Base Station Handover Control for RedCap and eRedCap UEs

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Solution Overview

Problem

Radio base stations struggle to perform quick and appropriate handovers when both RedCap UEs and eRedCap UEs are present in a mixed state due to the inability to distinguish between these types, leading to potential handover delays.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a radio base station with a control unit that receives support information for RedCap and eRedCap UEs from neighboring cells, enabling controlled handovers based on this information to ensure appropriate resource allocation and handover decisions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a radio base station supports both RedCap UE and eRedCap UE without distinguishing their types, then the base station can serve a broader range of terminals, but handover decisions become inappropriate and delays occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesupport capability for multiple terminal typesVSAvoidhandover time
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the terminal support capability into distinct types by introducing separate indication fields: one for RedCap UE support and another for eRedCap UE support. This segmentation allows the base station to precisely identify and handle different terminal types independently, resolving the contradiction between broad adaptability and precise handover timing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Device complexity

If the radio base station does not receive support information from neighboring cells, then the system complexity is reduced, but appropriate handover decisions cannot be made for different terminal types

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation exchange complexityVSAvoidhandover decision accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces support information as an intermediary data structure that carries specific capability indicators (RedCap UE support flag and eRedCap UE support flag) between neighboring base stations. This intermediary mechanism enables accurate handover decisions without requiring complex direct negotiation, balancing information exchange overhead with decision reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If the radio base station performs detailed capability checking for handover, then handover accuracy improves, but the processing time and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehandover suitability determination accuracyVSAvoidhandover control complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by having neighboring base stations pre-indicate their support capabilities for RedCap UE and eRedCap UE before handover is needed. The source base station uses these pre-provided capability indicators to quickly determine handover suitability, eliminating the need for complex real-time capability checking and reducing processing complexity while maintaining high accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4668866A1Wireless base station and wireless communication method
Publication Date: 2025.12.24 NTT DOCOMO INC
  • EP4668866A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4668866A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4668866A1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A radio base station comprises a control unit that controls a handover of a terminal and a reception unit that receives, from another radio base station, a message including support information indicating whether to support at least any of a first type of terminal of which a capability is reduced compared to a capability of the terminal and a second type of terminal of which a capability is further reduced compared to the capability of the first type of terminal. The control unit controls a handover of the second type of terminal to the other radio base station based on the support information.