User Plane Routing Updates for Low-Latency Downlink Transmission

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing data transmission architectures in wireless communication systems experience high signaling overheads and data transmission delays due to the need for location information to be forwarded through control plane nodes during terminal device location updates.

Innovation Solution

Direct notification of user plane function nodes with location information by access network devices, bypassing control plane nodes, using a routing-based forwarding mechanism to reduce signaling overheads and transmission delays.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If location information is forwarded through control plane nodes during terminal device location updates, then the data transmission architecture maintains proper control and management, but signaling overheads increase and data transmission delay increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol and managementVSAvoiddata transmission delay
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the location update process into two independent paths: control plane signaling (for management) and user plane data forwarding (for actual data transmission). The access network device independently forwards location information to the user plane function node through the routing management node, while the control plane handles authentication and session management separately. This segmentation eliminates the dependency of data transmission on control plane signaling completion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The access network device performs preliminary action by proactively forwarding location information to the user plane function node as soon as it detects terminal movement, before the control plane completes the full location update procedure. This preliminary forwarding of routing information enables the data path to be updated in advance, reducing overall transmission delay.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If location information is forwarded through control plane nodes during terminal device location updates, then the data transmission architecture maintains proper control and management, but signaling overheads increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol and managementVSAvoidsignaling overheads
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the location update process into two independent paths: control plane signaling (for management) and user plane data forwarding (for actual data transmission). The access network device independently forwards location information to the user plane function node through the routing management node, while the control plane handles authentication and session management separately. This segmentation eliminates the dependency of data transmission on control plane signaling completion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the location information forwarding function from the control plane signaling process and places it in the user plane data path. The access network device directly forwards location information to the user plane function node without requiring control plane nodes to relay this specific information, thereby reducing control plane signaling overhead while maintaining proper control through separate authentication and session management procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Stability of the object's composition

If a fixed GTP channel is established between access network device and UPF node, then data transmission path is stable, but the architecture requires complex location update procedures involving multiple nodes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata transmission path stabilityVSAvoidlocation update procedure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces dynamics into the data transmission path by enabling the access network device to independently update routing information in the user plane function node when terminal movement is detected. Instead of maintaining a static fixed GTP channel that requires complex re-establishment procedures, the system dynamically updates the routing path through independent user plane signaling, allowing the data transmission path to adapt to terminal movement without involving complex multi-node location update procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3917230B1Data transmission method and apparatus, and computer storage medium
Publication Date: 2026.01.14 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3917230B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3917230B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3917230B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Embodiments of this application disclose a data transmission method, an apparatus, and a computer storage medium. In this method, a first routing node receives downlink data of a terminal device. The first routing node sends a downlink paging request to a core network device, where the downlink paging request is used to indicate the core network device to search for a second access network device corresponding to a current location of the terminal device. The first routing node receives second routing information from a routing management node, where the second routing information is determined by the routing management node based on a routing information update request from the second access network device. The first routing node sends the downlink data to the terminal device via the second access network device based on the second routing information. The access network device may directly notify a user plane function node of location information of the terminal device, and does not need to forward the location information of the terminal device via a control plane function node, thereby reducing signaling overheads and a data transmission delay.