Conditional Handover Triggering in NES Mode Using UE Condition Checks

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing network energy saving (NES) conditional handover (CHO) technologies face challenges in accurately determining when a condition for handover is met, leading to potential delays and inefficiencies due to network unawareness of the UE's real-time condition.

Innovation Solution

The UE is equipped with the capability to detect and check the condition of NES CHO upon receiving downlink control information (DCI), allowing it to execute handover only when the condition is met, thereby aligning UE behavior with network expectations and reducing handover delay.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If the network enters NES mode to save energy, then energy consumption is reduced, but handover accuracy deteriorates due to network unawareness of UE condition

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork energy consumptionVSAvoidhandover condition detection accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The UE autonomously detects whether the NES CHO condition is met and checks the condition status when receiving DCI, without requiring continuous network monitoring. This self-service mechanism allows the network to enter energy-saving mode while the UE independently manages handover condition assessment, resolving the contradiction between network energy saving and handover accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Measurement precision

If the network continuously monitors UE handover conditions, then handover accuracy is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehandover condition detection accuracyVSAvoidnetwork energy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The UE performs self-monitoring of handover conditions and autonomously determines when conditions are met, eliminating the need for continuous network-side monitoring. The network only needs to send DCI triggers, while the UE handles condition checking and handover execution decisions, significantly reducing network energy consumption while maintaining accurate handover timing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Speed

If the UE executes handover immediately when condition is met, then handover speed is improved, but handover delay increases due to network unawareness

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehandover execution speedVSAvoidhandover delay

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The UE provides feedback to the network by checking and reporting the NES CHO condition status when receiving DCI. This feedback mechanism ensures the network is aware of the actual handover condition state, allowing synchronized handover execution between UE and network, thereby reducing handover delay while maintaining fast execution speed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The UE performs preliminary condition checking and prepares for handover execution by detecting when the NES CHO condition is met before actual handover occurs. This preliminary action allows the UE to be ready for immediate handover execution when triggered, reducing overall handover delay while maintaining network synchronization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20260019914A1Devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media for conditional handover

Publication Date: 2026.01.15 NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY

AI summary

Disclosed are devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media for conditional handover. An example apparatus for a terminal device may include at least one processor and at least one memory. The at least one memory may store instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the apparatus at least to: receive downlink control information, DCI, indicating a network energy saving, NES, mode after detecting a condition of a NES conditional handover, CHO, is met; and check whether the condition is met when receiving the DCI.