UE Capability Reporting for NR-DC and CA Signaling Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing signaling mechanism for user equipment capabilities in NR-DC and CA results in excessive data size due to signaling both parameters for NR-DC and CA across all band combinations, which is inefficient.

Innovation Solution

The user equipment generates a report that includes a first information element for NR-DC parameters only when there is a difference from CA parameters, otherwise omitting these elements to reduce data size.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If both parameters for NR-DC and parameters for CA are signaled with respect to all NR band combinations, then the capability information is complete and accurate, but the signaling size increases excessively

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecapability information accuracyVSAvoidsignaling size
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary capability information by separating NR-DC parameters from CA parameters. The UE reports CA parameters for all band combinations, and only includes NR-DC parameters when there is a difference from the CA parameters, thereby extracting and transmitting only the essential differential information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of signaling both NR-DC and CA parameters for all band combinations (excessive action), the patent applies partial action by signaling NR-DC parameters only when necessary (when they differ from CA parameters). This reduces the overall signaling load while maintaining complete and accurate capability information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

2Adaptability or versatility

If parameters for NR-DC and CA are individually signaled for each band combination, then the capability reporting is comprehensive, but the reporting complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecapability reporting completenessVSAvoidreporting complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the reporting of NR-DC and CA parameters by using a unified reporting structure. The UE first reports CA parameters for all band combinations, then conditionally reports NR-DC parameters only when they differ from the CA parameters, thereby simplifying the overall reporting process while maintaining comprehensiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of the conventional approach of reporting all parameters for all combinations, the patent inverts the logic by reporting parameters only when they differ. The UE reports CA parameters as the baseline and then reports NR-DC parameters only when there is a difference, thereby inverting the traditional exhaustive reporting approach into a differential reporting approach.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP3972303B1User equipment and base station device
Publication Date: 2026.03.04 NTT DOCOMO INC
  • EP3972303B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3972303B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3972303B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A user equipment includes a receiving unit configured to receive, from a base station apparatus, information for requesting a report of a UE (User Equipment) capability, a control unit configured to generate the report that includes a UE capability supported in a band combination, and a transmitting unit configured to transmit the report to the base station apparatus, wherein in a case where a first information element is configured in the report, the control unit generates the report in which a parameter applied to a communication performed with dual connectivity in the band combination is configured in the first information element, and in a case where the first information element is not configured in the report, the control unit generates the report that includes a second information element including a parameter for a carrier aggregation applied to the communication.