Priority-Based Neighbor Cell List for Mobility Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The deployment of multiple small cells within a macro cell layer in wireless telecommunications networks leads to frequent handovers and mobility challenges, as existing techniques are unsuited for heterogeneous network deployments, resulting in increased complexity and inefficiency for user equipment.
Innovation Solution
A method that provides user equipment with a neighbor cell list and allows it to assign priority criteria to cells, focusing measurements on high-priority cells, thereby reducing the need for frequent RRC signaling and improving mobility management in heterogeneous networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple small cells are deployed within a macro cell layer to increase network capacity, then network capacity is improved, but handover frequency and mobility management complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The neighbor cell list is segmented into multiple priority groups (first priority group, second priority group, etc.), allowing user equipment to focus measurements on high-priority cells while reducing the measurement burden across all cells. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by maintaining high network capacity through comprehensive cell lists while reducing mobility management complexity through priority-based measurement filtering.
Solution Approach 2:
Different measurement requirements are applied to different priority groups of cells. High-priority cells receive more stringent measurement requirements, while lower-priority cells have reduced measurement requirements. This local quality differentiation allows the system to maintain accurate mobility management for critical cells while reducing overall complexity.
2Measurement precision
If user equipment performs measurements on all cells in the neighbor cell list, then measurement completeness is improved, but user equipment complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The neighbor cell list is divided into priority groups, allowing user equipment to perform comprehensive measurements on high-priority cells while applying reduced measurement requirements to lower-priority cells. This maintains measurement completeness for critical cells while reducing overall device complexity and power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Measurement parameters (such as measurement frequency, reporting thresholds, and measurement gaps) are changed based on cell priority. High-priority cells maintain stringent measurement parameters, while lower-priority cells have relaxed parameters, thereby reducing user equipment complexity while preserving measurement completeness where needed.
3Productivity
If frequent handovers are triggered in dense small cell deployments, then network capacity utilization is improved, but user mobility performance and user experience deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The network pre-configures priority groups and measurement requirements before handover events occur. User equipment uses these pre-established priority criteria to filter measurement candidates, preventing unnecessary handover evaluations and reducing handover frequency while maintaining capacity utilization through targeted measurements on high-priority cells.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where measurement results from high-priority cells trigger handover decisions, while lower-priority cells provide supplementary information. This feedback structure optimizes handover frequency by base, on actual measurement data from relevant cells, improving user mobility performance while maintaining network capacity utilization.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of influencing operation of user equipment in a wireless telecommunications network, a computer program product and network control node operable to perform that method. The method comprises: providing user equipment with a neighbor cell list; selecting at least one priority criteria to be applied by user equipment to a cell included in said neighbor cell list; and communicating the selected priority criteria to user equipment, determining an action to be taken by user equipment in relation to a cell meeting said priority criteria and communicating said action to user equipment and wherein the action comprises: a measurement performance requirement to be applied in relation to a cell having a priority. It will be appreciated that aspects and embodiments may define a means to manage an expected increase in size of an NCL in HetNet deployments without a need to significantly increase user equipment complexity to meet measurement performance requirements.