UE Handover via Access Node Connectivity Indicators
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current telecommunication networks face issues where User Equipment (UE) may not be adequately serviced due to unsupported services or suboptimal Quality of Service (QoS), leading to potential loss of connectivity when transitioning between different Radio Access Technologies (RATs).
Innovation Solution
The method involves an Access Node providing an indication to the UE about the risk of losing connectivity, allowing the UE to initiate a handover to a different RAT, ensuring uninterrupted service by requesting and analyzing measurement data on broadcast channel qualities and instructing the UE to perform a handover to a more suitable network or technology.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the network initiates handover procedures, then connectivity can be maintained, but the network may not support required services or QoS for the UE
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional handover initiation role by enabling the UE to autonomously initiate handover procedures based on network indications. Instead of the network forcing handover, it provides indicators to the UE, which then decides to handover to a more suitable RAT that supports required services and QoS, resolving the contradiction between maintaining connectivity and adapting to service requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The UE is empowered to perform self-service by autonomously initiating handover decisions based on received network indicators and its own service requirements. The UE evaluates whether the current RAT supports its services and QoS needs, and if not, it initiates handover to a suitable RAT without requiring network command, enabling adaptive service support while maintaining connectivity.
2Reliability
If the UE autonomously initiates handover, then service continuity is improved, but additional signaling and complexity are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The network provides preliminary action by sending indicators to the UE about suitable target RATs and handover conditions before the UE needs to make autonomous decisions. This preliminary information provision reduces the complexity of autonomous handover initiation by the UE, as it receives pre-evaluated handover recommendations from the network, thereby improving service continuity without introducing excessive complexity.
3Measurement precision
If measurement data is collected for handover decisions, then handover accuracy is improved, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement data collection mechanism serves multiple functions: it provides information for both network-initiated handover decisions and UE-autonomous handover decisions. The same measurement reports are utilized by both the network and the UE, eliminating redundant signaling and reducing overall overhead while maintaining high handover decision accuracy for both initiation modes.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of initiating a handover of a User Equipment, UE, from a first type of Radio Access Technology, RAT, to a second type of RAT, wherein said UE is attached to a core network via an Access Node, AN, comprised by a Radio Access Network, RAN, utilizing said first type of RAT, wherein said method comprises the steps of transmitting, by said UE,to said AN, measurement data relating to qualities of links between said UE and access nodes in said RAN, receiving, by said UE, an indicator from said AN, wherein said indicator informs said UE that there is a risk of losing connectivity between said UE and said Radio Access Network, initiating, by said UE, triggered by said received indicator, a handover in order to access the CN via said second type of RAT.