5G gateway device and cell handover method

Abstract

The application provides a 5G gateway device and a cell switching method, wherein the 5G gateway device determines whether a restart condition is met; if the restart condition is met, the 5G gateway device releases the lock on the communication right of a first resident cell and restarts after being disconnected from the network, wherein the first resident cell is set during the initialization process of the 5G gateway device; after the 5G gateway device is restarted, cell scanning is performed, and a second resident cell is determined again; and the 5G gateway device monitors the resident cell by the following steps: determining whether a first periodic detection time point is reached; if the first periodic detection time point is reached, determining whether the second resident cell and the first resident cell are the same cell; if not, the steps of cell switching are performed. Through the default switching mechanism for the resident cell provided by the application, frequent network switching can be avoided, the network service is more stable, and the application is suitable for complex environments in industrial scenarios.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a 5G gateway device and a cell handover method. Background Technology

[0002] In 5G network architecture, cell selection is a key technology for ensuring stable access for terminal devices. Existing technologies typically employ a comprehensive evaluation algorithm based on parameters such as Received Signal Power Ratio (RSRP) and Receiving Signal Quality (RSRQ) to select the cell with the best current signal performance as the serving cell for data transmission. However, in the complex wireless environments of industrial outdoor scenarios, signal quality fluctuates drastically due to multipath effects and transient interference. This cell selection strategy based on instantaneous optimum easily leads to frequent cell reselection and handover operations. This not only increases network signaling overhead and reduces data transmission efficiency but may also cause service interruptions, failing to meet the stringent network stability requirements of industrial scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide a 5G gateway device and cell handover method to solve the problem of poor service adaptability of existing cell handover mechanisms.

[0004] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a cell handover method for a 5G gateway device. The 5G gateway device performs communication services through a camped cell. The communication services include forwarding industrial production data of industrial equipment for regulation and control. The method includes: the 5G gateway device determining whether a restart condition is met; if met, the 5G gateway device unlocks the communication permissions of the first camped cell and restarts after disconnecting from the network. The first camped cell is set during the initialization process of deploying the 5G gateway device; after restarting, the 5G gateway device performs a cell scan and re-determines the second camped cell; the 5G gateway device monitors the camped cell through the following steps: determining whether a first periodic detection time point has been reached; if the first periodic detection time point has been reached, determining whether the second camped cell and the first camped cell are the same cell; if not, performing the cell handover step.

[0005] In an optional implementation, the 5G gateway device performs cell handover through the following steps: Determine whether the cell list obtained through cell scanning includes the first cell to be resided in; If included, determine whether the signal quality of the first stationed cell meets the preset standard; If so, switch to the first cell to perform communication services and disable communication permissions for other cells.

[0006] In an optional implementation, the 5G gateway device further includes the following step before disabling communication permissions for other cells: Detect communication latency during the execution of communication services based on the first stationary cell; If the communication latency of the first stationed cell is less than the preset latency within the preset time period, then the communication permissions of other cells will be closed.

[0007] In an optional implementation, if the communication delay of the first stationed cell line is not less than the preset delay within a preset time period, an anomaly is recorded, the second stationed cell is retained to perform communication services, and the process returns to the step of determining whether the first cycle detection time point has been reached.

[0008] In an optional implementation, the 5G gateway device determines the first camping cell in the following way: An attempt was made to connect historically served residential areas; If the attempt is successful, the historical service area will be designated as the primary residential area. If the attempt fails, a full-band scan will be performed to obtain a list of cells; Based on the priority of each cell, the signal quality of the cells in the cell list is determined by polling to see if it meets the preset standard, so as to determine the first cell to stay.

[0009] In an optional implementation, the 5G gateway device determines the second camping cell in the following way: Perform a full-band scan to obtain a list of cells; The signal quality and latency of cells in the cell list are determined by polling to identify whether they meet the preset standards, thus determining the second cell to be used.

[0010] In an optional implementation, the 5G gateway device determines whether the restart conditions are met by: Determine whether the second cycle detection time point has been reached; the first cycle detection time point is later than the second cycle detection time point. If the second cycle detection time point is reached, a connection test will be performed on the stationed cell; If the connection test for the residential cell fails N times consecutively, then the conditions for restarting are met.

