Radio Link Problem Reporting in Dual Connectivity
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communication systems, particularly in LTE, there is a need for efficient monitoring and reporting of radio link failures to ensure continuous service and adapt to changing network conditions, as existing systems lack effective mechanisms for detecting and addressing radio link problems in dual connectivity scenarios.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that allow a user equipment (UE) to receive an indicator from a base station to identify the primary cell, detect radio link problems, and report these issues to the appropriate base station, thereby enabling timely intervention and maintaining service quality by stopping uplink transmissions if necessary and reporting the cause of the failure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the UE monitors radio link quality on all serving cells in dual connectivity, then the detection capability is improved, but the complexity of monitoring and reporting is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the monitoring and reporting function by cell type. The UE monitors radio link quality on all serving cells but only reports problems for the special cell (PCell or PSCell), segmenting the reporting burden to reduce complexity while maintaining detection capability across all cells.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different monitoring and reporting rules to different cells based on their roles. The special cell receives enhanced monitoring and reporting attention compared to other serving cells, optimizing resources by focusing detailed reporting only where most critical.
2Reliability
If the UE reports radio link problems immediately upon detection, then the service continuity is improved, but the signaling overhead is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the reporting function to only the special cell, removing the requirement to report on every serving cell. This reduces signaling overhead by taking out redundant reporting requirements while maintaining reliability through focused monitoring on the critical special cell.
Solution Approach 2:
The UE is configured in advance with information about which cell is the special cell and the conditions for reporting. This preliminary configuration allows the UE to immediately report when conditions are met without needing to process and report from all cells, reducing signaling overhead while maintaining quick response.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system uses multiple base stations for dual connectivity, then the service availability is improved, but the difficulty of coordinating radio link monitoring is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the reporting function for multiple base stations into a single reporting mechanism through the special cell. The UE reports radio link problems for both MeNB and SeNB through the special cell, combining what would otherwise be separate reporting paths and reducing coordination complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The special cell acts as an intermediary for reporting radio link problems across dual connectivity. By designating one cell as the special cell that handles reporting for both base stations, the system creates a mediator that simplifies the coordination between multiple base stations while maintaining service availability.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided for operating by a user equipment (UE) connected with a master base station (BS) and a secondary BS in a wireless communication system. The UE configures a first cell supporting a contention based random access and a second cell other than the first cell. The first cell and the second cell are associated with the secondary BS. The UE determines whether a radio link problem is occurred on the first cell or the second cell. The UE indicates the radio link problem to an upper layer only if the radio link problem occurs on the first cell.