Handover Measurement Context Transfer for Positioning Continuity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing positioning measurement technologies face challenges in continuing measurements seamlessly during handover from a source base station to a target base station in cellular communication networks, leading to potential data loss and delayed results.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves extending the RRC Context IE in the HANDOVER REQUEST message with measurement context information, including SRS configuration, to enable continuous positioning measurements in the target cell, ensuring that the target eNB can resume measurements without restarting, thereby maintaining measurement continuity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If positioning measurements are restarted after handover, then the target base station can perform measurements independently, but measurement continuity is broken causing data loss and delayed results

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemeasurement continuityVSAvoidhandover process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The source base station performs preliminary actions by including measurement context information (such as SRS configuration, measurement IDs, and timing advance values) in the handover request message before the handover occurs. This allows the target base station to have all necessary measurement parameters ready in advance, ensuring seamless continuation of positioning measurements without interruption or data loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If measurement context is transferred during handover, then positioning accuracy is maintained, but signaling overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidsignaling overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts only the essential measurement context information (measurement IDs, SRS configuration parameters, timing advance values) needed for positioning measurement continuation, rather than transferring complete measurement datasets. This selective extraction maintains positioning accuracy while minimizing signaling overhead between base stations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Productivity

If handover procedure is simplified without measurement context transfer, then signaling overhead is reduced, but positioning measurements cannot be continued seamlessly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehandover speedVSAvoidmeasurement interruption time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The handover request message serves as an intermediary carrier that transports measurement context information from the source base station to the target base station. This intermediary mechanism enables seamless measurement continuation without requiring separate dedicated signaling procedures, thus maintaining fast handover speed while preventing measurement interruption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2995120B1Method and arrangement for enabling continuation of ongoing positioning measurements at handover

Publication Date: 2019.12.18 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

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AI summary

According to one of the aspects of the proposed technology, there is provided a method for enabling continuation of ongoing positioning measurements for a User Equipment, UE, at handover from a source base station to a separate target base station. The method comprises the steps of obtaining (11) a measurement context associated with the ongoing positioning measurements to enable continued positioning measurements in a target cell of the target base station after the handover has been completed, and participating (12) in continued positioning measurements in the target cell after the handover in response to the measurement context.