Conditional Handover Configuration for Fast Cell Shutdown Offloading

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cell shutdown procedures in network communications are slow and prone to handover failures, leading to inefficient energy savings and increased power consumption due to slow offloading of UEs before cell shutdown.

Innovation Solution

Implementing energy saving conditional handover (ES-CHO) configurations that include optimized parameters for fast offloading of UEs to target cells, triggered by explicit or implicit network indications, and utilizing AI/ML for target cell selection to enhance the offloading process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If existing cell shutdown procedures are used, then energy saving mode can be activated, but the offloading process is slow and prone to handover failures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehandover success rateVSAvoidoffloading time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring handover parameters and candidate target cells before the cell shutdown is triggered. The UE receives handover configuration information in advance, including multiple candidate target cells and their associated parameters, so that when the shutdown trigger occurs, the UE can immediately execute handover without delay, thus resolving the contradiction between fast offloading and reliable handover.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes parameters by introducing energy saving specific conditional handover configurations with optimized parameters tailored for fast offloading during cell shutdown. These parameters include adjusted handover thresholds, timing configurations, and candidate cell selection criteria that are specifically optimized for the energy saving scenario, enabling both rapid and reliable handover execution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of energy

If existing cell shutdown procedures are used, then cells can enter energy-saving modes, but energy savings are inefficient due to slow offloading

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy saving efficiencyVSAvoidoffloading speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring handover parameters and candidate target cells before the cell shutdown is triggered. The UE receives handover configuration information in advance, including multiple candidate target cells and their associated parameters, so that when the shutdown trigger occurs, the UE can immediately execute handover without delay, thus resolving the contradiction between fast offloading and reliable handover.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes parameters by introducing energy saving specific conditional handover configurations with optimized parameters tailored for fast offloading during cell shutdown. These parameters include adjusted handover thresholds, timing configurations, and candidate cell selection criteria that are specifically optimized for the energy saving scenario, enabling both rapid and reliable handover execution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If traditional handover configurations are used, then standard procedures are followed, but handover failures occur due to slow response during cell shutdown

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehandover reliabilityVSAvoidhandover execution speed
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring handover parameters and candidate target cells before the cell shutdown is triggered. The UE receives handover configuration information in advance, including multiple candidate target cells and their associated parameters, so that when the shutdown trigger occurs, the UE can immediately execute handover without delay, thus resolving the contradiction between fast offloading and reliable handover.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes parameters by introducing energy saving specific conditional handover configurations with optimized parameters tailored for fast offloading during cell shutdown. These parameters include adjusted handover thresholds, timing configurations, and candidate cell selection criteria that are specifically optimized for the energy saving scenario, enabling both rapid and reliable handover execution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4712591A2CHO configuration for fast offloading during cell shutdown
Publication Date: 2026.03.18 NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
  • EP4712591A2 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4712591A2 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4712591A2 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for conditional handover configuration for fast offloading during cell shutdown. For example, a method comprises receiving, with a user equipment from a serving cell, one or more handover configurations. The one or more handover configurations comprises an energy saving conditional handover configuration. At least one of the one or more handover configurations comprises at least one of: an indication of one or more candidate target cells, or information for target cell selection. The method also comprises receiving, from the serving cell, an indication of activation of an energy saving mode at the serving cell. The method further comprises selecting a target cell, from the one or more candidate target cells, based, at least partially, on the one or more handover configurations and the received indication of activation of the energy saving mode at the serving cell.