Dynamic Channel Quality Threshold Tuning for Cellular Handover

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing handover methods in cellular wireless communication systems face challenges in setting an optimal channel quality threshold to balance handover failure rates and ping-pong rates, leading to inefficient handover performance.

Innovation Solution

A method that automatically tunes the channel quality threshold and other handover parameters using a control loop driven by measurements of handover failures and ping-pong rates, allowing for dynamic adjustment of parameters such as offset values and report periodicity to optimize handover performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a fixed channel quality threshold is used for handover preparation, then the handover procedure is simple to implement, but the handover performance deteriorates due to inability to adapt to varying network conditions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehandover performance adaptabilityVSAvoidthreshold tuning complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from a fixed channel quality threshold to a dynamic threshold that automatically adapts based on measured handover performance. The threshold is continuously adjusted according to actual network conditions and handover statistics, allowing the system to optimize handover preparation timing in response to varying radio environment and network load conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback by measuring actual handover performance metrics (such as handover failure rate, ping-pong rate, and channel quality) and using this information to adjust the channel quality threshold. This closed-loop feedback mechanism allows the system to learn from past handover outcomes and refine future threshold settings, thereby improving overall handover performance adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If the channel quality threshold is lowered to trigger handover preparation earlier, then handover failure rate decreases, but ping-pong rate increases due to excessive handover triggers

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehandover success rateVSAvoidping-pong handovers
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses feedback mechanisms to monitor both handover failure rate and ping-pong rate, adjusting the channel quality threshold based on the combined performance metrics. When the threshold is lowered to reduce failures, the system simultaneously monitors for increased ping-pong activity and raises the threshold accordingly, creating a balanced optimization that prevents excessive handover triggers while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the channel quality threshold value based on measured network conditions and handover performance. The threshold is not fixed but varies over time according to actual handover statistics, allowing the system to optimize the balance between triggering handovers early enough to prevent failures and late enough to avoid ping-pong effects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of energy

If measurement report periodicity is increased to reduce signaling overhead, then network resources are saved, but handover response time deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork resource consumptionVSAvoidhandover response speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by adjusting measurement report periodicity based on current network conditions and handover requirements. Rather than using a fixed periodicity, the system dynamically modifies the reporting interval according to channel quality variations, mobility patterns, and network load, thereby optimizing the balance between signaling overhead reduction and handover response speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements parameter changes by modifying the measurement report periodicity parameter dynamically. The system adjusts this parameter based on measured handover performance and network conditions, allowing longer periodicity when network resources should be conserved and shorter periodicity when rapid handover response is critical, thus optimizing the trade-off between resource consumption and response speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2805543B1Method for improving handover performance in a cellular wireless communication system
Publication Date: 2020.06.03 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP2805543B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2805543B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2805543B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method for improving handover performance in a cellular wireless communication system, said cellular wireless communication system employing a handover procedure in which a handover preparation for a mobile station is initiated if a channel quality value between a source cell for said mobile station and said mobile station is less than a channel quality threshold value; said method comprising the step of: tuning said channel quality threshold value based on one or more handover performance criteria used in said cellular wireless communication system. Furthermore, the invention also relates to a device for improving handover performance, a computer program, and a computer program product thereof.