UE Handover Protocol Stack Management for Data Interruption Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In LTE wireless communications networks, handover operations often result in interruptions to data reception for user equipment (UE) due to the detachment from the source eNB and synchronization with the target eNB, degrading the UE experience.
Innovation Solution
The UE continues to receive downlink transmissions from the source eNB during the handover process by maintaining the source eNB protocol stack while generating or activating the target eNB protocol stack, allowing for simultaneous communication with both eNBs and reducing interruption time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the UE detaches from the source eNB and synchronizes with the target eNB during handover, then the handover operation can be completed, but data reception is interrupted during the transition period
Solution Approach 1:
The UE performs synchronization with the target eNB before completely detaching from the source eNB. The protocol stack is configured to maintain connectivity with the source eNB while establishing connection with the target eNB in advance, thereby reducing the interruption time for data reception during handover
Solution Approach 2:
The protocol stack is configured to maintain continuous data reception capability by keeping the source eNB connection active during the synchronization phase with the target eNB. This ensures that data transmission continues without complete interruption, improving the overall handover experience
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus to be implemented in a user equipment, "UE", the apparatus comprising: processor circuitry including encoding circuitry and decoding circuitry, the decoding circuitry to: receive and decode a radio resource control, "RRC", message from a source evolved nodeB, "eNB", to obtain a handover, "HO", command that identifies a target eNB; receive and decode one or more downlink transmissions from the source eNB after receipt of the HO command and until receipt of a Random Access Response, "RAR", from the target eNB; receive and decode the RAR from the target eNB; and the encoding circuitry to encode another RRC message for transmission to the target eNB.