User Equipment Bandwidth Notification for Signaling Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

In 5G radio communication systems, user equipment faces limitations in using arbitrary bandwidths due to predefined channel bandwidths in LTE, leading to increased signaling and potential system capability degradation when performing carrier aggregation with broad bandwidths.

Innovation Solution

The system allows user equipment to flexibly use bandwidths supported by the base station, enabling arbitrary bandwidths from narrow to ultra-broad, with the base station notifying the user equipment of available maximum bandwidths and user equipment reporting capabilities, allowing for resource allocation based on supported bandwidths.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If carrier aggregation with maximum 40 component carriers is performed to utilize broad bandwidth, then bandwidth utilization is improved, but signaling overhead increases due to capability reporting requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebandwidth utilizationVSAvoidsignaling overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The base station performs preliminary action by notifying the user equipment of the maximum bandwidth available for communication before the user equipment needs to report its carrier aggregation capability. This advance notification eliminates the need for extensive capability reporting, as the user equipment can simply indicate whether it supports the notified bandwidth or not, rather than reporting detailed band combination capabilities for up to 40 component carriers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Stability of the object's composition

If predefined channel bandwidths are used as in LTE, then system compatibility is maintained, but flexibility in bandwidth selection is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem compatibilityVSAvoidbandwidth selection flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The invention introduces dynamics by allowing the base station to flexibly determine and notify the maximum bandwidth available for communication based on current network conditions, service requirements, and user equipment capabilities, rather than being constrained to fixed predefined channel bandwidths. This enables the system to adapt bandwidth allocation dynamically while maintaining compatibility through the standardized notification and reporting mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3522598B1User device, base station, and communication method
Publication Date: 2024.07.31 NTT DOCOMO INC
  • EP3522598B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3522598B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3522598B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A user equipment in a radio communication system including the user equipment and a base station, the user equipment including: a transmission unit that transmits a first maximum bandwidth, which is a maximum bandwidth available to the user equipment for communication, to the base station; and a reception unit that receives, from the base station, a center frequency or frequencies on both ends of a band having a bandwidth, which is equal to or less than the first maximum bandwidth, within a band having a second maximum bandwidth that is a maximum bandwidth available to the base station for communication.