UE Carrier Aggregation Reporting for Redundant Capability Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing carrier aggregation reporting mechanisms in LTE systems result in redundant reporting of UE capabilities, leading to wastage of signaling resources and limited capability evolution, as well as inefficient frequency measurement due to restricted parallel inter-frequency measurements.
Innovation Solution
A carrier aggregation capability reporting method and apparatus that allows UE to report carrier combinations and sub-combinations efficiently, using predefined sequence numbers to reduce redundant signaling and enable parallel inter-frequency measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the UE reports information about each carrier combination supported by the UE to the base station, then the base station can learn the UE capabilities, but signaling resources are wasted due to repeated reporting of sub-combinations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and reports only the high-level carrier combination capability information to the base station, rather than reporting all individual carrier combinations. The UE capability information includes high-level aggregation capability information indicating the maximum number of carriers that can be aggregated, from which the base station can infer support for lower-level combinations. This extraction approach eliminates redundant reporting of sub-combinations while preserving complete capability information.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of reporting from the bottom-up (individual carrier combinations), the patent inverts the approach by reporting from the top-down (high-level aggregation capability). The UE reports its maximum aggregation capability first, and the base station derives support for all subordinate combinations from this high-level information. This inversion fundamentally changes the reporting structure to eliminate redundancy.
2Ease of operation
If the UE reports only the lowest capability in capabilities corresponding to carriers in the carrier combination, then reporting is simplified, but the base station cannot thoroughly learn capabilities of carriers supported by the UE
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a high-level carrier combination capability information structure that serves multiple functions simultaneously. This single high-level capability indicator not only simplifies reporting but also enables the base station to comprehensively understand all supported carrier combinations by inferring subordinate combinations. The high-level capability information universally represents both the maximum aggregation capability and all underlying specific combinations.
3Measurement precision
If the UE performs sequential inter-frequency measurements, then measurement accuracy is maintained, but measurement efficiency is reduced due to time consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing inter-frequency measurements in parallel during measurement gaps before network reconfiguration is complete. The UE proactively measures multiple inter-frequencies simultaneously using available measurement gaps, rather than waiting for sequential measurement opportunities. This preliminary parallel measurement approach maintains accuracy while significantly improving measurement efficiency and reducing overall measurement time.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention provides a carrier aggregation capability reporting apparatus and method, so as to prevent UE from repeatedly reporting capability information corresponding to a carrier combination supported by the UE, and reduce waste of signaling resources used for reporting. The method in the present invention includes: determining, by user equipment UE, information about a carrier combination supported by the UE and information about a sub-combination that is of the carrier combination and that is supported by the UE; and reporting, by the UE to a base station, the determined information about the carrier combination supported by the UE and the determined information about the sub-combination that is of the carrier combination and that is supported by the UE.