UE Group Communication for Weak Signal Reliability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current mobile communications technologies experience a significant decline in throughput and reliability of data transmission for user equipment when the environment deteriorates, such as a weak signal between the user equipment and the base station.

Innovation Solution

A method where user equipment (UE) reports group communication capability information to a cellular network access device, obtains a group identifier, and establishes connections with other UEs in the same short-range wireless communications network, allowing for improved data transmission by utilizing other UEs or a routing device to forward data when the primary connection is weak.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If single user equipment communication is used, then device complexity is low, but throughput and reliability of data transmission sharply decline when environment deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereliability of data transmissionVSAvoidcommunication system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple UEs are merged into a group with a common group identifier, allowing them to communicate collectively through the cellular network while maintaining individual short-range connections. This merging approach improves reliability by providing multiple communication paths without proportionally increasing system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The cellular network access device acts as an intermediary that manages group identifiers and facilitates communication between UEs. When direct short-range connections are unavailable, the cellular network mediates data transmission, ensuring continued connectivity even in deteriorated environments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If group-based communication is established, then throughput and reliability improve, but device complexity and network management complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethroughput of data transmissionVSAvoidnetwork management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The group identifier serves multiple functions: it identifies the group in the cellular network, enables short-range wireless communication within the group, and facilitates both uplink and downlink data transmission. This multi-functionality improves throughput without proportionally increasing network management complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

UEs within a group autonomously establish short-range wireless connections and exchange data directly when possible, without requiring constant cellular network intervention. This self-service capability increases throughput while reducing the management burden on the network.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3425943B1UE communication method, device, and communications system
Publication Date: 2020.06.17 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3425943B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3425943B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3425943B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5

AI summary

The present invention provides a UE communication method, a device, and a communications system. The method includes: obtaining, by a UE, address information of the UE in a short range wireless communications network and a group identifier of the UE after joining a UE group, where the group identifier is an identifier of the UE group, and each UE in the UE group joins the same short range wireless communications network; reporting, by the UE, group communication capability information and the group identifier of the UE to a cellular network access device, and receiving cellular network identity information allocated by the cellular network access device; and obtaining, by the UE, short range wireless communications network address information and cellular network identity information of one or more other UEs in the UE group, or reporting the short range wireless communications network address information of the UE to a routing device in the short range wireless communications network, so that the routing device in the short range wireless communications network stores short range wireless communications network address information and cellular network identity information of each UE in the UE group.