[0011] Secondly, the present invention provides a 5G gateway device that performs communication services through a camped cell. These communication services include forwarding industrial production data from industrial equipment for the purpose of regulating the industrial equipment. The 5G gateway device determines whether the restart conditions are met; If the conditions are met, the 5G gateway device will unlock the communication permissions of the first camped cell and restart the network. The first camped cell is set during the initialization process of deploying the 5G gateway device. After the 5G gateway device restarts, it performs a cell scan and re-determines the second cell to be used. 5G gateway devices monitor the cells they are using through the following steps: Determine whether the first cycle testing time point has been reached; If the first cycle detection time point is reached, it will be determined whether the second residential cell and the first residential cell are the same cell; If not, proceed with the cell handover procedure.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the 5G gateway device performs cell handover through the following steps: Determine whether the cell list obtained through cell scanning includes the first cell to be resided in; If included, determine whether the signal quality of the first stationed cell meets the preset standard; If so, switch to the first cell to perform communication services and disable communication permissions for other cells.

[0013] Thirdly, the present invention provides an electronic device, comprising: a processor, a memory, and a bus, wherein the memory stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor, and when the electronic device is running, the processor communicates with the memory via the bus, and the processor executes the machine-readable instructions to perform the steps of the cell handover method of any of the 5G gateway devices described in the foregoing embodiments.

[0014] Fourthly, the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, performs the steps of the cell handover method of any of the foregoing embodiments of the 5G gateway device.

[0015] This application provides a 5G gateway device and cell handover method. The 5G gateway device performs communication services through a designated cell. These communication services include forwarding industrial production data from industrial equipment for control purposes. The method includes the 5G gateway device determining whether restart conditions are met; if met, the 5G gateway device unlocks communication permissions for the first designated cell and restarts the network. The first designated cell is set during the initialization process of deploying the 5G gateway device. After restarting, the 5G gateway device performs a cell scan and re-determines the second designated cell. The 5G gateway device monitors the designated cell through the following steps: determining whether the first periodic detection time point has been reached; if the first periodic detection time point has been reached, determining whether the second designated cell and the first designated cell are the same cell; if not, performing a cell handover. Compared to the existing automatic selection of the optimal signal cell handover mechanism, the default handover mechanism for designated cells provided in this application avoids frequent network handovers, resulting in more stable network services and suitability for complex industrial environments. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments of this application will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a 5G gateway device provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a cell handover method for a 5G gateway device provided in this application embodiment; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0018] First, the application scenarios of the technical solution of this application are described. The technical solution of this application can be applied to cell handover of 5G gateway devices in complex environments.

[0019] 5G gateways (DTU, CPE, etc.) serve as crucial hubs connecting devices and networks, and are widely used in various outdoor scenarios. However, existing cell selection mechanisms typically choose the cell with the best overall performance, such as signal quality, for data forwarding. In complex environments, these existing handover mechanisms often lead to frequent handovers, compromising network stability.

[0020] Therefore, this application provides a 5G gateway device and cell handover method for complex industrial scenarios.

[0021] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] Example 1 like Figure 1 As shown, one embodiment of this application provides a 5G gateway device. Specifically, it can be applied in complex environments such as oil fields, steel mills, and mines.

[0023] A 5G gateway device may include a core processing unit, a 5G communication module, a storage unit, and a service detection unit. The 5G communication module supports neighbor cell information queries and can obtain data such as PCI, frequency band, RSRP, and SNR for each cell. The storage unit stores configuration parameters such as default cell information, ping server address, service latency threshold, and initial detection period. The service detection unit detects network connectivity and service latency through ping tests. The core processing unit is responsible for coordinating operations and executing cell detection, evaluation, and handover logic.

[0024] During the installation and commissioning phase, the 5G gateway equipment here will be configured with a dedicated cell. The 5G gateway equipment will perform communication services through the dedicated cell, including forwarding industrial production data from industrial equipment for the purpose of controlling the industrial equipment.

[0025] Installers can choose a cell to stay in based on factors such as signal strength and stability, or the equipment can automatically select a cell with the best overall performance, including signal quality, based on an algorithm.

[0026] For example, in an oilfield scenario, oil production plants install 5G gateway devices on oil wells operating under different conditions to dynamically adjust the production of pumping units in real time by collecting data. These 5G gateway devices are often installed in fixed positions on poles next to the oil wells, in complex outdoor environments, facing harsh weather conditions such as wind, sand, rain, snow, and high temperatures, and may also be affected by terrain and electromagnetic interference from surrounding industrial facilities.

