Slice Availability Discovery for Wireless Handover Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication systems lack autonomous awareness of slice availability and support information, leading to increased handover failures, signaling overhead, and latency during user equipment mobility, as they do not factor in slice-specific treatments or automatic distribution of slice availability information.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for discovering slice-related information by identifying target cells, obtaining slice availability and support information, establishing an Xn connection, and updating neighbor relation tables, allowing cells to be aware of slice-related information before handover events, thereby reducing latency and optimizing handover decisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If slice availability information is not obtained before handover, then handover decision speed is improved, but handover failure rate increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by obtaining slice availability information from target cells before making handover decisions. The source gNB retrieves slice availability information for each slice associated with the UE from neighboring target gNBs prior to handover execution, ensuring that handover failures are avoided while maintaining decision speed through advance information gathering.
2Reliability
If slice availability information is obtained from all neighboring cells, then service continuity is improved, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by optimizing the slice availability information gathering process to retrieve information only from relevant target cells that are actual handover candidates, rather than all neighboring cells. The source gNB uses UE measurement reports to identify specific target cells and retrieves slice availability information only from those cells, reducing unnecessary signaling overhead while ensuring service continuity.
3Measurement precision
If manual drive tests are used to detect new neighboring cells, then neighbor relation accuracy is improved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by implementing an automated neighbor relation (ANR) mechanism where the network automatically detects new neighboring cells using UE measurement reports. The source gNB receives measurement reports from UEs containing physical cell identities of detected cells, automatically adds these cells to the neighbor relation table, and retrieves their slice availability information, eliminating the need for manual drive tests while maintaining accurate neighbor relations.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a serving cell and a method for discovering slice-related information within a communication system. The method comprises the steps of identifying at least one target cell in the neighborhood of a serving cell by obtaining identification information from a user equipment device, obtaining slice-related information of the identified at least one target cell, establishing an Xn connection between the serving cell and the identified at least one target cell, and updating a neighbor relation table of the serving cell with the slice-related information of the identified at least one target cell, wherein the user equipment device, which has an active communication with the serving cell, is associated with at least one slice and/or a slice-type. The slice-related information of the identified at least one target cell may be obtained from broadcast system information, the identified at least one target cell or a slice controlling entity.