RIC-Based Candidate Beam Selection for 5G Handover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 5G networks face challenges in efficiently selecting and managing candidate beams for handover, particularly for cell-edge UEs, due to the large number of possible reference beams and latency-critical applications, which can lead to increased operational costs and resource wastage.
Innovation Solution
An intelligent determination of candidate handover-beams at a Radio Access Network (RAN) intelligent controller (RIC) using historical data, real-time measurements, and machine learning or artificial intelligence to optimize beam selection based on UE usage patterns, mobility, and network resources, ensuring only necessary beams are kept active for cell-edge UEs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large number of reference beams are monitored for handover selection, then handover reliability is improved, but operational costs and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-selecting and indicating a limited set of candidate beams to the UE before handover is needed. The network node identifies and signals candidate beam information in advance, so the UE only needs to monitor these pre-selected beams rather than all possible reference beams, reducing monitoring overhead while ensuring reliable handover options are available.
2Adaptability or versatility
If all possible reference beams are kept active for cell-edge UEs, then handover options are maximized, but network resources are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the necessary candidate beams from the complete set of reference beams and indicates them to the UE. Instead of keeping all possible reference beams active and available for monitoring, the network node selectively identifies a subset of candidate beams that are most relevant for the specific UE's handover needs, and signals this reduced set to the UE for monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of beam monitoring by dynamically adjusting which beams the UE should monitor based on network conditions and UE characteristics. The network node controls the candidate beam information indication to adapt the monitoring set size and composition, transforming the static approach of monitoring all beams into a dynamic, condition-based selection that optimizes resource usage.
3Measurement precision
If cell-edge UEs monitor many candidate beams, then handover decision accuracy is improved, but latency increases for critical applications
Solution Approach 1:
The network node performs preliminary identification and indication of candidate beams before handover is triggered. By pre-selecting and signaling the candidate beam set in advance, the UE is prepared with the correct monitoring targets ahead of time, eliminating the need for last-minute beam scanning and measurement setup, thus reducing handover latency while maintaining measurement accuracy on the relevant beams.
Data Source
AI summary
An intelligent determination of a set of candidate handover-beams for a radio access network (RAN) can be facilitated by a RAN intelligent controller (RIC). The RIC can obtain data associated with user equipment devices and their current state, historical patterns, and a current state of serving network node devices and neighboring network node devices. Based on the obtained data, a handover procedure can be optimized by the user equipment by estimating the signal quality from a source cell and neighboring cells. Additionally, the user equipment can send measurement reports to the network to identify and quantify the quality of reference signals transmitted by the network node devices.