Base Station RLC PDU Splitting for Joint Carrier Aggregation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional LTE-A technology limits carrier aggregation to components provided by the same base station, leading to service delays and interruptions when user equipment (UE) moves between base stations with overlapping coverage areas, as handovers are required, which can reduce peak rates and throughput.
Innovation Solution
A method where a first base station sends a part of downlink RLC PDUs to a UE and another part to a second base station, allowing both stations to jointly transmit data, thereby eliminating the need for handovers and improving peak rates and throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If carrier aggregation is limited to component carriers provided by the same base station, then device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but peak rate and throughput are limited when user equipment moves between base stations with overlapping coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the carrier aggregation functionality by introducing a master base station and slave base stations. The master base station performs higher layer processing (PDCP, RLC) while slave base stations handle physical layer transmission. This segmentation allows component carriers from different base stations to be aggregated without requiring the user equipment to manage complex inter-base station coordination, thus improving peak rate while controlling device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The master base station acts as an intermediary that coordinates between multiple slave base stations and the user equipment. It receives data from the core network, performs PDCP and RLC processing, then distributes data to appropriate slave base stations for transmission. This intermediary role enables seamless carrier aggregation across multiple base stations without increasing user equipment complexity.
2Reliability
If handover is performed when user equipment moves between base stations with overlapping coverage, then connection reliability is maintained, but service delay increases and throughput is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes preliminary connections between user equipment and multiple slave base stations before handover is needed. The master base station pre-configures the user equipment with component carriers from multiple slave base stations, so that when the user equipment moves, data transmission can continue seamlessly without interruption. This preliminary action eliminates handover delays while maintaining connection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables continuous data transmission by maintaining active component carriers from multiple base stations simultaneously. The master base station ensures continuous data flow by switching between slave base stations without interrupting the user equipment's data reception, thus maintaining continuity of useful action and eliminating service delays during mobility.
3Productivity
If multiple base stations jointly transmit data to user equipment, then peak rate and throughput are improved, but device complexity and coordination overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the transmission function by designating one base station as master and others as slaves. The master base station handles complex higher layer processing (PDCP, RLC) while slave base stations handle simpler physical layer transmission. This segmentation allows multiple base stations to jointly transmit data to improve throughput while preventing device complexity from increasing, as the user equipment only needs to communicate with the master base station for control plane functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The master base station serves as an intermediary that manages all coordination between slave base stations and the user equipment. It receives data from the core network, performs necessary processing, then distributes data to appropriate slave base stations for simultaneous transmission. This intermediary approach enables multi-base station joint transmission to improve throughput while keeping device complexity manageable, as the user equipment does not need to directly coordinate with multiple base stations.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 1c~2a
Figure 2b~4
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide a data transmission method, a base station, and a user equipment. The method includes: generating, by a first base station, downlink radio link control RLC protocol data units PDUs; and sending, by the first base station, a first part of downlink RLC PDUs in the downlink RLC PDUs to a user equipment UE, and sending a second part of downlink RLC PDUs in the downlink RLC PDUs to a second base station, so that the second base station sends the second part of downlink RLC PDUs to the UE. In the embodiments of the present invention, the first base station sends the first part of downlink RLC PDUs in the downlink RLC PDUs to the UE, and sends the second part of downlink RLC PDUs in the downlink RLC PDUs to the second base station, and the second base station sends the second part of downlink RLC PDUs to the UE, so that the first base station and the second base station are capable of jointly sending data to the UE, thereby improving a peak rate and a throughput of the UE.