Network Node Repetition Level Configuration for MTC Signaling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Low cost/low complexity (LC) Machine Type Communication (MTC) devices face challenges in communicating effectively due to high attenuation, leading to increased signaling overhead and reduced spectral efficiency, especially in scenarios with mobility, as they need to frequently report changes in repetition levels for coverage enhancement.

Innovation Solution

A method where a network node configures and sets a repetition level for LC-UEs, prohibiting them from reporting changes for a predefined period, and uses this configured level for paging messages, balancing spectral efficiency with reduced signaling overhead by determining suitable repetition levels based on uplink signal quality and radio conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If LC-UEs frequently report changes in repetition levels to adapt to mobility and radio conditions, then coverage enhancement and communication reliability are improved, but signaling overhead increases and spectral efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidsignaling overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the repetition level indication from frequent UE reports and places it in the network's paging message transmission. The network node determines the repetition level based on uplink signal quality and radio conditions, then includes this indication in paging messages to LC-UEs, eliminating the need for frequent UE reporting while maintaining adaptive coverage enhancement

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of the UE reporting its required repetition level to the network (traditional approach), the patent inverts the approach by having the network determine and indicate the repetition level to the UE through paging messages. This reversal reduces signaling overhead while achieving the same coverage enhancement objective

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Device complexity

If LC-UEs with limited antennae and transport block size communicate in high attenuation areas, then device cost and complexity are reduced, but communication difficulty increases due to signal attenuation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidsignal attenuation
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the repetition level parameter dynamically based on radio conditions and uplink signal quality. The network node determines appropriate repetition levels and indicates them to LC-UEs through paging messages, allowing simple low-cost devices to operate reliably in high attenuation areas without increasing device complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The network node uses feedback from uplink signal quality measurements to determine appropriate repetition levels for paging messages. This feedback mechanism allows the system to adapt to changing radio conditions and compensate for signal attenuation in high attenuation areas while maintaining simple LC-UE devices

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3051894B1Reducing signalling overhead for machine type communications (MTC)
Publication Date: 2017.10.11 ALCATEL LUCENT SA
  • EP3051894B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3051894B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3051894B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method, in a wireless telecommunication network, comprising receiving data from a low cost/complexity (LC) user equipment (UE) or a network node, the data representing an indication containing LC-UE coverage enhanced mode and/or a repetition level for idle mode paging for the LC-UE, and transmitting a message to the LC UE representing an instruction prohibiting the LC-UE from reporting a repetition level and providing a configured repetition level for the LC-UE.