User Plane Anchoring for Minimizing Relocation Latency
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communication systems, user equipment (UE) mobility leads to inaccurate network node information, resulting in latency due to frequent user plane relocations during communication sessions, especially when UE is in idle mode and moves across different network areas.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a mechanism that utilizes UE location information to select an appropriate user plane function (UPF) during PDU session establishment, minimizing the need for user plane relocation by designating a registration area that covers the UE's location, thereby maintaining connectivity without unnecessary latency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If user plane anchoring is optimized using UE location information, then user plane relocation frequency is reduced and latency is minimized, but device complexity increases due to location-based UPF selection mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary UPF selection based on UE location information during PDU session establishment, designating a registration area that anticipates UE mobility patterns. This preliminary action ensures the UE remains within the same user plane anchor area, preventing subsequent relocations and reducing latency without requiring complex real-time decision mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The UE autonomously determines its location and selects appropriate registration areas based on predefined criteria, enabling self-service mobility management. This reduces the need for complex network-controlled relocation mechanisms while maintaining low latency through intelligent UE-side decision making
2Productivity
If registration area is designated to cover UE location, then user plane relocation is minimized, but network complexity increases due to area management overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The network divides the service area into multiple registration areas, each associated with specific UPFs. This segmentation allows the system to manage user plane anchoring at a granular level, enabling efficient UPF selection based on UE location while distributing network management complexity across multiple manageable area units
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary registration area concept that mediates between UE mobility and UPF selection. This intermediary layer simplifies network complexity by providing a structured framework for area management, allowing UPFs to serve multiple registration areas and reducing the need for complex one-to-one mappings
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described. Relocation of a user plane may be minimized through the exchange of communication session information between network nodes. For example, a connectivity session manager and an access and mobility manager may exchange information associated with a user equipment (UE) communication session to prevent unnecessary reestablishment of an existing communication session. In such cases, the access and mobility manager may receive a session management request from a UE and send a request including the session management request to the connectivity session manager. Based on the received message, the connectivity session manager may identify a continuity mode, select a user plane anchor for the communication session, and send a response message to the access and mobility manager. In some examples, the connectivity session manager and the access and mobility manager may exchange session area codes associated with the location of the UE.