Timer Control for Dormant Secondary Cells in Wireless Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication technologies lack clarity on how to control timers for dormant and non-dormant bandwidth parts (BWP) and secondary cells, particularly in scenarios where a secondary cell transitions to an active dormant state, leading to inefficiencies and increased activation delays.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for controlling timers on dormant and non-dormant BWP, involving the use of timers that are started, stopped, or restarted based on configuration information and indication signals from network devices, ensuring proper uplink behavior and state transitions of secondary cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a terminal device switches to a dormant BWP or non-dormant BWP, then bandwidth part state transitions are enabled, but timer control clarity is insufficient leading to activation delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by configuring timers in advance through RRC signaling before the terminal device actually switches BWP states. The network device pre-configures timer parameters (such as sCellDeactivationTimer) and the terminal device stores these configurations, so when a BWP switch occurs, the timer can be immediately started, stopped, or restarted without delay. This eliminates the time loss associated with real-time timer configuration during state transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by making timer control adaptive to different BWP states. The terminal device dynamically adjusts timer behavior based on whether it is in a dormant or non-dormant BWP state. When switching between states, the terminal device dynamically starts, stops, or restarts appropriate timers based on the current state and received indication information, enabling flexible and state-aware timer management that optimizes activation speed without unnecessary delays.
2Reliability
If timer control mechanisms are established for dormant and non-dormant BWP, then state transition management is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies feedback by implementing a clear signaling mechanism where the network device sends indication information to the terminal device regarding timer control actions. The terminal device receives this feedback (indication information) and accordingly starts, stops, or restarts timers based on the current BWP state. This feedback loop ensures reliable state transition management while keeping the control logic straightforward - the terminal device simply follows the network's indications rather than making complex autonomous decisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements universality by using a single timer control framework that handles both dormant and non-dormant BWP states through a unified mechanism. The same timer (sCellDeactivationTimer) and the same control approach (starting, stopping, or restarting based on indication information) apply regardless of which BWP state the terminal is in. This universal approach simplifies the system by avoiding the need for separate complex timer management mechanisms for different states, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliability.
3Use of energy by moving object
If secondary cell enters active dormant state, then resource utilization is optimized, but uplink behavior control becomes uncertain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies feedback by having the network device send explicit indication information to the terminal device regarding uplink behavior when the secondary cell is in an active dormant state. This feedback mechanism ensures that the terminal device receives clear instructions on whether to perform uplink transmissions or not, eliminating uncertainty. The network device can dynamically control uplink behavior through this signaling feedback, ensuring proper resource utilization while maintaining clear control information.
4Productivity
If timer operations are aligned with network configurations, then resource efficiency is improved, but control signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universality by making the timer control mechanism work with existing network configuration structures. The same RRC signaling framework used for general cell configuration is also used for timer configuration and indication. The indication information regarding timer control is integrated into the existing downlink control signaling rather than requiring separate dedicated signaling channels. This universal approach improves resource efficiency through coordinated timer operations while minimizing additional signaling overhead by reusing existing signaling infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for controlling a behavior of a terminal device includes: when a secondary cell (SCell) accessed by the terminal device enters an active state of a dormant behavior, the terminal device determines an uplink behavior of the terminal device according to a configuration information sent by a network device, and/or when a state of the SCell accessed by the terminal device is the active state of the dormant behavior, the terminal device stops running a timer, starts the timer, or restarts the timer.