X2 Handover Gateway Offloads Core Network Burden
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Solution Overview
Problem
In current mobile communication systems, the handover process between HeNBs or eNBs using the S1 interface can heavily burden the core network, leading to decreased efficiency, and there is a lack of solutions for using the X2 interface for HeNBs, which can increase complexity and security concerns.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for performing handover using a gateway that supports the S1 protocol, allowing the HeNB to reduce its burden on the core network by using the X2 interface, where a handover requirement message includes a Next-hop Chaining Counter (NCC) and encryption key for secure communication between the UE and the destination base station.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the S1 interface handover process is used between HeNBs or eNBs, then the handover can be performed with existing protocol support, but the core network becomes heavily burdened and handover efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway as an intermediary node between the HeNB and the core network. The gateway handles handover signaling and user plane data forwarding, acting as a mediator that offloads the core network from direct participation in handover procedures. This allows the handover to proceed efficiently while maintaining protocol compatibility through the gateway's mediation of S1 and X2 interface interactions.
2Productivity
If the X2 interface is used for HeNB handover, then handover efficiency improves and core network burden reduces, but device complexity and security concerns increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway serves as an intermediary that manages the complexity of X2 interface implementation for HeNBs. It handles the secure key management, authentication, and signaling procedures, thereby reducing the complexity burden on the HeNB itself while enabling efficient X2-based handover operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the security management and complex signaling handling functions from the HeNB and places them in the gateway. This separation allows the HeNB to perform handover with reduced complexity, while the gateway handles the computationally intensive security operations and protocol management.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple wireless resource management entities are combined into a CSG, then specialized access service is provided for specific user groups, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple wireless resource management entities (HeNBs) into a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) managed by a single gateway. This merging approach allows the gateway to centrally manage security, authentication, and handover for multiple entities, providing specialized access services for specific user groups while reducing overall system complexity compared to managing each entity independently.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and an apparatus perform a handover using the X2 interface. A source base station transmits a handover requirement message, for a handover to a destination base station of a user equipment (UE), to a source base station gateway. When a handover command message indicating performing of the handover to a destination base station of the UE is received from the source base station gateway, the handover command message is transmitted to the UE. When a UE context release command message is received from the source base station gateway, a context of the UE is released. And a UE context release completion message, representing that the context of the UE is released, is transmitted to the source base station gateway. The handover requirement message includes a Next-hop Chaining Counter (NCC) and an encryption key for a communication between the UE and the destination base station.