Secondary Cell Selection for Beam Failure Recovery in 5G Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication systems, particularly in 5G NR networks, lack effective methods for beam failure recovery, as they only perform recovery on primary cells, neglecting the potential of secondary cells (SCells) for mitigating beam failures.
Innovation Solution
A method for user equipment (UE) to select and utilize secondary cells (SCells) for beam failure recovery, based on instructions from a base station, which includes explicit or implicit indicators in RRC messages, MAC-CEs, or DCI, considering parameters like ARFCN values, reference signals, and frequency bands to prioritize SCells for recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If beam failure recovery is only performed on primary cell, then the recovery procedure is simple, but the communication reliability deteriorates because secondary cells cannot mitigate beam failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the beam failure recovery process by identifying specific secondary cells (SCells) that support BFR through explicit indicators in RRC messages or implicit indicators via BFR-related parameters. This segmentation allows selective recovery on capable SCells while maintaining simplicity for cells that don't support it, thereby improving reliability without universally increasing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by configuring BFR capabilities differently for different SCells based on their specific characteristics (explicit indicators in RRC or implicit indicators through parameters like BFR-candidate-reference signals). Each SCell is evaluated individually for BFR support, allowing the system to optimize reliability locally at each cell level rather than applying a uniform approach across all cells
2Productivity
If multiple secondary cells are configured for beam failure recovery, then the productivity improves through better network performance, but the device complexity increases due to multiple selection criteria
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring BFR-related parameters and explicit/implicit indicators for SCells before beam failure occurs. The base station prepares BFR-capable SCell configurations in advance (through RRC messages with explicit indicators or BFR-related parameters), so when beam failure occurs, the UE can quickly select from pre-identified candidates without complex real-time analysis, thus improving productivity while managing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables self-service by allowing the UE to autonomously select SCells for BFR based on pre-configured indicators and parameters. The UE uses the explicit indicators in RRC messages or implicit indicators through BFR-related parameters to independently determine which SCells support BFR and selects the most appropriate one, reducing the need for complex base station control and simplifying the overall system while improving productivity
Data Source
AI summary
A method for beam failure recovery (BFR) by a user equipment (UE) is disclosed. The method includes receiving, by the UE, an instruction for BFR from a base station, and selecting, by the UE, at least one of a plurality of secondary cells (SCells) to perform BFR based on the instruction. The instruction is contained in a radio resource control (RRC) message, a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) (MAC-CE), or downlink control information (DCI).