Secondary Cell Group Switching to Reduce Dual-Connectivity Energy Use
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Solution Overview
Problem
In next-generation communications systems with dual connectivity, terminals experience high energy consumption due to maintaining secondary cell group links even in low-data-rate states, leading to inefficient energy usage and increased signaling overheads.
Innovation Solution
A communication method involving deactivation and activation indications for secondary cell groups, allowing terminals to suspend or resume links based on network commands, thereby reducing energy consumption and signaling overheads without full release or addition procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the terminal maintains dual connectivity operation with both master cell group and secondary cell group, then transmission rate and radio resource utilization are improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic switching between DC operating mode and non-DC operating mode based on terminal mobility state. When the terminal enters a stationary state, the system switches from maintaining both MCG and SCG links (DC mode) to releasing the SCG link (non-DC mode), thereby adapting the connection state to actual usage needs and reducing energy consumption during stationary periods
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the secondary cell group by releasing it when the terminal is stationary. This parameter change transitions the SCG from an active state with full functionality to a released state, reducing the terminal's energy consumption while maintaining MCG connectivity for basic communication needs
2Use of energy by moving object
If the terminal releases the secondary cell group when stationary, then energy consumption is reduced, but connection restoration requires full addition procedure increasing signaling overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by retaining the SCG configuration information in the terminal's memory even after releasing the SCG link when stationary. This preliminary retention of configuration data allows the terminal to quickly resume DC operation by simply reactivating the SCG link without performing a complete SCG addition procedure, thereby reducing signaling overhead when the terminal becomes mobile again
Data Source
AI summary
This application provides a communication method, and a communications apparatus. The communication method includes: An access network device sends a deactivation indication or an activation indication to a terminal. The deactivation indication is used to indicate that a primary secondary cell in a secondary cell group is in a deactivated state, and the activation indication is used to indicate that the primary secondary cell is in an activated state. The access network device is a master node or a secondary node of the terminal. In receiving the deactivation indication or the activation indication, the terminal performs a deactivation operation on the secondary cell group according to the deactivation indication, or activates the secondary cell group according to the activation indication.