[0027] In one implementation, the installer can configure the designated cell. For example, based on the signal strength of the cells scanned by the 5G gateway, the installer can force the network to be locked to different cells, test the latency to the server, and finally select the best cell by combining signal strength and latency factors. The installer then configures the gateway management page to lock the network to this best cell and sets it as the default cell. Alternatively, the installer can directly specify the cell corresponding to the oil well's dedicated network in the gateway management configuration page.

[0028] In another implementation, the cell to be used can also be selected based on an automatic algorithm. The 5G gateway device determines the first cell to be used in the following way: A connection attempt is made to the historical serving cell. If the attempt is successful, the historical serving cell is designated as the first cell to be used. If the attempt fails, a full-band scan is performed to obtain a cell list. Based on the priority of each cell, the signal quality of the cells in the cell list is determined by polling to see if it meets the preset standard, thus identifying the first cell to be used.

[0029] For example, a 5G gateway device can perform a full-band scan to obtain a list of cells. It then uses a polling method to determine whether the signal quality and latency of the cells in the list meet preset standards, thus identifying the cells to camp on.

[0030] When a 5G gateway first joins the network, it scans all supported 5G and 4G frequency bands to find available cells. It evaluates the signal quality of each cell by measuring parameters such as Received Signal Strength Indication (RSRP) and Signal Quality Indicator (SINR).

[0031] The scanned cells can then be sorted. For example, 5G cells are typically prioritized over 4G cells, and high-frequency cells are prioritized over low-frequency cells. If the gateway stores information about the cells it previously camped on (such as frequency points, operator information, etc.), it can also prioritize trying to connect to these known cells.

[0032] By setting up a residential cell, data transmission services can be made more stable, ensuring network quality while also improving reliability.

[0033] Installers can also configure the ping server address, service latency threshold requirements (such as 200ms), and initial detection cycle (such as 10 minutes) on the 5G gateway management page.

[0034] like Figure 2 As shown, to address incidents such as base station failures or power outages in the residential cell, the 5G device gateway is equipped with an interruption restart mechanism. Specifically, this includes: The S1 and 5G gateway devices must determine whether they meet the restart conditions.

[0035] In step S1, the 5G gateway device can determine whether the restart conditions are met in the following ways: Determine if the second cycle detection time point has been reached, as the first cycle detection time point is later than the second cycle detection time point. If the second cycle detection time point has been reached, perform a connectivity test on the stationary cell. If the stationary cell connectivity test fails N consecutive times, then the restart conditions are deemed met.

[0036] S2. If satisfied, the 5G gateway device unlocks the communication permissions of the first camping cell and restarts the network. The first camping cell is set during the initialization process of deploying the 5G gateway device.

[0037] When the periodic detection time is reached, the 5G gateway device checks whether the current serving cell is interrupted. If so, it unlocks the serving cell and performs a restart. The service detection unit pings the server; if it fails to ping three times consecutively, the device automatically restarts. Furthermore, before restarting, the core processing unit controls the 5G communication module to remove network lock restrictions.

[0038] After the S3 and 5G gateway devices are restarted, they perform a cell scan and re-determine the second cell to be used.

[0039] In step S3, the 5G gateway device determines the second camp cell in the following way: A full-band scan is performed to obtain a cell list. A polling method is used to determine whether the signal quality and latency of the cells in the cell list meet preset standards, thus identifying the second cell to be camped.

[0040] In one feasible implementation, after normal operation, the 5G gateway device can perform the following steps through the core processing unit to monitor the camped cells: S4. Determine whether the first cycle detection time point has been reached; S5. If the first cycle detection time point is reached, determine whether the second stationed cell and the first stationed cell are the same cell; S6. If not, proceed with the cell handover procedure.

[0041] Specifically, 5G gateway devices can perform cell handover through the following steps: Determine whether the cell list obtained through cell scanning includes the first cell to be used. If it does, determine whether the signal quality of the first cell meets the preset standard. If so, switch the first cell to perform communication services and disable the communication permissions of other cells.

[0042] Before disabling communication permissions for other cells, the 5G gateway device also includes detecting the communication latency during the execution of communication services based on the first camped cell. If the communication latency of the first camped cell is less than the preset latency within a preset time period, then the communication permissions for other cells are disabled.

