Virtualized User Equipment Functionality Split
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mobile user equipment is complex and costly due to high hardware and software requirements, leading to user experience issues and difficulties in configuration and management, especially for IMS services like VoLTE.
Innovation Solution
The functionality of user equipment is split between a mobile terminal and a virtualized user equipment instance hosted in the mobile communication network, allowing for a less complex and cheaper mobile terminal with reduced hardware and software complexity, using a thin client to connect to the virtualized user equipment functionality for service provision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If conventional user equipment is used with full functionality integrated in the terminal, then service functionality is complete, but hardware and software complexity increases and cost rises
Solution Approach 1:
The user equipment functionality is segmented into two parts: a simplified mobile terminal handling basic functions (radio communication, user interface) and a virtual machine instance in the network handling complex service functions (IMS services, applications). This segmentation reduces terminal complexity while maintaining complete service functionality through the network-based virtual machine.
2Adaptability or versatility
If more hardware and software components are added to user equipment to meet higher requirements, then service capabilities are enhanced, but device cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of providing full user equipment functionality through physical hardware and software in the terminal, the invention creates a virtual copy of the user equipment functionality as a virtual machine instance in the network. This virtual copy provides complete service capabilities while the physical terminal remains simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
3Reliability
If vendor-specific and operator-specific requirements are implemented in user equipment software, then network compatibility is improved, but incompatibility between different vendors and operators increases
Solution Approach 1:
The user equipment software is made dynamic by virtualizing it in the network. The virtual machine instance can be dynamically configured and adapted to different network operators and vendors without changing the physical terminal. This allows network-specific optimizations while maintaining terminal compatibility across different vendors and operators.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Method for using a mobile terminal in a mobile communication network, wherein the mobile communication network comprises an access network and a core network, wherein a network node of the mobile communication network or a network node related or assigned to the mobile communication network hosts or provides a virtualized user equipment functionality by means of hosting or providing a user equipment-related virtual instance or virtual machine, wherein together, both the mobile terminal and the user equipment-related virtual instance or virtual machine realize the functionality of a user equipment in or connected to the mobile communication network, wherein the method comprises the following steps: - in a first step, the user equipment-related virtual instance or virtual machine is initialized at the network node of the mobile communication network, - in a second step, subsequent to the first step, a service is requested by the user equipment or provided to the user equipment by the mobile communication network, wherein - with respect to such service - the mobile terminal and the user equipment-related virtual instance or virtual machine together act as the user equipment.