Secondary Cell Measurement Gap Control for Power Saving

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current communication systems face challenges in managing power savings for user equipment (UE) while maintaining system functionality and network control, particularly in scenarios involving secondary cell state changes, which can lead to unpredictable interrupts and data packet drops during carrier aggregation and dual connectivity.

Innovation Solution

A method that determines the state of a secondary cell and selectively enables or disables measurement gaps based on this state, using medium access control messages to control the cell state and synchronize gap availability between the UE and the network, ensuring that gaps are only active when the secondary cell is deactivated.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If measurement gaps are continuously enabled for secondary cell measurements, then measurement accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases and system performance deteriorates due to interrupts and packet drops

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement accuracyVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The measurement gap configuration is made dynamic by linking it to the secondary cell's activation state. When the secondary cell is deactivated, measurement gaps are enabled to maintain measurement accuracy. When the secondary cell is activated, measurement gaps are disabled to reduce power consumption and avoid interrupts. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between maintaining measurement precision and reducing energy loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If measurement gaps are enabled for deactivated secondary cells, then measurement capability is maintained, but system reliability deteriorates due to unpredictable interrupts and packet drops

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement capabilityVSAvoidsystem reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts measurement gap availability based on the secondary cell state. Measurement capability is maintained when needed (secondary cell deactivated) while system reliability is protected when the secondary cell is active. The conditional enabling/disabling of gaps based on cell state resolves the contradiction between adaptability and reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The network monitors the secondary cell activation state and provides feedback control over measurement gap configuration. When the secondary cell state changes, the network can indicate whether to enable or disable measurement gaps, creating a feedback loop that maintains both measurement capability and system reliability by preventing interrupts during active cell operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of energy

If measurement gaps are disabled when secondary cell is activated, then power saving is improved and interrupts are reduced, but measurement capability is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower savingVSAvoidmeasurement capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The measurement gap configuration dynamically responds to secondary cell activation state. When the secondary cell is activated, measurement gaps are disabled to achieve power saving and prevent interrupts. When the secondary cell is deactivated, measurement gaps are re-enabled to restore measurement capability. This dynamic switching resolves the contradiction between power saving and measurement capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3001725B1Secondary cell state activation and deactivation of gaps
Publication Date: 2020.08.12 NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
  • EP3001725B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3001725B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3001725B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Various communication systems may benefit from insight regarding when a device is performing power saving operations. For example, wireless communication systems may benefit from secondary cell state activation and deactivation of measurement gaps. A method can include determining, by a user equipment, whether a secondary cell is in an activated state or an inactivated state. The method can also include selectively enabling or disabling measurement gaps for the user equipment based on the determined state of the secondary cell.