[0043] If the communication latency of the first stationed cell is not less than the preset latency within the preset time period, an anomaly is recorded, the second stationed cell is retained to perform communication services, and the process returns to determine whether the first cycle detection time point has been reached.

[0044] The cell list here can include information such as cell identifier, PCI, frequency band, RSRP, and SNR for each cell. This cell list can be real-time objects obtained through scanning, or it can include fixed objects pre-configured by the operator during installation based on factors such as coverage requirements, geographical environment, and frequency band characteristics.

[0045] By comparing the identifier of the currently serving cell with the identifier of the cell it is staying in, it can be determined whether the currently serving cell is a cell it is staying in. By searching the cell list for the identifier of the cell it is staying in, it can be determined whether the cell list includes a cell it is staying in.

[0046] For example, if the RSRP of the camping cell is not lower than -100dBm and the SNR is not lower than (which can be adjusted according to the actual scenario), it can be determined whether the signal quality of the camping cell meets the preset standard.

[0047] In a feasible implementation, after the 5G terminal device restarts, if there are pre-stored cells, these historical serving cells can be tried first. If they meet the communication requirements, they can be determined as the default cells.

[0048] If no pre-stored cell exists, or if the historical serving cells cannot meet the requirements, a rescan can be performed. Similar to the existing handover mechanism, multiple decision-making information is considered to select the optimal cell as the default cell.

[0049] The cell handover method for 5G gateway devices provided in this application, compared with the existing technology's automatic selection of the cell handover mechanism with the best signal, can avoid frequent network handover by using the default handover mechanism for the stationary cell provided in this application, making network services more stable and suitable for complex environments in industrial scenarios.

[0050] Example 2 In one embodiment of this application, the cell list can be stored in a storage unit, and the cell list can be adjusted periodically.

[0051] Specifically, periodic measurements (such as RSRP, RSRQ, etc.) can be performed on cells in the cell list, and the measurement results can be reported to the serving cell through a "measurement report". If a cell is found to have a consistently weak signal (below the threshold), it can be removed from the list and added to the blacklist to avoid wasting resources on invalid measurements.

[0052] Meanwhile, during latency detection, the number of times an anomaly is recorded for a cell can be counted. If the number exceeds a first threshold, it indicates that the network quality of that cell is unstable, and it can be removed from the cell list and added to the blacklist.

[0053] Furthermore, if the number of abnormal records for the currently preset residential cell exceeds the second threshold, the residential cell can be unlocked and the residential cell can be changed.

[0054] Example 3 In one specific embodiment, during the initial installation and debugging of a 5G gateway device in an underground mining area, the device automatically selects cell A (PCI=111, frequency band=n78) with the best signal quality as the default camping cell. The installer configures the network to be locked in cell A, sets the service latency threshold to 200ms, the detection period to 10 minutes, and the ping server address to 192.168.1.100.

[0055] During operation, service was interrupted in cell A due to a base station failure. The 5G gateway device triggered the network restart mechanism and deleted the network lock information before restarting.

[0056] After restarting, the terminal accessed cell B (PCI=222, frequency band=n41) with a weak signal through full-frequency search. The service latency of cell B reached 300ms, exceeding the threshold.

[0057] Every 10 minutes, the 5G gateway device performs a neighbor cell scan to obtain a list of neighbor cells. Once cell A regains power and appears in the neighbor cell list, it enters the handover evaluation process. The core processing unit detects that cell A's RSRP is -95dBm and SNR is 12dB, meeting the signal quality standards.

[0058] The 5G gateway was forcibly switched and locked to cell A. After the switch, the service detection module detected that the service latency dropped to 150ms and normal data transmission was restored.

[0059] In another specific embodiment, in an oilfield production area, because the cell C (PCI=333, frequency band=n78) closest to the oil well has a large number of terminals accessing the network, the 5G gateway device initially configures the slightly farther cell D (PCI=444, frequency band=n78) as the default cell. After running for a period of time, due to reasons such as the base station, the signal of cell D weakens, triggering a network outage and restart. After restarting, the 5G gateway automatically connects to the slightly stronger but not optimal cell C (PCI=333, frequency band=n78). At this time, the service latency of cell C is 220ms, which is close to the threshold.

[0060] The 5G gateway device performs a neighbor cell scan every 10 minutes and finds that cell C has reappeared in the neighbor cell list.

[0061] The test results showed that the RSRP of cell D was -98dBm and the SNR was 11dB, which met the signal quality standards.

