Forward Handover Indication for Independent UE Cell Selection

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Solution Overview

Problem

In current LTE networks, user equipment mobility management during handover is controlled solely by the network, violating the criterion of user equipment selecting a target cell independently.

Innovation Solution

A forward handover method where a base station or network controller generates and sends a forward handover indication to allow user equipment to independently select a target cell by acquiring context information from a source base station, using identifiers like CRNTI, PCI, and ECGI, and considering time validity and load optimization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If the network controls user equipment mobility management during handover, then mobility management is determined and controlled by the network, but user equipment cannot independently select a target cell

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork control over mobility managementVSAvoiduser equipment ability to independently select target cell

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The source base station performs preliminary actions by determining a forward handover target cell for the user equipment and sending forward handover indication information to the target base station before the handover occurs. This includes pre-acquiring context information and preparing the target cell environment, enabling the user equipment to subsequently independently complete handover to the predetermined target cell without network intervention during the actual handover process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If the user equipment selects the target cell independently, then user equipment can independently select a target cell, but mobility management violates the basic criterion that mobility management is determined and controlled by the network

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser equipment ability to independently select target cellVSAvoidnetwork control over mobility management

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If context information is acquired from source base station during handover, then handover can be completed successfully, but handover efficiency is reduced due to additional signaling and processing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehandover completion successVSAvoidhandover efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The source base station pre-acquires and forwards context information to the target base station before the handover occurs. The target base station receives and stores this context information in advance, so when the user equipment initiates handover, the target base station already has the necessary context and can complete the handover process quickly without waiting for context acquisition during the handover execution phase.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

By performing context acquisition and forwarding in advance, the patent skips the time-consuming context acquisition step during the actual handover process. The handover execution phase is rushed through quickly since all necessary information is already prepared, significantly improving handover efficiency while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #21Skipping (Rushing through)

Data Source

PatentEP3383106B1Forward handover methods

Publication Date: 2019.08.07 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD

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AI summary

The present invention discloses a base station, a network controller, and a forward handover method. The base station includes a first base station to which a target cell of user equipment belongs and a second base station to which the user equipment belongs, where the second base station includes: a second processor and a second transceiver, the second processor generates a forward handover indication, and the second transceiver sends the forward handover indication to the first base station, so that when receiving an RRC re-establishment request message of the user equipment, the first base station acquires context information of the user equipment from the second base station according to the forward handover indication. In the foregoing manner, the user equipment of the present invention can independently select a target cell, and overcomes a disadvantage of violating a basic criterion in the prior art that mobility management, such as handover of the user equipment, is determined and controlled by a network.