Femtocell Cluster Association via Scrambling Code Pre-configuration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wireless communication systems face inefficiencies in handover processes from macrocells to femtocells, particularly in authorizing user equipment to access the correct femtocell cluster, leading to increased signaling overhead, interference, and degraded user experience due to the lack of association between scrambling codes and femtocell clusters.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where user equipment receives and stores information identifying and locating femtocells within a cluster, allowing for efficient association and communication setup, including the use of parameters like FemtoClusterAvailable and FemtoClusterCellLocation in RRC Connection Setup messages to facilitate seamless handovers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional handover methods are used from macrocell to femtocell, then user equipment can eventually connect to a femtocell, but signaling overhead increases and handover time extends due to trial-and-error association
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by providing scrambling code information and femtocell cluster association data to user equipment before handover is needed. The RNC configures the UE with a list of scrambling codes associated with femtocell clusters during idle mode or previous connection phases, so that when handover is triggered, the UE can immediately identify and connect to the appropriate femtocell without trial-and-error delays.
2Reliability
If conventional handover methods are used from macrocell to femtocell, then connection can be established, but signaling overhead increases due to repeated association attempts
Solution Approach 1:
The RNC performs preliminary configuration by providing the UE with scrambling code information and femtocell cluster association data before handover is needed. This pre-configured information allows the UE to directly identify the target femtocell cluster, eliminating the need for multiple signaling exchanges and trial-and-error association attempts during the actual handover process.
3Reliability
If user equipment uses trial-and-error methods to associate with femtocell clusters, then connection can be established, but user experience degrades due to increased interference and connection delays
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides the UE with pre-configured scrambling code information and femtocell cluster association data before handover is triggered. This allows the UE to immediately and accurately identify the target femtocell cluster when entering a coverage area, eliminating trial-and-error attempts, reducing interference, and providing seamless connectivity for the user.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a method for implementation in user equipment that is configured to communicate with a wireless communication system that includes a macro-cell and a plurality of femtocells that are deployed in a cluster. The method includes providing a call connection request from the user equipment to one of a subset of the plurality of femtocells and receiving information identifying the subset of the femtocells as a femtocell cluster associated with the user equipment. The method also includes receiving information indicating locations of each of the femtocells in the femtocell cluster. The method further includes storing the information identifying the femtocells in the femtocell cluster and the information indicating the locations in the user equipment.