LTE Base Station PDCP Anchor Duplication Activation via gNB Mediator
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In a 5G system, an LTE base station cannot send activation/deactivation indications for a duplication operation to a terminal when it acts as the PDCP anchor, due to limitations in MAC layer signaling.
Innovation Solution
A communication method where a first communications device obtains status information of a duplication operation and sends it to a second device, which generates an activation indication to be sent to the terminal, enabling the activation or deactivation of the duplication operation, even when the LTE base station is the PDCP anchor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an LTE base station acts as the PDCP anchor in a heterogeneous communications system, then the system can support duplication operations for radio bearers, but the LTE base station cannot send activation/deactivation indications to the terminal due to MAC layer signaling limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gNB as an intermediary device that receives the duplication operation status information from the LTE base station (PDCP anchor) and generates the activation indication to send to the terminal. This mediator resolves the signaling limitation by having the gNB, which has the capability to send MAC layer signaling, perform the activation/deactivation indication transmission on behalf of the LTE base station.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the PDCP anchor is an LTE base station, then the system architecture is established, but the LTE base station lacks the capability to perform activation/deactivation operations through MAC layer signaling
Solution Approach 1:
The gNB acts as an intermediary that receives status information from the LTE base station's MAC layer and translates it into activation indications. This allows the LTE base station to maintain its stable architecture as PDCP anchor while the gNB provides the missing MAC layer signaling capability through cooperative interaction.
3Reliability
If duplication operation status information is not properly transmitted from the PDCP anchor, then the terminal cannot activate/deactivate duplication operations, but introducing additional signaling paths increases system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The gNB serves as a signaling intermediary that simplifies the overall system complexity by consolidating the activation indication transmission function. Instead of requiring direct complex signaling from the LTE base station to the terminal, the gNB receives the status information and handles the terminal communication, thereby maintaining reliability while managing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of this application relate to the field of communications technologies, and disclose communications methods and apparatuses. In an implementation, a method comprising receiving, by a first communications device, information about a radio bearer (RB) of a heterogeneous communications system, wherein a duplication operation for the RB is configured by a second communications device, and the first communications device and the second communications are comprised in a master node or a secondary node; generating, by the first communications device, an activation indication indicating whether to activate or deactivate the duplication operation of the RB, wherein whether to activate or deactivate the duplication operation is determined by the first communications device; and sending the activation indication to a terminal device.