Timing Synchronization Status Reporting for Idle UE Read Certainty

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems face challenges in ensuring that user equipment (UE) reliably receives timing synchronization status reports with certainty, particularly in scenarios where the UE is in idle or inactive modes, leading to potential network synchronization issues.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus are implemented to increase the certainty of UE reading timing synchronization status reports by determining actions based on UE information, such as periodicity and radio resource control status, and using paging mechanisms to ensure timely delivery of these reports, even when the UE is in idle or inactive states.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If timing synchronisation status reports are broadcast as part of system information, then network synchronization is maintained, but user equipment in idle or inactive modes may miss these reports due to reading periodicity mismatches

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereliability of timing synchronization status report deliveryVSAvoidloss of timing synchronization status report reading by UE

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The network receives feedback from UE about its reading periodicity of system information blocks. Based on this feedback, the network determines the optimal duration to retain timing synchronization status reports in system information, ensuring the reports remain available for the exact period needed for UE to read them, thereby preventing information loss while maintaining reliable delivery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the parameter of report retention duration based on UE reading periodicity. By changing this parameter according to actual UE behavior feedback, the system ensures timing synchronization status reports are available long enough to be read by UEs in idle or inactive modes, resolving the contradiction between maintaining synchronization reliability and preventing information loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the network pages user equipment to report reading of timing synchronization status reports, then certainty of reading is increased, but network signaling overhead and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecertainty of UE reading timing synchronization status reportVSAvoidcomplexity of paging and acknowledgment mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

UE in connected mode automatically provide feedback about their system information block reading periodicity without being paged. This self-service approach allows the network to determine optimal report retention durations without requiring active paging of UEs, thereby increasing reading certainty while avoiding the complexity of paging and acknowledgment mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If timing synchronization status reports are retained in system information for longer duration, then UE in idle modes can read reports, but system information block size and transmission overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereliability of report delivery to idle UEVSAvoidquantity of system information data to be transmitted

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The network performs preliminary determination of the optimal report retention duration based on advance feedback from UE about their reading periodicity. This preliminary action ensures that reports are retained for precisely the right duration needed for UE to read them, preventing both premature removal (which would lose reliability) and excessive retention (which would increase data quantity and overhead).

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the retention duration parameter based on UE feedback about reading periodicity. By changing this parameter to match actual UE behavior, the system maintains reliable delivery to idle UE while minimizing the quantity of system information data that needs to be transmitted and retained.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Reliability

If the network determines actions based on detailed user equipment information, then reading certainty is improved, but processing complexity and information requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereading certainty of timing synchronization status reportVSAvoidcomplexity of UE information processing

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

UE self-report their system information block reading periodicity to the network. This self-service approach provides the network with necessary UE information for determining optimal report retention durations without requiring complex monitoring or inference mechanisms, thereby improving reading certainty while minimizing processing complexity and information requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS20260046798A1Method and apparatus related to timing synchronisation status reports

Publication Date: 2026.02.12 NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY

AI summary

A method comprising receiving a message identifying at least one user equipment for which action is to be taken to increase certainty of reading by the user equipment of a timing synchronisation status report; and based at least partly on information about the user equipment, determining an action for increasing certainty of reading by the user equipment of the timing synchronisation status report.