Terminal Device RRC Link Maintenance for 5G Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communications, radio link failures (RLF) and channel quality deterioration in Radio Resource Control (RRC) links between network devices and terminal devices lead to disconnected communication, causing latency and reliability issues that affect the availability of radio access networks (RAN), particularly in 5G services, as the random access procedure is time-consuming and disrupts data transmission.
Innovation Solution
A method where a terminal device maintains RRC links with at least two network devices, allowing for timely link modification requests to replace faulty links, thereby ensuring continuous communication and reducing the setup time of new RRC links through existing links, ensuring high availability and reliability of RAN services.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If RRC link reestablishment or resuming manner is used when channel quality deterioration occurs, then the terminal device can restore communication connection, but the original RRC link is disconnected for a relatively long period during random access procedure, affecting data transmission and RAN availability
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal device proactively establishes a second RRC link to a different network device before the first RRC link fails. This preliminary action ensures that when the first link experiences radio link failure or channel quality deterioration, the terminal device already has an alternative connected link available, avoiding the need for time-consuming random access procedures and RRC link reestablishment.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal device maintains multiple RRC links simultaneously as a buffer against potential link failures. By having redundant links established in advance, the system cushions against the impact of link failures, ensuring continuous data transmission capability without interruption to RAN availability.
2Reliability
If random access procedure is performed to set up new RRC link after link failure, then new connection can be established, but the procedure consumes relatively long period and no RRC link is available for data transmission during this time
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal device establishes multiple RRC links in advance before any link failure occurs. This preliminary establishment of redundant links eliminates the need to perform time-consuming random access procedures after link failure, as the alternative link is already ready for immediate data transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
By maintaining multiple active RRC links simultaneously, the terminal device ensures continuous data transmission capability. When one link fails, the other link continues to carry data traffic without interruption, maintaining productivity and avoiding the complete stoppage that occurs during random access procedures in traditional single-link approaches.
3Reliability
If terminal device maintains RRC links to at least two network devices, then link replacement can be performed timely when RLF or signal deterioration occurs, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal device establishes multiple RRC links to different network devices in advance. When link failure or deterioration occurs, the terminal device can immediately switch to the pre-established alternative link without needing to perform complex real-time link establishment procedures, thereby improving RAN availability while managing complexity through proactive link setup.
Data Source
AI summary
A terminal device can modify, through an RRC link providing a normal service, an RRC link in which an RLF or channel quality deterioration occurs, so that the terminal device maintains RRC links to at least two network devices, thereby ensuring RRC reliability while the failed RRC link or the RRC link whose channel quality is poor is replaced in time. The method includes: sending, by a terminal device, a first link modification request to a first network device through a first RRC link; receiving, by the terminal device, an RRC link modification message and a transmission parameter that are sent by the first network device through the first RRC link; and setting up, by the terminal device, a target RRC link to a target network device based on the transmission parameter, and maintaining both the target RRC link and the first RRC link.