WLAN Aggregation Control for 5G UE Mobility
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing WLAN aggregation performance in 5G communication systems is hindered by high signaling overhead and poor data continuity during UE mobility scenarios, leading to suboptimal data transmission rates and user experience.
Innovation Solution
The method involves acquiring WLAN information about a UE by interoperation between the radio access network and a WLAN Termination (WT) node, optimizing the WLAN aggregation process to reduce signaling overhead and maintain data continuity during handovers, thereby enhancing WLAN aggregation performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If WLAN aggregation is established for UE to offload data, then data transmission rate is improved, but signaling overhead increases during handover
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-establishing WLAN aggregation configuration and maintaining WT context information before handover occurs. The source eNB stores WLAN measurement reports and aggregation parameters, allowing the target eNB to quickly restore aggregation without re-negotiating, thus reducing signaling overhead during mobility while maintaining high data transmission rates.
2Reliability
If WLAN aggregation is maintained during handover, then data continuity is improved, but transmission rate during handover deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses preliminary action by pre-configuring WLAN aggregation parameters and maintaining context information in the source eNB before handover. This allows the target eNB to quickly restore the aggregation connection without interruption, ensuring data continuity is maintained while minimizing transmission rate impact during the handover process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the WT (WLAN Termination) as an intermediary that maintains the WLAN aggregation connection independently during handover. The WT acts as a mediator between the UE and the core network, preserving the aggregation tunnel and ensuring continuous data transmission even when the serving eNB changes, thus resolving the contradiction between continuity and transmission rate.
3Device complexity
If base station controls WLAN aggregation creation and deletion, then aggregation control is simplified, but aggregation performance during mobility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the source eNB pre-store WLAN measurement reports, aggregation configuration parameters, and WT context information before handover. This allows the target eNB to automatically restore aggregation performance without requiring complex real-time control decisions, thus simplifying control while maintaining high aggregation performance during mobility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback mechanisms where the UE reports WLAN measurement reports to the eNB, which then uses this feedback information to make informed decisions about aggregation setup and handover. This feedback loop enables the system to adapt to changing mobility conditions while maintaining simple control architecture, resolving the contradiction between control simplicity and mobility performance.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a pre-5th-Generation (5G) or 5G communication system to be provided for supporting higher data rates Beyond 4th-Generation (4G) communication system such as Long Term Evolution (LTE). The present invention provides a method for controlling Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) aggregation and an associated equipment. The method comprises the following steps of: acquiring, by a first radio access network node, WLAN information about a User Equipment (UE); and, controlling, by the first radio access network node, WLAN aggregation for the UE according to the acquired WLAN information. A second radio access network node decides whether to maintain a WT and/or whether to establish WLAN aggregation for the UE when the UE moves to a first radio access network; and, the second radio access network node transmits information about whether to maintain the WT and/or indication information about whether to establish the WLAN aggregation for the UE. The WT receives UE context reference information transmitted by the first radio access network node; and, the WT indexes a UE context according to the received UE context reference information. With the present invention, the WLAN aggregation performance in a UE mobility scenario can be improved.