Wireless Offloading via Location-Based Access Switching
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication systems face limitations in offloading data from mobile cellular networks to WLAN, as existing solutions only support UMTS + WLAN or LTE + WLAN modes, resulting in restricted offloading effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that determine the coverage and location of user equipment to enable seamless switching between different access end devices with varying communication technologies or carrier frequencies, allowing for intelligent offloading by assessing current communication states and resource availability, thereby optimizing data transmission paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If more base stations are deployed to increase network capacity, then network capacity is improved, but investment cost and maintenance cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple access networks (UMTS, LTE, WLAN) into a unified offloading architecture where a single gateway device coordinates traffic across different network types. This merging approach allows existing base stations to serve multiple network types simultaneously, increasing network capacity without requiring proportional increases in base station deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway device is designed with multi-functionality to handle traffic from multiple access networks (UMTS, LTE, WLAN) through a single point of entry to the internet. This universal gateway approach enables one piece of infrastructure to serve multiple network types, reducing the need for additional specialized equipment and lowering both investment and maintenance costs.
2Ease of operation
If offloading is performed only via UMTS+WLAN or LTE+WLAN modes, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but offloading effect is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway device is designed to support multiple access network types (UMTS, LTE, WLAN) simultaneously, enabling flexible offloading combinations beyond the traditional UMTS+WLAN or LTE+WLAN modes. This multi-functional gateway allows the system to adapt to different network conditions and user requirements while maintaining a single unified architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically selects which access network to use for offloading based on real-time conditions such as network load, signal quality, and user location. The processing center can flexibly redirect traffic between UMTS, LTE, and WLAN networks as needed, optimizing offloading effectiveness without requiring complex manual configuration or sacrificing implementation simplicity.
3Productivity
If traffic steering is based on available resources and transferred data amount, then resource utilization is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a processing center as an intermediary between the access networks and the gateway device. This central controller simplifies the system by consolidating the traffic steering logic in one location, where it can monitor resource availability across UMTS, LTE, and WLAN networks and make centralized decisions about traffic distribution. This intermediary approach improves resource utilization while avoiding the need for complex distributed control mechanisms at each access point.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A wireless communication method, apparatus and system are provided. A processing center determines coverages of at least two access end devices; determines a location of a user equipment, which accesses a target service via a first access end device in the at least two access end devices; determines that the user equipment is capable of accessing the target service via a second access end device according to the location of the user equipment and a coverage of the second access end device; and sends indication information used for indicating that the user equipment accesses the target service via the second access end device to the user equipment.