Wireless Device Network Selection via Buffering
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless devices often connect to low-priority networks when their preferred high-priority network is unavailable or overloaded, leading to suboptimal service, and existing solutions lack efficient mechanisms for seamless handovers without permission from the low-priority network.
Innovation Solution
A wireless communication system that maintains a buffer of data being sent to the device via a low-priority network and broadcasts availability and signal strength indicators, allowing the device to proactively disconnect from the low-priority network and reconnect to the high-priority network when conditions improve, using control channel messages to manage the handover process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a wireless device connects to a low-priority network when the high-priority network is unavailable or overloaded, then the device can maintain continuous service, but the service quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The high-priority network pre-buffers data packets before the handover occurs. When the wireless device disconnects from the low-priority network and reconnects to the high-priority network, the buffered packets are already available for immediate transmission, eliminating service quality degradation during the transition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary buffering mechanism in the high-priority network that temporarily holds data packets. This intermediary buffer acts as a bridge between the low-priority network connection and the high-priority network reconnection, ensuring seamless data transmission during handover.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the wireless device manually switches between networks, then network selection flexibility is improved, but handover efficiency and data continuity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the wireless device monitors network conditions (signal strength, availability indicators) and automatically triggers handover decisions. The network infrastructure also provides feedback through availability indicators and signal strength measurements, enabling the device to autonomously optimize network selection without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless device performs self-service by autonomously monitoring network conditions, deciding when to handover between networks, and managing the reconnection process. The high-priority network automatically buffers data and resumes transmission without requiring device intervention, making the entire handover process self-managing and efficient.
3Reliability
If data transmission continues over the low-priority network during handover, then service continuity is maintained, but data loss and transmission efficiency worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The high-priority network performs preliminary actions by buffering data packets in advance before the wireless device completes its reconnection. This pre-buffering ensures that when the device reconnects, data transmission can resume immediately without loss, even though the device was temporarily connected to the low-priority network.
Data Source
AI summary
A first wireless communication network stores a buffer of data that is concurrently being sent to a wireless device via a first active connection with a second wireless communication network. A first indicator is received by the wireless device. The first indicator is associated with an availability of an access node of the first wireless communication network to serve the wireless device. Based on the first indicator and based on a second indicator of a signal strength associated with the access node, the wireless device ends the first active connection. The first wireless communication network provisions a second active connection to the wireless device. The first wireless communication network provisions the second active connection in response to a request by the wireless device. Data not already received by the wireless device is provided, via the second active connection, to the wireless device.