storing registration and bearer context data before transitioning to short-range network. This pre-preservation of context enables faster reconnection without requiring time-consuming full attach procedures, thus reducing transition delay while ensuring reliable network reconnection
Solution Approach 2:
The detach timer acts as an intermediary that reduces transition delay by enabling a simplified reconnection process. The timer mechanism allows the UE to resume cellular connectivity quickly without waiting for full attach procedures, thereby reducing loss of time during network transitions
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are apparatus, systems and methods for improved mobility between wireless networks. A method may comprise, at a user equipment (“UE”) in communication with a cellular network activating a detach timer for the cellular network, detecting a short-range network, communicating with the short-range network, storing registration and bearer context data related to the cellular network, interrupting communication with the cellular network, and prior to the expiration of the detach timer, reconnecting to the cellular network via a service request without using an attach procedure.