QoS-Based Beam Selection for Make-Before-Break Handover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication systems face challenges in efficiently managing beams during make-before-break (MBB) handovers, particularly in scenarios where the transmission times of signals from different cells overlap, leading to difficulties in determining which signal to receive and maintain connectivity.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves prioritizing transmit beams from multiple cells and selecting a receive beam based on communication metrics such as quality of service (QoS), latency, reliability, and priority requirements. This allows the user equipment (UE) to determine which signal to receive by comparing the priority of communication metrics associated with signals from different cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the UE receives signals from both source and target cells during MBB handover, then connectivity is maintained, but beam management complexity increases due to overlapping transmission times
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring the UE with multiple receive beams before the handover occurs. The UE is configured with a first receive beam for the source cell and a second receive beam for the target cell in advance, so that when overlapping transmissions occur during handover, the UE can immediately use the pre-configured beams without needing to dynamically select or switch beams during the critical handover period. This resolves the complexity by preparing the beam configuration beforehand.
2Measurement precision
If the UE uses different receive beams for source and target cells, then signal reception is optimized, but determining which signal to receive becomes difficult when transmission times overlap
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies feedback by having the UE report beam measurement information to the network. The UE measures qualities of the signals received through different beams and reports this information back to the network entity. This feedback mechanism enables the network to understand which beams are performing best and can use this information to make informed decisions about beam selection and handover timing, thereby resolving the difficulty of determining which signal to receive when transmissions overlap.
3Reliability
If beam switching is performed during handover, then connectivity is maintained, but latency increases due to beam switching time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring multiple receive beams in the UE before the handover occurs. The UE is configured with the appropriate receive beams for both source and target cells in advance, eliminating the need for dynamic beam switching during the handover process. This pre-configuration allows the UE to immediately receive signals from both cells during overlapping transmission periods without experiencing beam switching latency, thereby maintaining connectivity while minimizing handover time.
4Reliability
If the UE monitors multiple communication metrics for beam prioritization, then signal selection is optimized, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by having the UE monitor and evaluate a specific set of communication metrics that are most relevant for beam selection during handover. Rather than monitoring all possible metrics, the patent identifies and focuses on the key metrics (such as signal quality, beam direction, and transmission timing) that directly impact handover performance. This selective monitoring approach optimizes signal selection while minimizing the processing complexity that would result from monitoring and processing every possible metric.
Data Source
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AI summary
Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for beam management for make-before-break (MBB) handover. A method that may be performed by a user equipment (UE) includes establishing a first cell connection with a first base station (BS) while maintaining an existing second cell connection with a second BS, and determining that a first transmission time of a first signal transmitted by the first BS is less than a threshold time duration from a second transmission time of a second signal transmitted by the second BS. In some examples, the first signal is associated with one or more first communication metrics and the second signal is associated with one or more second communication metrics, wherein each of the one or more first communication metrics and the one or more second communication metrics comprise one or more quality of service (QoS) metrics.