User Plane Path Failure Detection for Timely Path Reselection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mechanisms for user plane path failure detection and handling in telecommunication networks fail to ensure timely detection and handling of path failures, leading to prolonged service interruptions due to lack of endpoint checks and inadequate communication of failure reasons to the MME, resulting in unsuccessful reselection of alternative paths.
Innovation Solution
Implementing methods at endpoints (BS, SGW, UPF) to detect user plane path failures and notify the core network nodes (MME, SMF) to handle failures, ensuring timely reselection of paths and minimizing service interruptions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the control plane connection is used for user plane data transmission during handover, then data transmission continuity is maintained, but security risks increase due to lack of authentication and encryption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control plane and user plane into separate logical channels. The control plane connection (C1) is dedicated for control signaling, while a separate user plane connection (U1) is established for data transmission. This segmentation allows the system to maintain control plane security while enabling secure user plane data transmission with proper authentication and encryption, preventing the security risks associated with mixing control and user plane traffic.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a secure tunnel or encrypted channel as an intermediary between the wireless device and the network for user plane data transmission. This intermediary layer provides authentication and encryption mechanisms, ensuring that even though data transmission occurs during handover, the security requirements are met through this mediating structure that protects against unauthorized access and eavesdropping.
2Device complexity
If handover preparation is delayed until later stages, then network signaling overhead is reduced, but handover execution time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by establishing the user plane connection (U1) and preparing data transmission paths before the handover is fully executed. The network pre-configures the necessary resources and authentication mechanisms in advance, so that when handover occurs, the data transmission can continue seamlessly without delays for setup or authentication, thus reducing overall handover execution time while maintaining reasonable signaling overhead.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure proposes a method of an endpoint of a user plane path between an access network and a core network in a telecommunication network, comprising: detecting whether a failure exists on the user plane path or not; and notifying a node in the core network of the failure in order for the node to handle the failure, upon detecting the failure. With this method, the failure can be handled timely, thus minimizing the service interruption.