Serving Cell Dormant State Switching for Lower Uplink Activation Latency
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Solution Overview
Problem
The time-consuming process of switching serving cell states in wireless communication systems leads to poor communication performance due to the limitations in the capability of terminal devices to manage multiple active-state serving cells.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for switching serving cell states by introducing a first state where the uplink carrier does not support uplink communication, allowing terminal devices to switch between active and inactive states based on network instructions, thereby reducing latency and improving communication performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the terminal device switches serving cell state between active and inactive states, then communication requirements can be met, but switching latency increases and communication performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the traditional binary cell state (active/inactive) into three distinct states: active state, dormant state, and inactive state. The dormant state serves as an intermediate state where downlink communication is supported but uplink communication is not. This segmentation allows for finer-grained control of communication resources and reduces unnecessary full activation/deactivation cycles, thereby reducing switching latency while maintaining adaptability to different communication requirements.
2Ease of operation
If the terminal device activates uplink carrier for communication, then uplink communication capability is achieved, but switching time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by transitioning the cell to a dormant state before full activation. In the dormant state, the downlink carrier is already activated and configured, so when uplink communication is needed, only the uplink carrier needs to be activated rather than configuring the entire cell from scratch. This preliminary preparation of the downlink side reduces the overall activation time when uplink communication capability is subsequently required.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and an apparatus for switching a cell state are provided, and relate to the field of communication technologies. The method includes: A terminal device receives a first instruction from a network device, and switches a serving cell state based on the first instruction. The first instruction indicates to switch the serving cell state of the terminal device to or from a first state. When the serving cell state is the first state, a downlink carrier of a serving cell supports downlink communication, and an uplink carrier of the serving cell does not support uplink communication.