Radio Coverage Prediction for UE Cell Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In mobile communication networks, especially with 5G and UAV deployments, user equipment faces increased energy consumption and processing demands due to the need for frequent and unpredictable cell measurements as base station entities, such as gNodeBs, move and change their radio cell coverage, making it difficult to maintain reliable connectivity.
Innovation Solution
A method where a radio coverage prediction function provides user equipment with location and time-specific information about available radio cells, allowing it to prioritize cell measurements and reduce unnecessary searches by indicating which cells are likely to be available, thereby reducing energy consumption and improving connectivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If user equipment performs frequent cell measurements to maintain connectivity with moving base station entities, then connectivity reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network provides user equipment with prediction information about future radio cell availability and base station locations before the user equipment needs to perform measurements. This allows the user equipment to prepare measurement configurations in advance and only perform measurements when actually needed, rather than continuously measuring all possible cells
Solution Approach 2:
A prediction function acts as an intermediary between the network and user equipment, providing processed information about radio cell availability and base station trajectories. This intermediary filters and prepares data so that user equipment receives only the essential information needed for efficient cell selection, reducing the measurement burden
2Reliability
If user equipment performs continuous cell measurements to track moving base stations, then connectivity reliability is improved, but processing capacity requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The prediction function extracts and provides only the essential information needed for cell selection - such as predicted radio cell availability and base station trajectory data - rather than requiring user equipment to process all raw measurement data from all possible cells. This extraction of critical information reduces processing requirements
Solution Approach 2:
Measurement configurations and prediction information are prepared in advance by the network, so user equipment receives pre-processed data that requires minimal local computation. The heavy lifting of predicting cell availability is done by the network side before information reaches the user equipment
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for steering cell measurement and/or cell selection of a user equipment in or connected to or camping on a mobile communication network, wherein the mobile communication network comprises or uses or is associated or assigned to a radio access network comprising a plurality of radio cells and a plurality of base station entities providing these radio cells, wherein the mobile communication network furthermore comprises or is assigned to a radio coverage prediction function, RCPF, enabled to provide information regöarding which one of the radio cells is likely to be available to the user equipment while the user equipment being located, at a specific point in time or during a specific time period, at a specific position or in a specific area, wherein the method comprises the following steps: -- in a first step, the user equipment receives, from the radio coverage prediction function, a radio coverage prediction information, the radio coverage prediction information comprising -- either at least one location information and at least one cell information, -- or, alternatively, at least one location information, at least one time information, and at least one cell information, the at least one cell information indicating, relating to a specific radio cell out of the plurality of radio cells, at least a frequency information of the specific radio cell, -- in a second step, the content of the radio coverage prediction information is used, by the user equipment, to determine a suitable radio cell, out of the plurality of radio cells, for which the measured cell attributes satisfy the cell selection criteria.