Small Cell Information Acquisition via Server for LTE Overhead Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In LTE mobile communication systems, the increasing number of small cells within a macro cell leads to a significant increase in neighboring cell information that needs to be broadcast, resulting in increased overhead and potential radio resource consumption.
Innovation Solution
A user terminal, base station, and server apparatus collaborate to reduce this overhead by having the user terminal acquire small cell information from a server apparatus via the macro cell, allowing the user terminal to perform cell reselection based on this information rather than relying solely on broadcasted neighboring cell information, which includes information about small cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If neighboring cell information including small cell information is broadcast from the macro cell, then user terminals in idle state can perform cell reselection on small cells, but the amount of neighboring cell information increases and overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments neighboring cell information into two parts: (1) traditional neighboring cell information (SIB4-SIB8) broadcast by the macro cell for macro cell reselection, and (2) small cell information provided separately through dedicated signaling or data transmission when the terminal is in connected state. This segmentation allows terminals to acquire small cell information without increasing the broadcast overhead for all terminals.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts small cell information from the traditional neighboring cell information broadcast mechanism. Instead of including small cell information in the periodic SIB4-SIB8 broadcasts, the system extracts and provides small cell information separately through dedicated RRC signaling or data transmission only to terminals that need it and when they are in connected state, thereby reducing the broadcast overhead for all terminals.
2Ease of operation
If neighboring cell information is broadcast periodically from the macro cell, then user terminals can perform cell reselection, but overhead caused along with the broadcasting increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by providing small cell information to terminals when they are in connected state, before they potentially transition to idle state and need to perform cell reselection. This advance provision of information through dedicated signaling eliminates the need for periodic broadcasting of small cell information, reducing overhead while ensuring terminals have the necessary information for reselection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service by providing small cell information on-demand to terminals that request it or need it for their specific location and service requirements. Instead of universally broadcasting to all terminals regardless of need, the system serves individual terminals with small cell information when they are in connected state, reducing unnecessary broadcast overhead.
Data Source
AI summary
UE 100 performs, in a mobile communication system in which a small cell is arranged within a coverage of a macro cell, a cell reselection on the basis of neighboring cell information broadcast from the macro cell. The UE 100 acquire, in a connected state in which the UE 100 is connected to the macro cell, from a server 400 that manages small cell information on the small cell, the small cell information via the macro cell. The neighboring cell information broadcast from the macro cell is information on a neighboring cell other than the small cell. The UE 100 performs, in an idle state, the cell reselection on the small cell on the basis of the small cell information acquired from the server 400.