Centralized Unit Handover Configuration Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communication systems, handovers between different service providers or base stations with varying Radio Resource Control (RRC) configurations pose a challenge, as the receiving base station lacks information about the user equipment's configuration from the previous base station, making it difficult to determine a full configuration for seamless handover.
Innovation Solution
A centralized unit (CU) is introduced to handle handovers, which receives a Handover Request message from a base station, sends a UE Context Setup Request message to a distributed unit, and responds with a full configuration indicator and a second UE configuration, enabling the CU to send a Radio Resource Control message with the second full configuration indicator to the base station.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a handover is performed between base stations with different RRC configurations, then the handover capability is improved, but the configuration management complexity increases because the receiving base station lacks information about the UE configuration from the previous base station
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a centralized unit (CU) as an intermediary between base stations during handover. The CU receives the handover request, generates the appropriate RRC configuration message based on stored configuration information, and sends it to the receiving base station. This mediator resolves the configuration management complexity by centralizing the configuration knowledge that would otherwise be distributed and potentially unknown across different base stations with different RRC configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized unit stores configuration information for multiple base stations in advance, including RRC configuration details. When a handover occurs, the CU already has the necessary configuration information ready, eliminating the need for the receiving base station to query or negotiate configuration details during the handover process. This preliminary preparation of configuration data simplifies the handover execution.
2Measurement precision
If the receiving base station requests full configuration information during handover, then the configuration accuracy is improved, but the signaling overhead and handover time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary configuration information from the centralized unit and includes it selectively in the RRC configuration message sent to the receiving base station. Rather than transmitting complete configuration datasets, the CU identifies and extracts only the specific configuration parameters needed for the handover, reducing signaling overhead while maintaining configuration accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized unit creates and sends a copied version of the necessary configuration information to the receiving base station. This copy contains the essential configuration details needed for the UE to seamlessly transition to the new base station, providing accurate configuration without requiring the receiving base station to request and process extensive configuration data, thus reducing handover time.
Data Source
AI summary
A centralized unit (CU) for handling a handover for a user equipment (UE), executing instructions of: the CU receiving a Handover Request message from a base station (BS) for requesting a handover from the BS to the CU, wherein the Handover Request message comprises the first UE configuration; the CU sending a UE Context Setup Request message comprising the first UE configuration to a distributed unit (DU); the CU receiving a UE Context Setup Response message for responding to the UE Context Setup Request message from the DU, wherein the UE Context Setup Response message comprises a first full configuration indicator and a second UE configuration; and the CU sending a Handover Request Acknowledge message comprising a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message to the BS in response to the Handover Request message, wherein the RRC message comprises the second UE configuration and a second full configuration indicator.