Cell Measurement Reporting for On-Off State Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
In cellular systems, especially with small cells, there is a challenge in performing measurement reporting that is suitable for environments where the on/off state of a cell is switched, leading to potential delays and inefficiencies in handover processes.
Innovation Solution
A device is configured with an acquiring unit to detect the scheduled off-state of a serving cell and a control unit to perform measurement reporting before the cell goes off, as well as differentiate measurement reporting events based on the on/off state of neighboring cells, and consider traffic conditions and buffer status for optimal cell switching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If measurement reporting is performed based on conventional event triggers without considering cell on/off state, then the measurement process is simple, but measurement reporting suitability deteriorates in environments with cell on/off switching
Solution Approach 1:
The base station performs preliminary actions by notifying the terminal device in advance about the scheduled off-state of the serving cell. This allows the terminal device to proactively perform measurement reporting before the cell transitions to off-state, ensuring continuity of service without waiting for conventional event triggers. The advance notification mechanism enables the system to prepare for the cell state change beforehand, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and complexity.
2Productivity
If measurement reporting is delayed until after cell state change, then energy consumption is reduced, but handover process efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal device performs measurement reporting in advance before the serving cell transitions to off-state, based on the notification received from the base station. This preliminary action ensures that measurement data is available before the cell becomes unavailable, enabling faster handover decisions and improving handover process efficiency without incurring time loss after the state change.
Solution Approach 2:
The base station provides feedback to the terminal device about the scheduled off-state timing, enabling the terminal to adjust its measurement reporting schedule accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures that measurement reporting occurs at the optimal time - before the cell goes off - thereby improving handover efficiency while minimizing time loss.
3Measurement precision
If different measurement thresholds are applied for on-state and off-state neighbour cells, then measurement accuracy improves, but control mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different measurement thresholds (Qoffset and Qthreshold) specifically for neighbour cells that are in off-state, while using conventional thresholds for on-state cells. This local quality approach tailors the measurement criteria to the specific state of the neighbour cell, improving measurement accuracy for cells that are harder to detect (off-state) without unnecessarily complicating the control mechanism for all cells.
Data Source
AI summary
[Object] To make it possible to perform measurement reporting suitable for an environment in which the on/off state of a cell is switched.[Solution] There is provided a device including: an acquiring unit configured to acquire information indicating that a serving cell is scheduled to be in an off state; and a control unit configured to perform measurement reporting before the serving cell is in the off state.