Dual Connectivity Base Station Failure Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
In LTE Advanced systems, dual connectivity scenarios face challenges when one base station experiences communication failures, leading to potential data interruptions or delays, especially with the deployment of low-power nodes in heterogeneous networks, where abnormal situations like sudden connection losses or interference can occur.
Innovation Solution
A mobile communication device and base station system that allows simultaneous communication with multiple base stations, detects problems with one base station, and transmits indications to another base station to suspend or release resources, initiate handovers, or terminate bearers to maintain connectivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If dual connectivity is implemented to improve throughput and mobility robustness, then system capacity and data rates are improved, but complexity of managing multiple base station connections and handling failures increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the base station connections into primary and secondary roles, with the primary base station handling control plane functions and the secondary base station focusing on user plane data transmission. This segmentation simplifies the overall management complexity while maintaining dual connectivity benefits for throughput enhancement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary failure indication mechanism where the secondary base station sends failure indications to the primary base station, which then coordinates the appropriate recovery actions. This intermediary approach simplifies the complexity by centralizing the decision-making logic at the primary base station while maintaining dual connectivity.
2Reliability
If simultaneous communication with multiple base stations is maintained to improve mobility robustness, then connection reliability is improved, but data interruptions may occur when one base station experiences failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary failure detection mechanisms where the user equipment continuously monitors the quality of connections to both primary and secondary base stations. When degradation is detected, the system proactively triggers handover procedures before complete connection failure occurs, thereby maintaining mobility robustness while minimizing data interruption time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes feedback loops where failure indications are continuously exchanged between user equipment and base stations. This real-time feedback enables rapid detection and response to connection issues, allowing the system to maintain reliable mobility by quickly switching to the appropriate base station while minimizing data loss.
3Productivity
If resources are allocated to secondary base station for dual connectivity, then throughput is improved, but resources may be wasted when the secondary connection fails
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic resource allocation where the allocation of radio resources to the secondary base station is adjusted based on connection quality metrics. When the secondary connection quality degrades below a threshold, resources are dynamically reallocated or released, preventing resource waste while maintaining high throughput when the secondary connection is healthy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the dual connectivity based on connection status. When the secondary base station connection fails, parameters such as resource block allocation, modulation schemes, and power levels are adjusted or reverted to single-connectivity modes, thereby eliminating resource waste while preserving the throughput benefits of dual connectivity during normal operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication system is disclosed, in which a mobile telephone communicates user data substantially simultaneously via a first base station and a second base station of the communication system. The mobile telephone detects a problem in communications with the second base station and transmits, to the first base station on detection of a problem in communications with said second base station, an indication of the detected problem in communications with the second base station.