CU-DU Timing Compensation for High-Precision UE Synchronization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In a CU-DU separation architecture of 5G communication systems, determining high-precision timing between a network device and a terminal device is challenging due to the lack of effective methods for calculating air interface propagation delay.
Innovation Solution
The DU or CU obtains time differences from the UE or DU, calculates the air interface propagation delay based on these differences, and compensates for timing information to achieve precise synchronization without additional calculations by the UE, thereby reducing power consumption and signaling overheads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the DU directly sends compensated timing information to the UE, then power consumption of the UE is reduced, but the device complexity of the DU increases
Solution Approach 1:
The DU performs timing compensation calculations in advance and sends the pre-compensated timing information directly to the UE. This preliminary action eliminates the need for the UE to perform complex calculations, thereby reducing UE power consumption while centralizing the computational burden in the DU
Solution Approach 2:
The DU acts as an intermediary between the timing source and the UE, performing the compensation calculation itself rather than providing raw data for the UE to process. This intermediary function resolves the contradiction by transferring computational workload from the energy-constrained UE to the more capable DU
2Measurement precision
If the DU sends air interface propagation delay information to the UE, then timing precision is improved, but signaling overheads increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential compensated timing information that the UE needs for synchronization, rather than transmitting all raw measurement data or multiple redundant parameters. This selective extraction maintains timing precision while minimizing signaling overhead
Solution Approach 2:
The DU transforms raw propagation delay measurements into directly usable compensated timing information, changing the parameter form from raw data requiring UE processing to ready-to-use timing values. This parameter transformation improves timing precision delivery while reducing the amount of signaling required
Data Source
AI summary
A communication method and apparatus are provided. The method includes: receiving a first time difference from a second communication apparatus; determining a round trip time RTT based on the first time difference and a second time difference; and sending a second message to a terminal device, where the second message includes the RTT, an air interface propagation delay, or terminal device side timing information, a value of the air interface propagation delay is equal to half of a value of the RTT, and the terminal device side timing information is determined based on the air interface propagation delay. According to the method and the apparatus in embodiments of this application, high-precision timing between a network device and the terminal device in a CU-DU separation architecture can be implemented.