Secondary Cell Detection Reporting in Carrier Aggregation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current carrier aggregation technologies lack a reliable method for networks to determine when user equipment has detected blindly configured secondary cells, leading to potential unnecessary activation and resource wastage.

Innovation Solution

User equipment detects and reports blindly configured secondary cells based on predefined event reporting criteria, including measurements like RSRP and RSRQ, allowing the network to activate the cell only when detected, thereby optimizing resource usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the network blindly configures secondary cells for user equipment before detection, then the SCell is available for activation when the user equipment detects it, but the network cannot determine when the user equipment has actually detected the SCell, leading to unnecessary activation and resource wastage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecarrier aggregation activation speedVSAvoiddetection status information
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where user equipment sends an uplink message to the network to indicate successful detection of a blindly configured secondary cell. This feedback loop resolves the information asymmetry by allowing the network to know when the UE has detected the SCell, enabling informed activation decisions and preventing resource wastage on cells that cannot be detected.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Speed

If the network activates secondary cells without confirmation of detection, then activation can occur quickly, but resources are wasted on cells that the user equipment cannot detect or access

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveactivation speedVSAvoidnetwork resource waste
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by configuring secondary cells in advance before the user equipment actually detects them. The network prepares the SCell configuration and transmits it to the UE beforehand, so that when detection occurs, activation can proceed quickly. This maintains fast activation speed while avoiding resource waste, because the network only activates cells after receiving confirmation that the UE has successfully detected them.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2793506B1User equipment reporting of the detection of blindly configured secondary cell
Publication Date: 2021.02.17 NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
  • EP2793506B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2793506B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2793506B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

User equipment and method for reporting blindly configured carrier aggregation secondary cells; the method includes detecting, by the user equipment, a secondary cell configured for the user equipment to allow access for carrier aggregation, wherein the secondary cell is blindly configured by a network before the detecting by the user equipment; and sending, by the user equipment, a report representative of the detected secondary cell to notify the network of the detecting by the user equipment.