5G NR System Information Reuse with Value Tags for Lower UE Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
The provision and acquisition of system information in 5G NR systems is unclear, particularly in handling system information delivery by the network and acquisition by user equipment (UE), which can lead to increased power consumption and signaling overhead due to unnecessary re-acquisition of system information.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a system information procedure involving a minimum-system-information message containing a system information index with a value tag and area pointer, allowing the UE to determine the validity of additional-system-information messages based on these indices, thereby reducing unnecessary re-acquisition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the UE continuously monitors and re-acquires system information from the network, then the system information remains up-to-date, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network provides feedback to the UE through value tags in system information messages, indicating whether system information has changed. The UE uses this feedback to determine whether to continue monitoring or can stop monitoring, thus reducing unnecessary power consumption while maintaining information currency.
Solution Approach 2:
The UE autonomously determines whether to re-acquire system information by comparing received value tags with stored values. This self-service mechanism allows the UE to make intelligent decisions about monitoring without continuous network intervention, reducing power consumption while ensuring information remains current when necessary.
2Reliability
If the UE re-acquires system information frequently, then the system information remains accurate, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential change indication (value tag) from the complete system information message and transmits only this compact indicator to the UE. This allows the network to convey system information status without transmitting redundant data, reducing signaling overhead while maintaining accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses value tags as parameters to indicate system information changes. By monitoring changes in these parameter values rather than comparing entire system information messages, the UE can efficiently determine whether re-acquisition is necessary, reducing signaling overhead while ensuring accuracy.
3Productivity
If the UE stores and checks multiple system information versions, then unnecessary re-acquisition is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential identification elements (value tags and area pointers) from complete system information messages for storage and comparison. This extraction approach allows the UE to track system information versions with minimal stored data, reducing device complexity while improving acquisition efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different levels of information storage locally: complete system information messages are stored when changes occur, but only value tags and area pointers are retained for comparison purposes. This local quality differentiation reduces overall device complexity while maintaining the ability to detect changes efficiently.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a user equipment comprising a receiver receiving a minimum-system-information message from a first radio base station. System information for the first radio cell that can be acquired by the UE is carried within the minimum-SI message and one or more additional-SI messages. The minimum-SI message includes system information for accessing the first radio cell and at least one system information index, each of which is associated with one of the additional-SI messages. The SI message index comprises a value tag and an area pointer, the latter pointing to one area already defined. Processing circuitry determines whether the UE had already acquired before the additional-SI message associated with the same value tag and the same area. If the determination is positive, the processing circuitry determines that system information included in said additional-SI message acquired before is applicable to the first radio cell.