User Equipment Handover for Cross-Domain Location Service Continuity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems face challenges in seamlessly transitioning user equipment between different network domains, such as 3GPP 5G systems and 3GPP EPS, for providing continuous location services over a user plane.
Innovation Solution
The method involves receiving assistance information from a first network function in a first domain to establish a data connection with a user plane server in another domain, utilizing address information and unique identifiers to facilitate handover and ensure continuous location services.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If user equipment is handed over from one domain to another domain, then mobility and network flexibility are improved, but location service continuity may be interrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by providing assistance information to the user equipment before the handover occurs. This assistance information includes address information and identification information of the target user plane server in the target domain, enabling the UE to establish connectivity to the location service function continuously across domain boundaries without interruption during the handover process.
2Reliability
If assistance information is provided to user equipment for domain handover, then location service continuity is maintained, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the assistance information provision with existing handover signaling procedures. The assistance information is integrated into the handover command or related signaling messages that are already being exchanged between network functions, thereby maintaining location service continuity without adding separate dedicated signaling exchanges and minimizing additional overhead.
3Ease of operation
If user plane server address information is provided for another domain, then seamless connectivity is achieved, but information security requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the source user plane function as an intermediary that securely provides assistance information to the user equipment. This intermediary role ensures that address information and identification information of target domain servers are transmitted through a trusted network function, enabling seamless connectivity while maintaining security through controlled information distribution rather than exposing all domain details directly to the UE.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an apparatus, method, and computer program for causing a user equipment to perform: receiving, when the user equipment is located in a first domain, from a first network function located in the first domain, assistance information identifying a user plane server providing location services for the user equipment over a user plane of another domain; and establishing, after handover of the user equipment from the first domain to the another domain is performed, a data connection with the user plane server for providing location services for the user equipment over the user plane of the another domain, based on the assistance information.