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EP-4740690-A1 - METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR RESTORING CONNECTION BETWEEN PEER NETWORK NODES

EP4740690A1EP 4740690 A1EP4740690 A1EP 4740690A1EP-4740690-A1

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method and a system for restoring an Xn connection with neighbouring gNodeBs by initiating Xn setup periodically The method includes monitoring, by a monitoring unit [102], the Xn connection status between a source gNodeB and at least one corresponding neighbouring target gNodeB. The method includes upon detection of at least one of a lost or weakened Xn connection with the target gNodeB, scheduling, by a processing unit [104], an Xn setup request based on a predefined time interval for initiating periodic Xn setup requests. The method includes transmitting, by a transceiver unit [106], the scheduled Xn setup request from the source gNodeB to the target gNodeB. Thereafter, the method includes receiving, by the transceiver unit [106], a response to the Xn setup request at the source gNodeB, wherein the response indicates the restored connection status with the target gNodeB.

Inventors

  • -, Yashesh
  • BHATNAGAR, PRADEEP KUMAR
  • BHATNAGAR, AAYUSH
  • NARASIMHULU, Mv Chinna
  • GUPTA, KAPIL B
  • Vundavilli, Srinivasa Rao

Assignees

  • Jio Platforms Limited

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240615

Claims (17)

