Secondary Cell-UE BUDC Group for Low Latency Sidelink

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional wireless communication systems experience network latency due to data traversing multiple network entities, which degrades performance for time-sensitive communications like telemetry and sensor data.

Innovation Solution

Implementing dual connectivity with secondary cell-user equipment (SC-UE) to form a base station-user equipment dual connectivity (BUDC) group, allowing UEs to communicate directly through a secondary cell, thereby bypassing base stations and core networks, reducing latency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If data travels through base station and core network for communication between UEs, then network coverage and connectivity are ensured, but network latency increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork connectivityVSAvoidnetwork latency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The communication path is segmented into two independent paths: a primary path through base station and core network for reliable connectivity, and a secondary direct path between UEs for low latency. Each path serves different performance requirements simultaneously without interfering with the other.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a relay UE that acts as an intermediary to enable direct communication between UEs. The relay UE receives data from one UE and forwards it to another UE through sidelink, eliminating the need for data to traverse the base station and core network while maintaining network awareness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of time

If direct UE-to-UE communication is implemented, then network latency is reduced, but network control and management become more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication latencyVSAvoidnetwork management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

UEs perform self-configuration and self-management for direct communication. The transmitting UE automatically detects the receiving UE, determines appropriate resources, and establishes the direct communication link without requiring manual network configuration. The network retains oversight but does not micromanage the direct UE-UE connections.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Loss of time

If dual connectivity with secondary cell is implemented, then low latency communication is enabled, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication latencyVSAvoiddual connectivity configuration
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The UE is designed to perform multiple functions: it can operate as a regular UE connected to the network, as a transmitting UE initiating direct communication, as a receiving UE accepting direct communication, and as a relay UE facilitating communication between other UEs. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate devices or complex network configurations into a single universal platform.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3957130B1Dual connectivity with secondary cell-user equipment
Publication Date: 2024.10.30 GOOGLE LLC
  • EP3957130B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3957130B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3957130B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Techniques and apparatuses are described for enabling dual connectivity with secondary cell-user equipment. In some aspects, a base station (121) serving as a primary cell forms a base station-user equipment dual connectivity (BUDC) group (410) by configuring a user equipment (UE, 111) as a secondary cell-user equipment (SC-UE, 420) to provide a secondary cell. The base station (121) or SC-UE (420) can then add other UEs (112, 113, 114) to the BUDC group (410) thereby enabling dual connectivity for the UEs through the primary cell or secondary cell provided by the SC-UE (420). In some cases, the SC-UE (420) schedules resources of an air interface (302) by which the other UEs to communicate with the SC-UE (420). By so doing, the SC-UE (420) can communicate data with the other UEs (112, 113, 114) of the BUDC group (410) without communicating through a base station (121, 122), which decreases latency of communications between the UEs (111-114) of the BUDC group (410).