Handover Resource Reservation Using Frame Number Offset

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mobile radio communications systems face inefficiencies in handover procedures due to limited availability of Random Access (RA) preambles, leading to potential handover delays and failures, especially when RA preambles are reserved for extended periods without being used.

Innovation Solution

The method involves reserving handover resources for a limited time period and communicating timing information using a frame number offset between the source and target cells, allowing for more efficient allocation and use of RA preambles by ensuring they are not reserved for failed or non-occurring handovers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If handover resources (RA preambles) are reserved for extended periods to ensure availability, then handover reliability is improved, but resource efficiency deteriorates due to potential long-term allocation to unused or failed handovers

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehandover reliabilityVSAvoidresource efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic resource reservation by introducing a time-limit counter that automatically expires reserved RA preambles after a predetermined period. This dynamic mechanism allows the system to adapt between ensuring handover reliability through reservation and maintaining resource efficiency through automatic expiration, resolving the contradiction between these two opposing requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of resource reservation from static (indefinite allocation) to dynamic (time-limited allocation with automatic expiration). By introducing the time-limit counter parameter, the system can control the duration of resource reservation, thereby balancing handover reliability with resource efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If RA preambles are allocated for long periods to prevent handover failures, then handover success rate is improved, but system productivity deteriorates due to reduced availability for other users

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehandover success rateVSAvoidsystem productivity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic action through the time-limit counter that periodically checks and expires reserved RA preambles. This periodic expiration mechanism ensures that resources are continuously reused for new handovers, maintaining high system productivity while providing sufficient reservation period to ensure handover success

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The dynamic time-limit counter allows the system to balance between maintaining handover success rate through adequate reservation time and maximizing system productivity through timely resource release and reuse for other users

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If handover resources are reserved without time limits to ensure availability, then handover reliability is improved, but loss of time deteriorates when resources remain allocated to failed handovers

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehandover reliabilityVSAvoidresource allocation time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring a time-limit counter with a predetermined expiration period. This preliminary setup ensures that resources are automatically released after the specified time, preventing indefinite allocation to failed handovers and reducing time loss while maintaining reliability during the active reservation period

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2149274B1Handover using dedicated resources reserved for a limited time interval
Publication Date: 2017.04.05 OPTIS WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY LLC
  • EP2149274B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2149274B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b
  • EP2149274B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method and arrangement for handover wherein the handover resource (the dedicated random access preamble) is reserved by the target radio base station (RBS) for a limited period of time, thus increasing the handover efficiency and thereby allowing random access preambles to be used for initial access to a larger extent. The information about the reserved time interval is sent to the UE in the handover command message by means of a frame number offset between the source RBS and the target RBS. The UE uses the information to calculate when to send its synchronisation message to the target RBS. The frame number offset is calculated either by source RBS or by target RBS.