Inactive State Cell Reselection for Signaling Overhead Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

In existing 4G systems, user equipment (UE) experiences significant signaling overhead when switching cells, as it must perform a cell switching procedure before transmitting data in a new cell, leading to inefficiencies.

Innovation Solution

The introduction of an inactive state allows the UE to move to a new cell through cell reselection without switching, enabling data transmission with the network-side device using a UE identifier configured by the network, over common resources or contention channels, and receiving data through DRX periodicity or paging messages.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the UE performs cell switching procedure before entering another cell, then the UE can transmit data with the network in the new cell, but the signaling overhead of the UE increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata transmission capabilityVSAvoidsignaling overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The network pre-configures the UE with an inactive state and a UE identifier before the UE moves to a new cell. This preliminary configuration allows the UE to immediately transmit data in the inactive state upon cell reselection without performing a cell switching procedure, thereby reducing signaling overhead while maintaining data transmission capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The inactive state acts as an intermediary state between RRC_IDLE and RRC_CONNECTED states. In this intermediate state, the UE can transmit data using a configured UE identifier without full connection establishment, serving as a mediator that reduces the need for extensive signaling while preserving data transmission functionality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3457755B1Method and device for performing data transmission
Publication Date: 2021.01.27 CHINA ACAD OF TELECOMM TECH
  • EP3457755B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~2
  • EP3457755B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP3457755B1 patent drawingFigure 6~7

AI summary

Provided are a method and device for performing data transmission capable of solving a problem in the prior art in which if a user equipment unit needs to perform transmission with a network, the user equipment unit needs to perform a cell switching process to enter another cell, and this results in higher signaling overheads for a terminal. In an embodiment of the invention, a new connected state is different from an idle state and a connected state. In the new connected state, a terminal can perform data transmission with a network side device. Moreover, after the terminal has moved to a coverage of another cell from a coverage of a cell currently accessed by it, the terminal can move to the new cell by means of cell reselection without performing a cell switching process. Accordingly, when the terminal is to move to another cell, the problem that the terminal has high signaling overheads in a cell switching process can be prevented, thereby reducing signaling overheads.