Target Cell Timing Advance Validity for Uplink Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems face challenges in managing timing advance values for uplink transmissions in wireless communication systems, particularly when signal strength and quality of target cells change, leading to inefficiencies and potential disruptions.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus and methods involve determining the validity of timing advance values based on signal strength and quality, and adjusting or releasing these values accordingly, with indications received from access nodes and user equipment, to ensure synchronized uplink transmissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If timing advance values are managed statically without considering signal strength changes, then system complexity is reduced, but uplink transmission reliability deteriorates due to timing misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic timing advance value management where the network determines validity durations for timing advance values and monitors signal strength changes. When signal strength exceeds thresholds, the system dynamically updates timing advance values to maintain uplink synchronization, resolving the contradiction between static simplicity and dynamic reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs feedback mechanisms where the network receives signal strength measurements from user equipment and uses this feedback to determine whether to invalidate current timing advance values and request new ones. This closed-loop feedback ensures uplink transmission reliability while managing complexity through condition-based updates.
2Reliability
If timing advance values are updated frequently to maintain synchronization, then uplink transmission quality is improved, but signaling overhead and network traffic increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces signal strength thresholds as parameters that control timing advance value updates. Instead of frequent updates, the system only triggers updates when signal strength changes cross predefined thresholds, reducing signaling overhead while maintaining synchronization accuracy when it matters most.
Solution Approach 2:
The network pre-configures validity durations and signal strength thresholds before actual transmission occurs. This preliminary configuration allows the system to operate efficiently without continuous negotiation, reducing signaling overhead while ensuring timely updates when conditions warrant them.
3Reliability
If the network monitors signal strength continuously to manage timing advance values, then uplink transmission reliability is improved, but network processing load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The user equipment performs self-service by measuring signal strength of target cells and reporting these measurements to the network. This shifts the monitoring burden from the network to the user equipment, reducing network processing load while maintaining reliable timing advance value management through condition-based updates.
Solution Approach 2:
Signal strength measurements act as an intermediary that bridges the user equipment's transmission conditions and the network's timing advance management decisions. The network doesn't need to continuously monitor all parameters directly but uses these measurement reports as intermediaries to make informed decisions about timing advance value validity.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a method. computer program and apparatus for causing an apparatus of a second access node to perform: causing a first timing advance value to be provided to a user equipment for enabling the user equipment to synchronize uplink transmissions to a timing of a target cell supported by the second access node: determining a validity time of the first timing advance value, wherein, the first timing advance value is considered invalid after the validity time: and signaling. to a first access node supporting a serving cell connected to the user equipment. said validity time.