Wireless Network Coverage Loss Recovery via Context Storage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile stations in broadband wireless access networks experience coverage loss, requiring full network re-entry including authentication and capability negotiation, which is inefficient and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves storing static and dynamic contexts associated with mobile stations in the radio access network and core network, allowing for reduced re-entry actions by maintaining information for quick re-authentication and re-establishment of connections upon coverage loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If full network entry including authentication and capability negotiation is performed upon coverage loss, then network security and proper re-entry are ensured, but re-entry time and network efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by storing context information (authentication credentials, capability negotiations) in both the mobile station and network entities before coverage loss occurs. When coverage loss is detected, the mobile station can quickly retrieve and reuse this pre-stored context information, avoiding the need to perform time-consuming full authentication and capability negotiation procedures again, thus reducing re-entry time while maintaining security
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates copies of context information and stores them in multiple locations (mobile station, last serving base station, and other network entities). These copies enable rapid re-authentication by allowing the mobile station to present stored context information without requiring the original authentication process to be repeated, significantly reducing re-entry time while preserving network security through verification of the copied context
2Reliability
If full authentication and capability negotiation are performed upon coverage loss, then proper network re-entry is ensured, but device complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the re-entry process into two distinct paths: a simplified path using pre-stored context information for rapid re-authentication, and a full path for initial network entry or when context is unavailable. This segmentation allows the system to avoid the complexity of full authentication and capability negotiation when coverage loss occurs, reducing device processing requirements while maintaining re-entry reliability through the availability of the full process as a fallback
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-storing context information including authentication credentials and capability negotiation results in the mobile station and network entities before coverage loss occurs. This preliminary storage of essential information simplifies the re-entry process by eliminating the need to repeat complex authentication and capability negotiation procedures, thereby reducing device complexity and processing requirements while ensuring reliable re-entry
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure describe methods, apparatus, and system configurations for coverage loss recovery in a wireless communication network. A method includes receiving, by a base station of a wireless communication network, a message from a mobile station that includes an indication that the mobile station is in coverage loss recovery, and a mobile station identifier to identify the mobile station. The method further includes determining whether a static context and/or a dynamic context associated with the mobile station identifier is stored at a previous-serving base station of the mobile station and transmitting a message to the mobile station to indicate which re-entry actions are to be performed to facilitate re-entry of the mobile station to the wireless communication network. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.