  1. 1. A method [400] for restoring an Xn connection with neighbouring gNodeBs, the method comprising: monitoring, by a monitoring unit [102], the Xn connection status between a source gNodeB and at least one corresponding neighbouring target gNodeB; upon detection of at least one of a lost or weakened Xn connection with the target gNodeB, scheduling, by a processing unit [104], an Xn setup request based on a predefined time interval for initiating periodic Xn setup requests; transmitting, by a transceiver unit [106], the scheduled Xn setup request from the source gNodeB to the target gNodeB; and receiving, by the transceiver unit [ 106] , a response to the Xn setup request at the source gNodeB, wherein the response indicates a restored connection status with the target gNodeB.
  2. 2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method comprises modifying, by the processing unit [104], the predefined time interval based on at least one of a network condition or a user traffic.
  3. 3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predefined time interval is dynamically determined based on historical Xn connection data between the source gNodeB and a set of neighbouring gNodeBs.
  4. 4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method comprises storing, by a storage unit [108], the Xn setup request and the response to the Xn setup to facilitate the restoration of Xn connection with neighbouring gNodeBs for the upcoming Xn setup requests.
  5. 5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lost or weakened Xn connection is detected based on at least one of a set of predefined thresholds of signal quality or connection stability metrics.
  6. 6. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprises identifying, by the processing unit [104] via the target gNodeB, at least one valid source cell based on a determined source cell information in the Xn setup request.
  7. 7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the source cell information in the Xn setup request facilitates an increase in handover success rate by preventing addition of invalid source cells in an NRT list.
  8. 8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the Xn setup request comprises an identifier for each of served cells of the source gNodeB to allow the target gNodeB to selectively update the NRT list based on relevancy and proximity.
  9. 9. A system [100] for restoring an Xn connection with neighbouring gNodeBs, the system comprises: a monitoring unit [102], configured to monitor the Xn connection status between a source gNodeB and at least one corresponding neighbouring target gNodeB; a processing unit [104], configured to schedule an Xn setup request based on a predefined time interval for initiating periodic Xn setup requests upon detection of at least one of a lost or weakened Xn connection with the target gNodeB; a transceiver unit [106], configured to transmit the scheduled Xn setup request from the source gNodeB to the target gNodeB; and the transceiver unit [106], configured to receive a response to the Xn setup request at the source gNodeB, wherein the response indicates a restored connection status with the target gNodeB.
  10. 10. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the processing unit [104] is further configured to modify the predefined time interval based on at least one of a network condition or a user traffic.
  11. 11. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the predefined time interval is dynamically determined based on historical Xn connection data between the source gNodeB and a set of neighbouring gNodeB s.
  12. 12. The system as claimed in claim 9 further comprises a storage unit [108], configured to store the Xn setup request and the response to the Xn setup to facilitate restoration of Xn connection with neighbouring gNodeBs for one or more upcoming Xn setup requests.
  13. 13. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the lost or weakened Xn connection is detected based on at least one of a set of predefined thresholds of signal quality or connection stability metrics.
  14. 14. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the processing unit [104] is further configured to identify, via the target gNodeB, at least one valid source cell based on a determined source cell information in the Xn setup request.
  15. 15. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the source cell information in the Xn setup request facilitates an increase in handover success rate by preventing addition of invalid source cells in an NRT list.
  16. 16. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the Xn setup request comprises an identifier for each of served cells of the source gNodeB to allow the target gNodeB to selectively update the NRT list based on relevancy and proximity.
  17. 17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instruction for restoring an Xn connection with neighbouring gNodeBs, the storage medium comprising executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system, causes: a monitoring unit [102] to monitor the Xn connection status between a source gNodeB and at least one corresponding neighbouring target gNodeB; a processing unit [104] to schedule an Xn setup request based on a predefined time interval for initiating periodic Xn setup requests upon detection of a lost or weakened Xn connection with the target gNodeB ; a transceiver unit [106] to transmit the scheduled Xn setup request from the source gNodeB to the target gNodeB; and the transceiver unit [106] to receive a response to the Xn setup request at the source gNodeB, wherein the response indicates a restored connection status with the target gNodeB.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR RESTORING CONNECTION BETWEEN PEER NETWORK NODES FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE [0001] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of wireless communication systems. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to methods and systems for restoring connection (such as Xn connection) between peer network nodes (such as gNodeB (gNB)). BACKGROUND [0002] The following description of related art is intended to provide background information pertaining to the field of the disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the present disclosure. However, it should be appreciated that this section be used only to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure, and not as admissions of prior art. [0003] Wireless communication technology has rapidly evolved over the past few decades, with each generation bringing significant improvements and advancements. The first generation of wireless communication technology was based on analog technology and offered only voice services. However, with the advent of the second-generation (2G) technology, digital communication and data services became possible, and text messaging was introduced. 3G technology marked the introduction of high-speed internet access, mobile video calling, and location-based services. The fourth-generation (4G) technology revolutionized wireless communication with faster data speeds, better network coverage, and improved security. Currently, the fifth-generation (5G) technology is being deployed, promising even faster data speeds, low latency, and the ability to connect multiple devices simultaneously. With each generation, wireless communication technology has become more advanced, sophisticated, and capable of delivering more services to its users. [0004] In the existing 5G Radio Network architecture, the Xn interface plays a crucial role in facilitating seamless handovers between neighboring gNodeBs. However, the current mechanisms for managing this interface have been found to be inadequate in certain scenarios. Specifically, the reliance on the Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) for establishing and maintaining the transport layer of the Xn interface has limitations. One of the primary issues observed is that the Xn connections between a gNodeB and some of its neighboring gNodeBs can become "inoperative" due to various reasons, such as the reboot of a peer node. In the current setup, there is no automatic recovery mechanism to re-establish these downed Xn connections. This leads to a situation where handovers have to be routed through the core network nodes, resulting in increased latency and a potential degradation in the user experience. Moreover, the SCTP layer typically attempts to establish connections with neighboring gNodeBs only during the initial boot-up process or when a new neighbor is detected. If the initial attempts fail, there is no periodic retry mechanism in place to re-attempt the establishment of the Xn connections. This can be problematic in dynamic network environments where gNodeBs may be rebooted frequently, for example, during software upgrades. [0005] Thus, there is an imperative need in the art to provide methods and systems for restoring connection between peer network nodes and overcome the limitations of the existing technologies, which the present disclosure aims to address. OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION [0006] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment disclosed herein satisfies are listed herein below. [0007] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a methods and systems for restoring connection between peer network nodes. [0008] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a system and method for restoring connection between peer network nodes, which enhances the robustness of the Xn interface and improves handover performance in 5G Radio Network architecture. [0009] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a system and method for restoring connection between peer network nodes, which reduces the reliance on the core network nodes for handover execution, thereby decreasing latency and improving user experience during mobility cases. [0010] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a system and method for restoring connection between peer network nodes, which includes a monitoring unit to continuously check the status of Xn connections and a processing unit to schedule Xn setup requests based on predefined time intervals. [0011] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a system and method for restoring connection between peer network nodes, which allows for dynamic adjustment of the predefined time interval for Xn setup requests based on network conditions or user traffic. [0012] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a system and method for restoring connection betwee