Conditional Handover for Reliable Connected-State Mobility

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication technologies face challenges in improving mobility performance, particularly in scenarios requiring ultra-reliability and low latency, such as remote control and industrial automation, due to vulnerabilities in traditional handover processes that can lead to interruptions.

Innovation Solution

Implementing conditional handover techniques, where a terminal receives conditional information for handover and determines when a candidate cell meets specific quality thresholds, allowing for early preparation and reducing the likelihood of handover failures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional handover procedures are used, then the handover process is simple, but handover interruptions occur and reliability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehandover reliabilityVSAvoidhandover procedure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements conditional handover by pre-configuring handover conditions and candidate target cells before the actual handover is needed. The terminal receives conditional handover information including measurement conditions and candidate cell lists in advance, evaluates these conditions continuously, and executes handover to a pre-identified suitable cell when conditions are met, thereby avoiding handover interruptions and improving reliability without significantly increasing complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The handover process is segmented into distinct phases: condition configuration phase, condition evaluation phase, and handover execution phase. The conditional handover information is divided into multiple components including measurement conditions, candidate cell lists, and execution triggers. This segmentation allows the system to prepare handover options in advance while maintaining a relatively simple execution process, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If conditional handover information is received and evaluated, then handover reliability improves, but processing time and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemobility performanceVSAvoidhandover preparation time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal continuously evaluates handover conditions based on received conditional handover information without interruption to normal operations. Measurement conditions are monitored continuously in the background, and when a candidate cell satisfies the predefined conditions, handover is executed immediately. This continuous evaluation approach ensures that handover preparation does not consume significant additional time while maintaining high mobility performance and reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentEP3925284B1Mobility enhancement in a connected state
Publication Date: 2025.10.08 ZTE CORP
  • EP3925284B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3925284B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3925284B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Methods, systems, and devices related to related to digital wireless communication, and more specifically, to techniques related to improving mobility performance. In one exemplary aspect, a method for wireless communication includes receiving a transmission that includes conditional information for a handover of the terminal. The method also includes determining whether a candidate cell fulfills a condition for handover based on the conditional information. In another exemplary aspect, a method for wireless communication includes determining that there is no reference signal with a configured uplink grant with a measurement value that exceeds a threshold value. The method also includes initiating a random-access procedure. In another exemplary aspect, a method for wireless communication includes generating conditional information for a handover of a terminal. The method also includes transmitting a transmission that includes the conditional information to the terminal.