User Plane Grouping for Scalable 4G/5G Core Service Allocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The separation of control and user planes in EPC architecture has led to poor performance, prolonged R&D cycles, inefficient network access, and un-scalable operations due to integrated forwarding, session anchoring, and application processing, which are not fully separate in existing systems.
Innovation Solution
A method for detecting and grouping user planes based on specific features, allowing flexible allocation to network services, enabling independent scalability and manageability, and supporting geographically distributed deployment with authentication and redundancy mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If user plane groups are not used and separate signaling is sent for each UE, then signaling flexibility is maintained, but signaling overhead increases and signaling time is extended
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate signaling messages into a single user plane group signaling message. Instead of sending separate RRC signaling messages to each UE individually, the system creates a group message that can be transmitted once to multiple UEs simultaneously, thereby reducing signaling overhead and eliminating the need for separate signaling procedures for each user.
Solution Approach 2:
The user plane group signaling message serves multiple functions simultaneously - it can convey configuration information, mobility management data, and resource allocation details to multiple UEs in a single message. This multi-functional approach allows the signaling system to handle diverse communication needs without requiring separate specialized signaling messages for each function.
2Loss of time
If separate signaling is sent for each UE, then signaling flexibility is maintained, but signaling time increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging multiple individual signaling transmissions into a single group signaling message, the system dramatically reduces the total time required for setup procedures. Instead of sequentially sending and processing multiple separate messages, the system transmits one consolidated message that is simultaneously received and processed by all member UEs, thereby reducing signaling time and improving setup efficiency.
3Quantity of substance
If user plane groups are formed, then signaling overhead is reduced, but group management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the user plane group into manageable components with distinct roles - a group anchor node that handles group-level management and individual UEs that handle their own communication. This segmentation allows the complex group management function to be distributed rather than centralized, reducing the complexity burden on any single element while maintaining the benefits of reduced signaling overhead.
Data Source
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AI summary
Various embodiments disclosed herein provide a method for grouping user planes in 4G/5G packet cores to simplify user plane discovery and registration. In some embodiments the method includes detecting a plurality of User Planes (UPs), grouping a first subset of the UPs into a first UP group, in which each UP in the first UP group is associated with a first set of features, and allocating the first UP group to a first network service based on the first set of features associated with the first UP group and a first set of requirements of the first network service. The method further includes grouping a second subset of the plurality of UPs into a second UP group, in which each of the second UP group is associated with a second set of features and allocating the second UP group to a second network service of a plurality of network services.