Repeater Handover Control Using End-to-End Link Quality
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The use of network-controlled repeaters (NCR) in wireless communication systems can lead to suboptimal handover decisions due to obstructions blocking links, resulting in UEs connecting to cells with lower end-to-end link quality despite visible network nodes with stronger signal strength.
Innovation Solution
A network node estimates end-to-end link quality between a UE and neighbor cells using information from a network-controlled repeater (NCR) and triggers handovers based on these estimates, considering backhaul and access link measurements, gain, and transmit power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a UE connects to a cell with the strongest received signal strength, then the signal strength is maximized, but the end-to-end link quality deteriorates due to obstructions blocking backhaul links
Solution Approach 1:
The network node introduces an intermediary measurement mechanism that evaluates not only the access link quality (UE to cell) but also the backhaul link quality (cell to NCR). This intermediary assessment allows the system to identify cells that provide both strong signal strength to the UE and reliable backhaul connectivity, resolving the contradiction between maximizing signal strength and ensuring end-to-end link quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by having the network node report measured end-to-end link quality information to the NCR, which then uses this feedback to make informed handover decisions. This feedback loop enables the system to continuously optimize handover selections based on actual link quality conditions rather than relying solely on signal strength measurements.
2Measurement precision
If the NCR performs frequent measurements for reference signals, then the measurement accuracy is improved, but the signaling overhead and latency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The network node performs measurements on reference signals from multiple neighbor cells simultaneously and continuously maintains measurement information, rather than performing measurements only when needed for handover decisions. This partial excessive action ensures that measurement data is already available and accurate when handover decisions are required, reducing latency without sacrificing measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary measurements of reference signals from potential handover target cells in advance, storing this measurement information at the network node. When a handover becomes necessary, the decision can be made quickly using pre-collected measurement data, thereby reducing handover latency while maintaining accurate link quality assessment.
Data Source
AI summary
Various aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication. In some aspects, a network-controlled repeater (NCR) node may obtain measurements related to backhaul links between the NCR node and network nodes that forward radio frequency (RF) signals through the NCR node and to an access link between the NCR node and a user equipment (UE). The end-to-end link quality between the UE and each network node may be estimated (for example, by the NCR node or a current serving cell) in accordance with the measurements and a gain and/or transmit power used to forward RF signals, and the current serving cell may use the estimated end-to-end link quality to arrive at handover decisions for the UE.