Cell Change Timing in Multi-Cell Wireless Networks

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current wireless communication systems face challenges in minimizing handover interruption time during transitions from E-UTRA to UTRA, leading to potential service integrity issues and reduced throughput due to limited bandwidth after handover.

Innovation Solution

A method and device for performing cell change by prioritizing synchronization with a primary cell within a specified period, followed by synchronization with secondary cells, ensuring minimal interruption time and maintaining at least 5MHz bandwidth for QoS-sensitive services by optimizing handover timing and carrier configuration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If handover from E-UTRA to multicarrier UTRA is enabled to maintain high bandwidth, then throughput is improved, but handover interruption time increases endangering service integrity

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovethroughputVSAvoidhandover interruption time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the handover process into distinct phases: a first handover to a first UTRA cell within the first time period, and subsequent handovers to additional UTRA cells within a second time period. This segmentation allows the system to prioritize completing the critical first handover quickly to restore service, while subsequently adding additional carriers to restore bandwidth, thus resolving the contradiction between minimizing interruption time and maintaining throughput.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Loss of time

If handover from E-UTRA to single carrier UTRA is performed to minimize interruption time, then service integrity is maintained, but bandwidth is reduced leading to lower throughput

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehandover interruption timeVSAvoidthroughput
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs the critical handover to the first UTRA cell as a preliminary action within the first specified time period, ensuring service continuity is established quickly. Subsequently, within the second time period, additional carriers are added to restore bandwidth. This preliminary action approach ensures service integrity is maintained first, then throughput is restored, resolving the contradiction between minimizing interruption time and maintaining bandwidth.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If multicarrier operation is configured after handover to restore bandwidth, then throughput is improved, but additional delays occur before quality of service is restored

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovethroughputVSAvoidservice restoration time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs the preliminary handover to the first UTRA cell within the first time period to establish service continuity, then immediately proceeds to configure additional carriers within the second time period. This preliminary action sequence ensures that service is restored quickly, and bandwidth is subsequently increased without significant additional delays, resolving the contradiction between restoring throughput and minimizing service restoration time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3141034B1Method for adapting cell change time in a multi-cell wireless communication network
Publication Date: 2020.05.06 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
  • EP3141034B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3141034B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3141034B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

A method and system for performing cell change by a wireless device are disclosed. According to one aspect, the cell change is from a first group of cells of a first radio access technology, RAT, to a second group of cells of a second RAT. Performance of a cell change includes receiving a cell change command. In response to the cell change command, the wireless device synchronizes to interoperate with a first cell of the second group of cells of the second RAT within a first specified period of time. The wireless device synchronizes to interoperate with at least one remaining cell of the second group of cells of the second RAT within a second specified period of time ending after an end of the first specified period of time.