Selective Downlink Data Filtering at User Equipment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current technologies lack the ability for user equipment (UE) in telecommunications networks to selectively control downlink data, particularly in scenarios like roaming, where users want to reduce data traffic costs and conserve battery life, without turning off their connections entirely.

Innovation Solution

The UE can determine which services to filter and send a filter configuration to an infrastructure node, using communication control messages to indicate which downlink data to accept or reject, employing a fast dormancy signal and filtering based on IP addresses, protocols, or data types, thereby controlling data flow and reducing unnecessary traffic.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If the UE blocks most IP traffic to reduce roaming costs and conserve battery life, then data traffic cost and energy consumption are reduced, but the ability to receive necessary downlink data is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery lifeVSAvoiddownlink data reception
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments downlink data traffic into different categories by implementing service-specific filtering. The UE can selectively block or allow data from specific services or hosts while maintaining connectivity for others. This is achieved through filtering mechanisms that examine downlink data packets and apply rules based on service identification, allowing the UE to receive necessary data while blocking unnecessary traffic.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamic control of downlink data reception where the UE can change its data reception behavior based on current needs. The filtering configuration can be adjusted dynamically to allow or block specific services or hosts as required. This dynamic approach enables the UE to maintain flexibility in managing data traffic while conserving energy and reducing costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the UE maintains an active data connection to receive downlink data, then data reception reliability is improved, but data traffic cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedownlink data receptionVSAvoiddata traffic volume
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and filters out unnecessary downlink data traffic while allowing necessary data to pass through. By implementing service-specific filtering, the system separates wanted data from unwanted data, enabling the UE to maintain an active connection for reliability while blocking unnecessary data traffic to reduce data consumption and costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of operation

If the UE uses firewall filtering to block selective traffic, then data traffic control is improved, but unnecessary traffic is still received before filtering

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetraffic control capabilityVSAvoidenergy consumed by processing unnecessary traffic
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary filtering actions at the network infrastructure level before data reaches the UE. By establishing filtering rules and blocking mechanisms in advance, the system prevents unnecessary traffic from reaching the UE, thereby eliminating the energy waste associated with processing and then discarding unwanted data packets.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2946579B1Selective control of downlink data reception at a user equipment
Publication Date: 2017.08.16 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
  • EP2946579B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2946579B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2946579B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to control of downlink data in a packet based telecommunications network and in particular to UE control of downlink data. This is provided in devices and methods for handling such control, for instance a user equipment (101), UE, in a telecommunications network (100). The UE has an associated Internet Protocol, IP, address. The UE comprise at least one processing unit (201), at least one computer readable storage unit (202), at least one communications interface (203), and wherein the processing unit is arranged to execute instructions sets stored in the storage unit for determining that only some downlink data is to be received on the communication interface and sending a message using the communication interface to an infrastructure node (103, 104) indicating that downlink data is to be filtered depending on type of service when transferred to the UE.