Network Device Synchronization Signal Block Type Indication

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Solution Overview

Problem

In radio access networks, terminals experience unnecessary power consumption due to measuring non-cell-defined synchronization signal blocks, which do not support initial access, camping, or cell selection, leading to inefficient energy usage.

Innovation Solution

A communication method where network devices determine and transmit type information of synchronization signal blocks to terminals, allowing them to only measure cell-defined synchronization signal blocks, reducing power consumption by avoiding the need to search all frequencies during initial access, camping, or cell selection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the terminal measures all synchronization signal blocks at various frequencies, then the terminal can determine signal quality comprehensively, but the terminal experiences unnecessary power consumption due to measuring non-cell-defined synchronization signal blocks

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal quality measurementVSAvoidterminal power consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes non-cell-defined synchronization signal blocks from the measurement set. The network device indicates to the terminal which synchronization signal blocks are cell-defined and support initial access, camping, or cell selection. The terminal then measures only these indicated cell-defined blocks, excluding non-cell-defined blocks that would consume power but provide no useful function for access or selection operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the synchronization signal blocks into two categories: cell-defined blocks that support initial access, camping, and cell selection, and non-cell-defined blocks that do not support these functions. This segmentation allows the terminal to selectively measure only the relevant cell-defined blocks indicated by the network, rather than measuring all synchronization signal blocks uniformly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If the terminal searches all frequencies during initial access, camping, or cell selection, then the terminal can find available cells, but the terminal experiences unnecessary power consumption due to measuring non-cell-defined synchronization signal blocks

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinitial access capabilityVSAvoidterminal power consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The network device performs preliminary action by indicating to the terminal which synchronization signal blocks are cell-defined and support initial access, camping, or cell selection before the terminal begins its search. This advance information allows the terminal to pre-filter its measurement targets and directly search only the indicated cell-defined blocks, eliminating the need to scan all frequencies including those with non-cell-defined blocks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If the terminal measures non-cell-defined synchronization signal blocks, then the terminal performs comprehensive signal quality assessment, but the terminal cannot perform initial access, camping, cell reselection, or cell selection on the corresponding synchronization signal block, causing unnecessary power consumption

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal quality assessmentVSAvoidaccess operation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts non-cell-defined synchronization signal blocks from the measurement set based on network indication. The terminal measures only cell-defined blocks that are indicated by the network device, which are the blocks that actually support initial access, camping, cell reselection, or cell selection. This extraction eliminates measurements of blocks that cannot be used for access operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of measuring all synchronization signal blocks (excessive action), the terminal measures only the subset of cell-defined blocks indicated by the network (partial action). This partial measurement approach is sufficient for achieving initial access, camping, and cell selection functions without the waste of measuring non-cell-defined blocks that provide no access capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3783970B1Communication method and device
Publication Date: 2025.03.26 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3783970B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3783970B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3783970B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

This application discloses a communication method and a communications apparatus, and relates to the communications field, to reduce power consumption of a terminal. The communication method includes: determining, by a first network device, first information, where the first information includes type information of a synchronization signal block, and the type information of the synchronization signal block is used to indicate that the synchronization signal block is a cell-defined synchronization signal block or a non-cell-defined synchronization signal block; and sending, by the first network device, the first information to a second network device. Embodiments of this application are applied to an indication of the cell-defined or non-cell-defined synchronization signal block.