[0062] Although the signal in cell C, where the device was currently stationed, was better, the 5G gateway immediately forced a switch and locked the network to cell D. After the switch was completed, the service latency stabilized at 180ms, ensuring stable communication and data transmission for the device.

[0063] This application provides a 5G gateway device and cell handover method that prioritizes access to the pre-registered cell, which can avoid frequent network handovers, making network services more stable and suitable for complex environments in industrial scenarios.

[0064] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 As shown, the electronic device 300 includes a processor 310, a memory 320, and a bus 330.

[0065] The memory 320 stores machine-readable instructions that can be executed by the processor 310. When the electronic device 300 is running, the processor 310 and the memory 320 communicate through the bus 330. When the machine-readable instructions are executed by the processor 310, the steps of a cell handover method for a 5G gateway device as described in the above method embodiment can be executed. For specific implementation details, please refer to the method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0066] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. When the computer program is run by a processor, it can execute the steps of a cell handover method for a 5G gateway device as described in the above method embodiments. For specific implementation details, please refer to the method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0067] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0068] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. The apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. Furthermore, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Additionally, the displayed or discussed mutual couplings, direct couplings, or communication connections may be through some communication interfaces; indirect couplings or communication connections between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0069] Furthermore, the units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0070] Furthermore, the functional modules in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated together to form an independent part, or each module can exist independently, or two or more modules can be integrated to form an independent part.

[0071] It should be noted that if the function is implemented as a software module and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0072] In this document, relational terms such as first and second are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, without necessarily requiring or implying any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations.

[0073] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A cell handover method for a 5G gateway device, characterized in that, 5G gateway devices perform communication services through camped cells. These communication services include forwarding industrial production data from industrial equipment to control and regulate the equipment, including: The 5G gateway device determines whether the restart conditions are met; If the conditions are met, the 5G gateway device will unlock the communication permissions of the first camped cell and restart the network. The first camped cell is set during the initialization process of deploying the 5G gateway device. After the 5G gateway device restarts, it performs a cell scan and re-determines the second cell to be used. The 5G gateway device monitors the first stationary cell through the following steps: Determine whether the first cycle testing time point has been reached; If the first cycle detection time point is reached, it will be determined whether the second residential cell and the first residential cell are the same cell; If not, proceed with the cell handover procedure; The 5G gateway device determines the first cell to be used in the following way: An attempt was made to connect historically served residential areas; If the attempt is successful, the historical service area will be designated as the primary residential area. If the attempt fails, a full-band scan will be performed to obtain a list of cells; Based on the priority of each cell, the signal quality of the cells in the cell list is determined by polling to see if it meets the preset standard, so as to determine the first cell to stay. Furthermore, the 5G gateway device determines the second camp cell in the following way: Perform a full-band scan to obtain a list of cells; The second cell to be used is determined by polling to check whether the signal quality and latency of cells in the cell list meet preset standards; the 5G gateway device then performs cell handover through the following steps: Determine whether the cell list obtained through cell scanning includes the first cell to be resided in; If included, determine whether the signal quality of the first stationed cell meets the preset standard; If so, the first stationed cell will be switched to perform communication services, and communication permissions for other cells will be disabled; before disabling communication permissions for other cells, the 5G gateway device also includes: Detect communication latency during the execution of communication services based on the first stationary cell; If the communication latency of the first stationed cell is less than the preset latency within the preset time period, then the communication permissions of other cells will be closed.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, If the communication latency of the first stationed cell is not less than the preset latency within the preset time period, an anomaly is recorded, the second stationed cell is retained to perform communication services, and the process returns to determine whether the first cycle detection time point has been reached.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, 5G gateway devices determine whether the restart conditions are met in the following ways: Determine whether the second cycle detection time point has been reached; the first cycle detection time point is later than the second cycle detection time point. If the second cycle detection time point is reached, a connection test will be performed on the stationed cell; If the connection test for the residential cell fails N times consecutively, then the conditions for restarting are met.

4. A 5G gateway device, characterized in that, The 5G gateway device includes a processor, memory, and bus. The memory stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor. When the electronic device is running, the processor communicates with the memory via a bus. When the machine-readable instructions are executed by the processor, the cell handover method as described in any one of claims 1 to 3 can be performed.

5. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that, when executed by a processor, performs the steps of the cell handover method for the 5G gateway device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

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