Serving Cell Change Activation Using Preconfigured Lower Layers
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing serving cell change procedures in wireless communication networks involve significant latency and overhead due to complete L2 and L1 resets, leading to longer interruption times, particularly in scenarios involving carrier aggregation and dual connectivity.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method in a distributed unit of a base station that includes transmitting a configuration to a user equipment for a second cell, receiving lower layer measurement reports, and activating a serving cell change, utilizing lower layer procedures to minimize latency and overhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional serving cell change procedures are used, then reliability of cell change is maintained through complete L2 and L1 resets, but latency and interruption time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cell change procedure into two distinct phases: a configuration phase where lower layer parameters are pre-configured but not activated, and an activation phase where the actual cell change occurs. This segmentation allows the system to maintain reliability through proper procedure execution while reducing latency by avoiding repeated full L2/L1 resets during each cell change, as the configuration is already in place and only activation is needed.
2Stability of the object's composition
If complete L2 and L1 resets are performed during serving cell change, then proper protocol layer synchronization is achieved, but overhead and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing the configuration of lower layer parameters in advance during the configuration phase, before the actual cell change is needed. This preliminary configuration reduces the complexity and overhead during the actual cell change event, as the system only needs to activate pre-configured parameters rather than performing complete L2 and L1 resets, thereby maintaining protocol layer synchronization with reduced processing burden.
3Loss of time
If lower layer procedures are used for serving cell change, then latency and overhead are reduced, but complexity of protocol layer coordination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary configuration mechanism that acts as a bridge between the RRC protocol layer and lower layer procedures. The RRC configuration messages serve as intermediaries that carry forward the necessary parameters to lower layers in advance, enabling fast cell change through lower layer activation without requiring complex real-time coordination during the actual cell change event. This intermediary approach reduces latency while managing protocol layer coordination complexity through structured configuration messages.
Data Source
AI summary
A distributed unit (DU) of a distributed base station that also includes centralized unit (CU) implements a method comprising: transmitting, to a user equipment (UE) in a first cell, a configuration related to a second cell; receiving, from the UE, a lower layer measurement report related to the second cell; and transmitting, to the UE, an activation command to cause the UE to perform a serving cell change to the second cell.