Cellular Handover List for Multiple Target Cells

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current cellular network handover procedures often result in communication disruptions during handover failures, as they typically specify only one target cell, despite multiple neighboring cells providing strong signals, leading to increased handover failure rates and communication interruptions.

Innovation Solution

The method involves transmitting handover information that includes a list of multiple target cells with their communication particulars to the mobile device, allowing it to attempt connections to alternative cells in case of handover failure, thereby reducing communication disruptions and improving network reliability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If only one target cell is specified in handover information, then the handover procedure is simple and device complexity is reduced, but handover failure rate increases and communication continuity deteriorates when the single target cell is unavailable

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehandover procedure complexityVSAvoidhandover success rate
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the single target cell specification into multiple target cells in a list. Instead of providing only one target cell, the network component provides a list of multiple target cells (first target cell, second target cell, etc.), each with their own communication particulars. This segmentation allows the mobile device to have multiple fallback options, reducing handover failure rate while maintaining manageable complexity through structured information organization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-preparing multiple target cells and their communication particulars before the handover is executed. The network component identifies and prepares multiple candidate target cells in advance, storing their communication particulars (frequencies, access parameters, etc.) so that when handover is needed, the mobile device can immediately attempt connections without additional preparation time, thus improving handover success rate.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If multiple target cells are provided in handover information, then handover reliability and communication continuity are improved, but the amount of information transmitted and processing required increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication continuityVSAvoidhandover information volume
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential communication particulars needed for handover from the complete cell configuration data. Instead of transmitting full cell configuration information for multiple target cells, the system extracts and transmits only the critical elements (frequencies, access parameters, cell identifiers) necessary for the mobile device to connect to target cells, thereby reducing information volume while maintaining handover reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter representation by providing communication particulars in a optimized format. Rather than transmitting complete cell configuration sets, the system transmits simplified parameter sets that include only the essential handover information (frequencies, access parameters, cell IDs), reducing the quantity of information while enabling successful handover to multiple target cells.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of time

If the mobile device attempts to connect to alternative target cells upon handover failure, then communication interruption time is reduced, but the device must process and manage multiple cell options increasing operational complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication interruption durationVSAvoiddevice operation simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-organizing multiple target cells with their communication particulars in a ready-to-use list before handover execution. The mobile device receives the structured list of alternative target cells with all necessary connection information already prepared, eliminating the need for complex real-time cell search and parameter configuration during handover failure, thus reducing communication interruption time while keeping device operation simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables self-service by providing the mobile device with autonomous capability to attempt connections to multiple target cells using the pre-provided communication particulars. The device can independently manage the handover attempts to different target cells without requiring continuous network control or complex processing algorithms, simplifying operation while reducing interruption time through efficient self-managed reconnection attempts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2693803B1Methods, devices and computer program products for performing handover using a list of prepared cells
Publication Date: 2020.09.02 BLACKBERRY LTD
  • EP2693803B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2693803B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2693803B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A method in a network component for use in a cellular network comprises transmitting handover information from the network component to a mobile device. The handover information comprises information including information of a plurality of target cells with which the mobile device may subsequently communicate. A corresponding method in a mobile device is also provided.