High-Frequency Link Re-Establishment in Coverage Holes

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Solution Overview

Problem

High-frequency communication systems face reliability issues due to coverage holes caused by obstructions and interference, leading to disconnection and poor signal quality, which existing multi-level beam switching mechanisms struggle to address effectively.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that involve sending a scan request message from an originally connected base station to a target base station when user equipment enters a coverage hole, allowing the target base station to scan and establish a high-frequency connection with the user equipment, and periodically detecting and updating alternative beams to maintain communication continuity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multi-level beam switching mechanism is used to ensure high-frequency communication reliability, then communication continuity is improved, but system complexity increases and coverage hole problems persist when all beams are blocked

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidbeam switching mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by having the network pre-configure multiple candidate beams and their priority levels before communication disconnection occurs. When the UE enters a coverage hole, it can immediately switch to a pre-designated alternative beam without complex real-time decision-making, thus improving reliability while keeping the switching mechanism simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a network-side controller as an intermediary that manages beam switching decisions. The controller receives beam quality reports from the UE and makes centralized switching decisions, simplifying the UE's complexity while maintaining high communication reliability through coordinated beam management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If millimeter wave frequency band is used to provide large capacity and high data throughput rate, then system capacity is improved, but coverage area decreases and signal becomes more susceptible to obstruction and interference

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata throughput rateVSAvoidcommunication coverage reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by enabling dynamic beam switching between millimeter wave and alternative frequency bands. When millimeter wave beams are blocked, the system dynamically transitions to other frequency bands to maintain connectivity, thus preserving both high data throughput capability and communication reliability across varying channel conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the frequency band parameter dynamically based on channel conditions. By pre-configuring multiple frequency bands and switching between them according to beam quality metrics, the system maintains high data throughput rates while overcoming the limited coverage and obstruction susceptibility of millimeter wave frequencies.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If beam switching is performed to maintain communication continuity, then disconnection probability is reduced, but switching time and signal measurement overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication continuityVSAvoidbeam switching time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent reduces switching time by pre-configuring multiple candidate beams with priority levels before disconnection occurs. The UE and network have already identified alternative beams and their qualities in advance, so when disconnection happens, the switch to an alternative beam is immediate without requiring time-consuming real-time measurement and decision-making.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent measures and monitors beam qualities continuously even when not immediately needed for switching. This excessive measurement action ensures that beam quality information is always available, eliminating measurement overhead during actual switching events and reducing the time required for beam switching decisions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3160185B1Apparatus, device, and processing method for realizing high-frequency communication based on blind area
Publication Date: 2018.09.26 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3160185B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3160185B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3160185B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6

AI summary

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a processing method and apparatus for implementing high-frequency communication in a coverage hole, and a device. The method includes: detecting whether a high-frequency link between UE and a base station that currently serves the UE is disconnected; if it is determined that the high-frequency link between the UE and the base station that currently serves the UE is disconnected, sending a scan request message to to-be-accessed base station(s) to which a beam that can cover a position of the UE belongs, so that the to-be-accessed base station(s) determines or determine, according to the scan request message and a current load, whether to scan the UE; and after receiving a scan acknowledgment message that acknowledges scan on the UE and is sent by the to-be-accessed base station(s), sending information about the UE to the to-be-accessed base station(s) that feeds back the scan acknowledgment information, so that the to-be-accessed base station(s) that feeds back the scan acknowledgment information quickly scans the UE according to the information about the UE, so as to re-establish a high-frequency link between the UE and the to-be-accessed base station. The processing method and apparatus for implementing high-frequency communication in a coverage hole, and a device that are provided in the embodiments of the present invention improve system reliability.