Bandwidth Part Maintenance During Random Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the NR system, the BWP inactivity timer expiring during random access procedures causes data transmission interruptions and affects ongoing random access processes, as the BWP switches to the default BWP, disrupting communication.
Innovation Solution
The user equipment keeps the current active BWP unchanged during random access and restarts the BWP inactivity timer upon successful completion of the random access procedure, preventing unnecessary BWP changes and maintaining continuous data transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the BWP inactivity timer expires during random access procedure, then the BWP switches to default BWP to save power, but data transmission is interrupted and random access procedure is affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by suspending the BWP inactivity timer before it can expire during the random access procedure. The timer is paused at the moment random access begins, preventing the automatic BWP switch that would disrupt the procedure. This anticipatory measure blocks the harmful effect (interruption) before it can occur, allowing the device to maintain the current active BWP throughout the random access process while still enabling power-saving switches after completion.
2Loss of energy
If the BWP inactivity timer is not suspended during random access, then power can be saved by switching to default BWP, but the ongoing random access procedure is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by suspending the BWP inactivity timer before it can expire during the random access procedure. The timer is paused at the moment random access begins, preventing the automatic BWP switch that would disrupt the procedure. This anticipatory measure blocks the harmful effect (interruption) before it can occur, allowing the device to maintain the current active BWP throughout the random access process while still enabling power-saving switches after completion.
3Loss of energy
If the active BWP changes during random access procedure, then power consumption is reduced, but data transmission on the most appropriate BWP cannot be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by suspending the BWP inactivity timer before it can expire during the random access procedure. The timer is paused at the moment random access begins, preventing the automatic BWP switch that would disrupt the procedure. This anticipatory measure blocks the harmful effect (interruption) before it can occur, allowing the device to maintain the current active BWP throughout the random access process while still enabling power-saving switches after completion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by making the BWP inactivity timer state changeable - it can be suspended during random access and resumed afterward. This dynamic behavior allows the system to adapt the timer's operation based on the current operational phase, maintaining performance during critical procedures while enabling power-saving modes during normal operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and an apparatus for maintenance of a bandwidth part. The method and apparatus resolve an issue of the prior art in which expiration of a bandwidth part deactivation timer during a random access process changes the bandwidth part to a default bandwidth part, such that data cannot be transmitted on an optimal bandwidth part, and may even cause an interruption of an ongoing data transmission, while also affecting an ongoing random access process. In embodiments of the present invention, a terminal keeps a current active bandwidth part unchanged during a random access process, and performs a restart operation of a bandwidth part deactivation timer after the random access process is successfully completed, such that a situation where a bandwidth part changes to a default bandwidth part does not occur during the random access process, thereby reducing interruption to ongoing data transmissions and reducing the impact on ongoing random access processes.