Radio Network Node Selective Notifications for Localized Radio Degradation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication networks inefficiently handle radio degradation by broadcasting location information to all user equipment (UE) in a cell, leading to unnecessary resource consumption and battery drain, especially when the degradation affects a small area with few users.

Innovation Solution

A radio network node detects radio degradation and selectively notifies only target UE devices within a local residency or moving towards the affected area, using broadcast, multicast, or unicast methods based on velocity, location, and degradation impact.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the radio network node broadcasts location information of radio degradation to all user equipment in a cell, then all UE can be informed about the degradation area, but unnecessary resource consumption and battery drain occur when the degradation affects a small area with few users

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation delivery reliabilityVSAvoidUE battery consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating the notification approach based on the characteristics of the affected area. When radio degradation affects a small localized area with few users, the system uses targeted unicast or multicast notifications only to affected UEs rather than broadcasting to all UEs in the cell. This selective notification approach reduces unnecessary energy consumption for UEs not in the degradation area while maintaining reliable information delivery to those who need it.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Loss of information

If the radio network node notifies all user equipment about radio degradation, then complete information coverage is achieved, but network resources are wasted when only a few users are affected

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation coverage completenessVSAvoidnetwork resource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the notification process into different communication modes (broadcast, multicast, unicast) based on the scope and characteristics of the radio degradation. The system divides the cell into affected and non-affected areas, and selectively applies appropriate notification methods to each segment. This segmentation allows the network to maintain complete information coverage for affected UEs while minimizing network resource consumption by avoiding unnecessary notifications to unaffected UEs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Use of energy by moving object

If the radio network node performs selective notification based on UE velocity and location, then energy efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveUE battery consumptionVSAvoidnotification system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by having UEs continuously report their location and velocity information to the radio network node in advance. The network node maintains updated UE profiles with movement characteristics, enabling it to predict which UEs are likely to enter or are already in the radio degradation area. This preliminary gathering of UE movement data simplifies the decision-making process for selective notification, reducing the computational complexity at notification time while maintaining energy efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4133776B1Radio network node and method performed therein for communication in a wireless communication network
Publication Date: 2025.07.16 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
  • EP4133776B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4133776B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4133776B1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

A method performed by a radio network node (12) for handling a radio degradation in a wireless communication network. The radio network node detects the radio degradation in a radio coverage area (20) served by the radio network node. The radio network node further identifies at least one target wireless device (10) to inform about the radio degradation. The radio network node then transmits a notification of the detected radio degradation to the at least one identified target wireless device.