Mobile Terminal Base Station Selection With PEE-Aware Signaling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing communication systems lack efficient mechanisms to utilize the capabilities of propagation environment elements, such as programmable metasurfaces and network-controlled repeaters, for optimizing radio wave propagation and reducing interference in mobile terminals.

Innovation Solution

A mobile terminal equipped with a receiver to receive propagation environment element information, a controller to select base stations based on this information, and a transmitter to transmit connection requests, enabling PEE-aware communication.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If traditional base station selection methods are used, then the selection process is simple, but communication efficiency is reduced due to inability to utilize propagation environment elements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication efficiencyVSAvoidbase station selection complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The network provides propagation environment element information to the mobile terminal in advance through system information blocks or dedicated signaling messages. This allows the terminal to perform PEE-aware base station selection before actual communication, improving communication efficiency without adding complexity during the selection moment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Propagation environment element information acts as an intermediary that bridges the mobile terminal and base stations. The terminal uses this information as a selection criterion to identify base stations with optimal PEE support, enabling efficient selection without direct complex interactions between terminal and multiple base stations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If propagation environment element information is provided for all base stations, then communication optimization is improved, but signaling overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication optimizationVSAvoidsignaling overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

Propagation environment element information is provided selectively for specific base stations rather than uniformly for all base stations. The network determines which base stations have PEE support and provides information only for those, enabling communication optimization while minimizing signaling overhead by avoiding redundant information transmission

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the mobile terminal selects base stations without PEE awareness, then the connection process is fast, but interference is increased and radio resource management is suboptimal

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinterference reductionVSAvoidconnection establishment time
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile terminal performs PEE-aware base station selection in advance by evaluating propagation environment element information before establishing connections. This preliminary PEE-matched selection reduces interference from the outset and optimizes radio resource management, while the connection establishment itself remains efficient by using pre-evaluated base station choices

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4637217A1Mobile terminal and method for connecting to a communication network
Publication Date: 2025.10.22 NTT DOCOMO INC
  • EP4637217A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4637217A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4637217A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

According to one embodiment, a mobile terminal is described comprising a receiver configured to receive one or more messages comprising propagation environment element information specifying, for at least one base station of a plurality of base stations of a radio access network, one or more propagation environment elements which are allowed to be used for communication between the mobile terminal and the selected base station, a controller configured to select one of the base stations depending on the propagation environment element information and a transmitter configured to transmit a connection request to the selected base station.