Measurement Gap Configuration in Carrier Aggregation

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Solution Overview

Problem

In LTE-A cellular networks, the base station struggles to accurately determine whether a measurement gap is required for User Equipment (UE) to perform different-frequency and different-system measurements during carrier aggregation, leading to unnecessary resource waste due to incorrect configuration of measurement gaps.

Innovation Solution

The UE reports its measurement capability to the base station, indicating whether a measurement gap is needed for different-frequency and different-system measurements across various frequency bands, allowing the base station to configure gaps only when necessary, based on the UE's carrier aggregation capabilities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the base station configures measurement gaps for UE to perform different-frequency and different-system measurements, then measurement accuracy is improved, but resource waste increases due to unnecessary gap configuration

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement accuracyVSAvoidresource waste
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The UE reports its measurement capability information to the base station in advance, indicating whether it requires measurement gaps for different-frequency and different-system measurements. This preliminary action enables the base station to make informed configuration decisions, avoiding unnecessary measurement gap configuration and reducing resource waste while ensuring measurement accuracy when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces new capability parameters that the UE reports to the base station, specifically indicating whether measurement gaps are required for different-frequency and different-system measurements. These parameter changes enable dynamic and accurate configuration of measurement gaps based on actual UE capabilities, resolving the contradiction between measurement accuracy and resource efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the base station configures measurement gaps for carrier aggregation scenarios, then measurement reliability is improved, but service quality deteriorates due to scheduling interruptions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement reliabilityVSAvoidservice quality
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The UE proactively reports its measurement capability information before the base station configures measurement tasks. This advance notification allows the base station to configure measurement gaps only when truly necessary, minimizing scheduling interruptions and maintaining service quality while ensuring measurement reliability when required.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The UE autonomously determines and reports its own measurement requirements, enabling the base station to make accurate configuration decisions. This self-service approach ensures that measurement gaps are configured only when the UE actually needs them, preventing unnecessary service interruptions while maintaining measurement reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Manufacturing precision

If the base station requests detailed measurement capability information from UE, then configuration accuracy is improved, but communication overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconfiguration accuracyVSAvoidcommunication overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential measurement capability information that the UE needs to report to the base station, specifically whether measurement gaps are required for different-frequency and different-system measurements. This selective extraction achieves accurate configuration while minimizing communication overhead by reporting only the most critical capability parameters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP2629566B1System, method and apparatus for reporting measurement capability
Publication Date: 2018.08.15 ZTE CORP
  • EP2629566B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2629566B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2629566B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The disclosure discloses a method for reporting measurement capability, including: a UE reports the measurement capability of the UE to a base station, wherein the measurement capability is the capability of whether a measurement gap is required for the UE to execute different-frequency and different-system measurement when the UE operates in one frequency band or in a carrier aggregation scenario; and after acquiring the measurement capability of the UE, the base station determines whether to configure a measurement gap for the UE according to the frequency band to which carriers configured to be aggregated for the UE belong, the frequency band to which the carrier frequency for a measurement object of a currently configured measurement task belongs, and the measurement capability of the UE. The disclosure also discloses a UE correspondingly. By the disclosure, the base station is capable of not configuring a measurement gap for the UE if unnecessary, so that the influence of the different-frequency and different-system measurement to the service can be reduced, and possible resource waste caused can be avoided when the UE carries out measurement in the carrier aggregation scenario.