Base Station Early Data Communication in Inactive State
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication systems face challenges in managing data transmission for user equipment (UE) in inactive or idle states, particularly in distributed 5G NR radio access networks, where it is unclear how to handle early and non-early data communication without transitioning to the RRC_CONNECTED state, and how to manage interactions between different types of data.
Innovation Solution
A method where a base station and/or UE determines whether to transition to a connected state based on factors such as the type of data, current communication state, and configured radio bearers, allowing for selective procedures like paging or direct data transmission without state transition, and a distributed base station can modify or set up contexts accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the UE transitions to RRC_CONNECTED state for data transmission, then data communication reliability is improved, but network resource consumption and latency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring radio bearers and establishing data transmission paths while the UE is in RRC_INACTIVE state. The base station prepares the necessary resources and contexts in advance, so when data needs to be transmitted, the UE can immediately use the pre-established pathways without undergoing full state transition to RRC_CONNECTED, thereby reducing latency while maintaining reliable communication.
2Device complexity
If the base station manages distributed units separately, then device complexity is reduced, but coordination overhead and management difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the base station into separate Central Units (CU) and Distributed Units (DU). The CU handles higher-layer protocols and control functions, while DUs handle lower-layer physical and MAC layer functions. This segmentation allows each unit to be independently managed and optimized, reducing overall system complexity while enabling flexible coordination through defined interfaces.
3Loss of energy
If the UE performs early data transmission in inactive state, then network resource consumption is reduced, but the ability to handle non-early data is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the early data transmission capability configurable and adaptable. The base station can dynamically determine whether to enable early data transmission based on the specific data characteristics, UE state, and network conditions. The system can switch between early data transmission mode and traditional connected mode depending on whether the data qualifies as early data, providing flexibility in handling different data types while optimizing resource consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
A base station or a UE perform methods for communicating early and/or non-early data A method performed by a base station may include determining (1302) that first data is available for communicating between the CN and the UE operating in an inactive state of a protocol for controlling radio resources. The method may further include determining (1304) whether the UE is performing early-data communication of second data, and selecting (1306) a procedure for communicating the first data based at least in part on whether the UE is performing early-data communication.