Adaptive MIB Acquisition for User Equipment

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current LTE and NB-IoT systems require UE devices to continuously receive and decode PBCH/NBCH signals for extended periods, leading to increased power consumption and processing demands, especially in low SNR areas, which is inefficient for low-power MTC devices.

Innovation Solution

The UE adaptively decides when to receive and decode broadcast channels by measuring signal quality and skipping reception in poor conditions, processing the channel only if the signal quality meets a predetermined threshold, thereby reducing power consumption and processing requirements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If UE continuously receives and decodes PBCH/NPBCH for extended periods to ensure MIB acquisition in poor signal areas, then MIB acquisition reliability is improved, but power consumption and processing demands increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveMIB acquisition reliabilityVSAvoidUE power consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the UE's reception behavior adaptive rather than static. The UE dynamically adjusts whether to receive and decode PBCH/NPBCH based on real-time signal quality measurements (RSRP/RSRQ). When signal quality is good, the UE skips reception; when signal quality is poor, the UE performs reception and decoding. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between ensuring reliable MIB acquisition and reducing power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the operational parameters of the UE based on signal quality conditions. By measuring RSRP and RSRQ parameters and comparing them against thresholds, the system determines whether to activate or skip the PBCH/NPBCH reception process. This parameter-based decision-making allows the system to optimize between reliability and power consumption by adjusting reception behavior according to actual channel conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If UE performs repeated PBCH decoding attempts in low SNR areas to achieve successful MIB acquisition, then acquisition probability is improved, but acquisition time and processing complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveMIB acquisition probabilityVSAvoidMIB acquisition time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by having the UE perform signal quality measurements (RSRP/RSRQ) without necessarily proceeding to full PBCH/NPBCH reception and decoding. When signal quality exceeds thresholds, the UE takes only the partial action of measurement and skips the more time-consuming decoding process. This resolves the contradiction by avoiding excessive processing time while maintaining acquisition probability through selective partial actions based on signal conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Loss of energy

If UE monitors signal quality continuously and adaptively decides channel reception, then power efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovePower efficiencyVSAvoidUE processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the MIB acquisition process into distinct stages: signal quality measurement (RSRP/RSRQ), threshold comparison, and conditional reception/decoding. By dividing the process into these manageable segments, the UE can efficiently execute each stage without requiring complex integrated processing. The segmentation allows low-complexity operations (measurement and comparison) to gate more complex operations (reception and decoding), improving power efficiency while keeping overall device complexity manageable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3520488B1Effective master information block acquisition for a user equipment device
Publication Date: 2021.06.23 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
  • EP3520488B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3520488B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3520488B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

According to certain embodiments, a user equipment (UE) (110), comprises an interface (710) configured to receive one or more symbols at the start of a first transmission time interval (TTI) of a channel. The UE further comprises processing circuity (720) operably coupled to the interface (710). The processing circuitry (720) configured to obtain a signal quality estimate based on at least one of the one or more symbols; compare the signal quality estimate to a signal quality threshold; and determine, based on the comparison, whether to process the channel in the first TTI.