UE Capability Filtering for Energy-Efficient Wireless Handover

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless networks face challenges in efficiently managing mobility support for user equipments (UEs) with varying capabilities, particularly reduced capability (RedCap) UEs, due to differences in cost, complexity, form factor, and battery life, which affect handover processes between serving and neighbor base stations.

Innovation Solution

A UE is configured to receive system information from a serving base station that includes UE capability conditions for neighbor base stations, allowing it to determine if its capabilities meet the conditions before performing measurements and handovers, thereby optimizing energy usage and reducing unnecessary measurements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the UE performs measurements and handovers for all neighbor base stations without capability filtering, then the handover process is comprehensive and ensures network performance, but the energy consumption increases and unnecessary measurements are performed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehandover process reliabilityVSAvoidUE energy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The UE first retrieves and evaluates UE capability conditions from system information before performing any measurements. This preliminary filtering action ensures that only neighbor base stations with compatible capabilities are measured, avoiding unnecessary energy-consuming measurements while maintaining reliable handovers for suitable candidates

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different measurement strategies based on local UE capability conditions. For neighbor base stations where the UE capability meets the conditions, full measurements are performed; for those where it does not meet, measurements are skipped. This localized differentiation optimizes energy usage while preserving handover reliability for compatible base stations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Use of energy by moving object

If the UE filters neighbor base stations based on UE capability conditions before measurements, then energy efficiency is improved by reducing unnecessary measurements, but the complexity of the handover decision process increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveUE energy efficiencyVSAvoidhandover decision complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The capability condition evaluation is performed as a preliminary action before measurements. By pre-filtering neighbor base stations based on published capability conditions, the UE simplifies the overall decision process structure, making the handover logic more manageable despite the added filtering step

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from system information broadcasts containing UE capability conditions to dynamically adjust measurement behavior. This feedback mechanism allows the UE to automatically adapt its measurement strategy based on network conditions, reducing complexity through automated decision-making

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If the UE performs comprehensive measurements on all neighbor base stations, then the measurement precision and handover optimization are improved, but the time required for handover decisions increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereference signal measurement precisionVSAvoidhandover decision time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The UE performs capability condition evaluation as a preliminary action before initiating measurements. This pre-filtering reduces the number of measurements required, thereby decreasing the time needed for handover decisions while maintaining measurement precision for the subset of compatible neighbor base stations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of performing complete measurements on all neighbor base stations, the UE applies partial measurements only to those base stations where the UE capability meets the published conditions. This partial action approach reduces measurement time while maintaining sufficient precision for effective handovers

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS12513584B2Mobility support for user equipments with varying capabilities in a wireless network

Publication Date: 2025.12.30 APPLE INC

AI summary

Some aspects of this disclosure relate to apparatuses and methods for implementing techniques for support mobility in a wireless network for user equipments (UEs) with varying capabilities. A UE can receive a first system information from a serving base station, where the first system information includes a UE capability condition associated with a neighbor base station, and determine whether a UE capability meets the UE capability condition associated with the neighbor base station. When the UE capability condition is met, the UE can determine whether a first measurement of a first reference signal received from the serving base station and a second measurement of a second reference signal received from the neighbor base station satisfy a threshold condition. When the threshold condition is met, the UE can obtain a second system information from the neighbor base station, indicating the UE has performed handover to the neighbor base station.