Timing Advance Value Reuse for Wireless Communication Latency Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication networks face inefficiencies in handling small data transfers due to the need for frequent uplink synchronization, which leads to additional latency and resource bottlenecks, especially for machine-type communication devices that infrequently transmit data, as they often require the conventional random access procedure to maintain timing alignment.
Innovation Solution
A method where a communication device, after switching from an inactive to an active state, determines whether the previously received timing advance (TA) value is still valid, reusing it if valid and updating it if not, thereby avoiding the need for a random access procedure to maintain uplink synchronization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If communication devices frequently perform random access procedures to maintain uplink synchronization, then timing alignment is maintained, but latency increases and network resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The network node predicts the timing advance value for the upcoming active state based on the historical TA value from the previous active state and the device's movement characteristics during the inactive period. This preliminary calculation avoids the need for random access procedures, reducing latency while maintaining synchronization reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The communication device autonomously applies the predicted TA value provided by the network node without needing to perform random access procedures. The device self-adjusts its uplink timing based on the predicted value, eliminating the need for network-mediated synchronization in every state transition
2Reliability
If communication devices perform random access procedures to update TA values, then uplink timing alignment is maintained, but network resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of TA value update from the complete random access procedure. By calculating and providing only the predicted TA value through efficient signaling, the network removes the resource-intensive random access steps while retaining the core timing alignment function
Solution Approach 2:
The network node changes the parameter update mechanism from periodic random access to event-driven prediction based on device movement characteristics. This parameter change in the synchronization maintenance approach reduces network resource consumption while maintaining timing alignment accuracy
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a method performed by a communication device (120) for enhancing wireless communication with a network node (110) of a wireless communication network (100). The communication device (120) has received, from the network node, a first timing advance, TA, value at a first time point when in active state, and the communication device has thereafter switched to inactive state. The method comprises switching from inactive to active state, after obtaining an indication of data transfer, determining whether the first TA value is still valid, employing the first TA value for sending data to the network node when the first TA value is determined to be valid, and employing an updated TA value for sending data to the network node when the first TA value is determined not to be valid. By determining that the first TA value is still valid and in these cases reusing the first TA value, communication resources that would otherwise have been used for updating the TA value can be spared.