Secondary Cell Group Release for 5G UE Power and Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 5G wireless communication systems using dual connectivity architecture fail to efficiently manage the addition and removal of secondary cells based on performance metrics, leading to poor UE throughput, battery drain, and overheating due to persistent activation of NR cells with poor signal strength, despite the lack of mechanisms to release NR cells based on performance indicators.
Innovation Solution
The UE dynamically configures and manages the secondary cell group by internally triggering an SCG failure when performance thresholds are met, allowing it to release the SCG when signal conditions are poor, thereby minimizing power consumption and thermal impact without compromising user experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the NR cell is added to improve throughput and network capacity, then data transmission performance is improved, but power consumption increases and thermal issues occur when signal strength is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The UE monitors performance metrics (throughput, BLER, RSRP) of the NR cell and provides feedback to determine whether to maintain or release the SCG. This feedback mechanism ensures that the SCG is only maintained when it provides actual performance benefit, avoiding unnecessary power consumption when the NR cell signal is poor or blocked.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic SCG management where the UE can internally trigger SCG release based on real-time performance evaluation. The system transitions from a static state (NR cell added and maintained) to a dynamic state (NR cell added and conditionally maintained or released), allowing the UE to adapt to changing signal conditions and avoid sustained high power consumption in poor signal scenarios.
2Productivity
If the NR cell is added to enhance network capacity and throughput, then data transmission capability is improved, but thermal impact increases due to sustained activation
Solution Approach 1:
The UE evaluates performance metrics including throughput and signal quality, and uses this feedback to decide whether to maintain the SCG. When performance is poor or blocked, the UE releases the SCG, thereby reducing thermal impact from sustained high-power transmission activities.
3Reliability
If the NR cell is kept active to maintain network connectivity options, then network availability is improved, but performance degradation occurs due to high BLER and retransmissions
Solution Approach 1:
The UE continuously monitors performance metrics such as BLER and retransmission rates. When these metrics indicate poor performance, the UE triggers SCG release. This feedback-driven approach ensures that the SCG is maintained only when it contributes positively to effective throughput, avoiding the scenario where network availability is preserved at the cost of degraded performance.
4Use of energy by moving object
If the SCG is released to reduce power consumption and improve UE performance, then battery life is extended, but network capacity utilization decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically manages SCG based on real-time performance evaluation. The UE can release the SCG when performance is poor to save battery, and can re-establish it when conditions improve and network capacity utilization becomes beneficial. This dynamic approach balances battery life extension with network capacity utilization based on actual conditions.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
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AI summary
A method and user equipment (UE) for configuring a secondary cell in a dual connectivity (DC) mode by a UE. The method includes connecting to a primary cell and the secondary cell based on configurations received from a network, identifying at least one parameter related to performance of the UE for the secondary cell, comparing the at least one parameter with a threshold and releasing connection with the secondary cell based on a result of the comparison.