Cross-DU Channel Measurement Reporting for Cell Activation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication systems lack optimal coordination between distributed units (DUs) of a base station for activating or deactivating cells due to limited shared knowledge of channel conditions, leading to sub-optimal cell activation or deactivation.

Innovation Solution

User equipment (UE) transmits joint measurement reports to a first DU, including channel measurements for both activated and deactivated cells controlled by different DUs, enabling the first DU to make more informed decisions on cell activation or deactivation based on comprehensive channel knowledge.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If measurement reports are transmitted separately for each DU, then each DU receives channel information for its own cells, but the coordination between DUs is insufficient leading to sub-optimal cell activation decisions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecell activation decision accuracyVSAvoidshared channel knowledge between DUs
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines measurement reports from multiple DUs into a single joint measurement report transmitted to a target DU. This merging approach allows the target DU to access channel quality information for cells across all source DUs, enabling coordinated cell activation decisions without requiring separate information exchange between DUs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If joint measurement reports are transmitted to enable comprehensive channel knowledge, then cell activation decisions are improved, but the complexity of measurement report processing increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecell activation decision accuracyVSAvoidmeasurement report coordination complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a UE (user equipment) as an intermediary that collects measurement reports from multiple source DUs and forwards them as a joint measurement report to the target DU. This intermediary approach simplifies the architecture by using the existing UE measurement capabilities rather than requiring direct DU-to-DU communication or complex centralized processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If cells are activated based on limited channel knowledge, then the system operates with simpler coordination, but connectivity and data rates are sub-optimal

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata rateVSAvoidDU coordination mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary channel measurements at the UE for all cells before cell activation decisions are made. By having the UE pre-measure and report channel quality for all candidate cells across multiple DUs, the system enables informed cell activation decisions that maximize data rates without requiring complex real-time coordination during the actual activation process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4268500B1Techniques for channel measurement reporting across different distributed units (DUS) of a base station (BS)
Publication Date: 2026.03.04 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP4268500B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4268500B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4268500B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatuses for a transmission, from a user equipment (UE) to a first distributed unit (DU), of one or more measurement reports including channel measurements of a set of cells associated with a second DU of a same central unit (CU) as the first DU. The UE may transmit the one or more measurement reports according to various reporting format options, including via separate reports for activated and deactivated cells of the second DU, a joint report for activated and deactivated cells of the second DU, or a joint report across a set of DUs including the first DU. The measurement reports may include one or more metrics associated with each cell of a configured cell set and the UE and the DUs of the same CU may activate or deactivate one or more cells for communication with the UE based on the measurement reports.