Cell Handover Grouping to Reduce Signalling Congestion

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Solution Overview

Problem

In non-terrestrial network systems, the large coverage area of cells leads to a high number of users, resulting in a sharp increase of control signaling during cell handover, causing congestion and a high handover failure rate due to simultaneous handovers by a large quantity of terminal devices.

Innovation Solution

A method where terminal devices are grouped into sets based on grouping information, and handover commands are transmitted to these sets, reducing the number of simultaneous handovers and lowering the handover failure rate.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a large quantity of terminal devices simultaneously perform handover from source cell to target cell, then the handover process is completed, but control signalling increases sharply causing congestion and high handover failure rate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehandover completionVSAvoidcontrol signalling
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides terminal devices into multiple groups based on their handover priorities, service types, or other criteria. Instead of handling all handover requests simultaneously, the network device processes handovers in a segmented manner according to group priorities, thereby reducing peak control signaling load and avoiding congestion while maintaining overall handover productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Speed

If handover commands are transmitted to all terminal devices simultaneously, then handover process is efficient, but congestion occurs in target cell

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehandover speedVSAvoidcongestion
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic or staged transmission of handover commands to different groups of terminal devices. Instead of a single simultaneous transmission to all devices, handover commands are sent in periodic batches according to group priorities, which distributes the handover load over time and prevents target cell congestion while maintaining acceptable handover speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Quantity of substance

If grouping information is used to divide terminal devices into sets, then control signalling is reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol signallingVSAvoidgrouping management
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs grouping of terminal devices in advance, before the actual handover process begins. The network device pre-establishes groups based on terminal device characteristics, service requirements, or other criteria, and stores this grouping information for subsequent handover operations. This preliminary action reduces the complexity during actual handover execution, as the grouping logic is already resolved and stored.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4704466A1Cell handover method, and terminal device and network device
Publication Date: 2026.03.04 QUECTEL WIRELESS SOLUTIONS CO LTD
  • EP4704466A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4704466A1 patent drawingFigure 3~6
  • EP4704466A1 patent drawingFigure 7~9

AI summary

The present application provides a cell handover method, a terminal device, and a network device, which are beneficial to resolving congestion caused when a large amount of terminal devices perform cell handovers simultaneously. The method includes: receiving, by a terminal device, first information transmitted by a source network device to a first set of terminal devices, where the first information is used to assist at least some of terminal devices in the first set of terminal devices in cell handover from a source cell corresponding to the source network device to a target cell corresponding to a target network device, wherein the first set of terminal devices is one of a plurality of sets of terminal devices in the source cell, and the plurality of sets of terminal devices are determined based on grouping information.