Conditional Handover Resource Deconfiguration Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conditional handovers in wireless communication networks face challenges in robustness and failure recovery, particularly when user equipment (UE) is not aware of resource deconfiguration at target cells, leading to failed handover attempts.

Innovation Solution

The method involves transmitting a dedicated preamble by user equipment (UE) to a target cell and receiving a response indicating resource deconfiguration, allowing the UE to detect deconfigured resources and perform re-establishment procedures with alternative cells or reconfigure access.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the target cell deconfigures resources allocated for the first user equipment before the conditional handover is executed, then resource utilization efficiency is improved, but the handover reliability deteriorates because the user equipment is unaware of the deconfiguration and attempts to access with invalid resources

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource utilization efficiencyVSAvoidhandover reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The target cell provides feedback to the user equipment about resource deconfiguration status through the random access response message. When resources are deconfigured, the target cell includes specific indication information in the response, allowing the UE to detect the deconfiguration and avoid using invalid resources, thus maintaining handover reliability while enabling resource release

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The target cell performs preliminary deconfiguration of resources before the conditional handover is executed, releasing resources that are no longer needed. This preliminary action improves resource utilization efficiency while the feedback mechanism ensures the UE is notified and can adjust its access attempts accordingly

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the user equipment continuously attempts random access to the target cell after resource deconfiguration, then connection establishment probability is improved, but network resource waste increases due to repeated failed access attempts

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection establishment probabilityVSAvoidnetwork resource waste
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The random access response message includes feedback information indicating whether resources are still valid or have been deconfigured. This feedback allows the UE to stop futile access attempts when resources are deconfigured, preventing network resource waste while maintaining connection establishment probability when resources are valid

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The potential harm of repeated failed access attempts is converted into a benefit by using the failure indication as useful feedback. When the UE receives indication of deconfigured resources, it interprets this as guidance to stop attempts or try alternative cells, transforming what would be wasteful retries into efficient resource utilization

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentEP3737152B1Conditional handovers in a wireless communication network
Publication Date: 2022.01.12 NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
  • EP3737152B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3737152B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3737152B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method comprising, transmitting to a target cell, by a first user equipment, a dedicated preamble for the conditional handover, receiving from the target cell, by the first user equipment, a response to the transmitted dedicated preamble and determining, by the first user equipment, based on the response that resources allocated for the first user equipment at the target cell for the conditional handover have been deconfigured.