Macro Cell Handover with Staged Small Cell Reconnection

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing handover methods in dual connectivity scenarios, where a user equipment is connected to both a macro cell and a small cell, do not effectively manage the transition between these cells, leading to inefficiencies in radio communication.

Innovation Solution

A communication system that includes pre-handover and post-handover processes for user equipment, involving disconnection from a small cell before switching macro cells and reestablishing connection with the small cell during handover, ensuring seamless communication between macro cells.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a user equipment maintains connection with both macro cell and small cell during handover, then communication continuity is improved, but handover management complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication continuityVSAvoidhandover management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The handover process is segmented into distinct phases: pre-handover phase where the small cell connection is maintained, handover execution phase where macro cell switching occurs, and post-handover phase where small cell reconnection is established. This segmentation allows complex dual-connectivity handover to be managed through structured, manageable stages

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The small cell connection is established in advance before the macro cell handover is executed. This preliminary action ensures that when the macro cell switching occurs, the user equipment already has an active small cell connection ready, guaranteeing communication continuity without interruption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If handover process switches macro cell while maintaining small cell connection, then communication efficiency is improved, but connection management difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication efficiencyVSAvoidconnection management difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts connection states during handover: initially maintaining dual connections (macro + small cell), then transitioning to single macro cell connection during handover execution, and finally re-establishing dual connectivity after handover completion. This dynamic approach optimizes communication efficiency at each stage while managing complexity through controlled transitions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Device complexity

If disconnection from small cell occurs before macro cell handover, then handover execution simplicity is improved, but communication interruption risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehandover execution simplicityVSAvoidcommunication interruption risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The small cell connection serves as a cushion or backup communication path before the macro cell handover is executed. By maintaining this alternative connection in advance, the system prepares a safety net that prevents communication interruption during the handover transition, cushioning against potential failures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Data Source

PatentUS12375989B2Mobile communication system, base station, master base station, secondary base station and user equipment

Publication Date: 2025.07.29 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP

AI summary

When being connected to a macro cell (S-MeNB) and a small cell (SeNB), a user equipment device performs a pre-handover process of disconnecting the connection with the SeNB before a handover process of switching a macro cell connected with the UE from the macro cell (S-MeNB) that is a moving source to a macro cell (T-MeNB) that is a moving destination along with moving of the UE, and after the handover process, performs a post-handover process of reestablishing the connection with the SeNB.