Anchor-Cell Assisted Initial Access for Sleeping Cells
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless communications systems face challenges in complex environments where signal attenuation or blockage leads to increased power consumption and reduced network energy savings due to cells entering deep sleep states without active devices, resulting in failed random access procedures.
Innovation Solution
An anchor cell assists multiple assisted cells by providing assistance information and initiating random access procedures, reducing the need for system information transmission to individual cells, thus minimizing power and resource consumption while ensuring efficient initial access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If cells enter deep sleep states to save power, then energy consumption is reduced, but random access procedures fail due to signal attenuation and blockage
Solution Approach 1:
An anchor cell is introduced as an intermediary to assist UEs in performing random access procedures in assisted cells. The anchor cell receives assistance information indicating capability to assist RACH procedures, then transmits random access signals to initiate RACH procedures in assisted cells even when those cells are in deep sleep state, thereby maintaining reliability while preserving energy savings
2Reliability
If system information is transmitted to each assisted cell individually, then access reliability is improved, but transmission overhead and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges system information transmission by having the anchor cell obtain system information for multiple assisted cells and transmit it through the anchor cell rather than requiring each assisted cell to transmit individually. This reduces transmission overhead and resource consumption while ensuring UEs receive necessary system information for successful random access procedures
3Productivity
If anchor cell assists multiple assisted cells, then resource efficiency is improved, but complexity of coordination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor cell is designed with multi-functionality to assist multiple assisted cells simultaneously. By obtaining assistance information indicating capability to assist RACH procedures for a plurality of assisted cells, the anchor cell can serve multiple cells through a unified mechanism, improving resource efficiency while managing coordination complexity through standardized procedures
Data Source
AI summary
Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for assisted initial access between cells. A method generally includes obtaining, in an anchor cell of a first network entity, assistance information that indicates that the first network entity is capable of assisting, via the anchor cell, random access for a plurality of assisted cells of a second network entity; transmitting, in the anchor cell of the first network entity, a first random access signal to initiate a first random access channel (RACH) procedure in a first assisted cell of the plurality of assisted cells of the second network entity; and obtaining, in the anchor cell of the first network entity or in the first assisted cell of the second network entity, a second random access signal for the first RACH procedure comprising system information (SI) associated with the first assisted cell.