UE Measurement Alignment for Small Cell Interference
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Solution Overview
Problem
In small cell networks, high interference and the introduction of LTE-U frequency bands complicate radio resource management (RRM) measurements, particularly due to the characteristics of discovery reference signals (DRS), leading to inaccurate and power-intensive measurements.
Innovation Solution
A User Equipment (UE) is designed with a measuring unit that aligns measurement time with the sending time of reference signals, employing a relaxed measurement manner with adjusted measurement cycles and gaps to reduce power consumption and improve accuracy, along with an interference judging unit to identify high interference and a filtering unit for stable mobility management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional RRM measurement methods are used in small cell networks, then measurement coverage is achieved, but measurement accuracy deteriorates due to high interference among cells
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the UE obtain DRS measurement timing configurations and determine sending time instants of reference signals before performing measurements. This allows the UE to align measurement time instants with reference signal transmissions in advance, ensuring accurate measurements even in high interference environments. The UE proactively configures measurement gaps and synchronizes with DRS timing before interference affects measurement quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of high interference into a benefit by using interference patterns to identify and exclude invalid measurement results. When interference is detected during measurement, the system uses this information to discard compromised measurements and rely on cleaner measurements taken during identified low-interference periods, thereby improving overall measurement accuracy.
2Adaptability or versatility
If DRS-based measurement is implemented to support ON/OFF mechanism, then mobility management capability is improved, but power consumption increases due to frequent measurements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by configuring measurement gaps and DRS measurement timing configurations that allow the UE to perform measurements only at specific periodic intervals rather than continuously. The UE determines measurement time instants based on DRS periodicity and sends measurements only when reference signals are transmitted, significantly reducing power consumption while maintaining mobility management capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by making the measurement configuration adaptive rather than static. The measurement gaps and timing configurations are dynamically adjusted based on DRS periodicity, cell ON/OFF states, and traffic conditions. This allows the system to optimize power consumption by reducing measurement frequency when mobility events are less likely while maintaining responsiveness when needed.
3Measurement precision
If measurement time is aligned with reference signal sending time, then measurement accuracy is improved, but measurement complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a measurement framework that handles multiple reference signal types (DRS, CRS, CSI-RS) and multiple measurement purposes (mobility management, channel quality indication, interference measurement) through a unified timing alignment mechanism. The same principle of aligning measurement time with reference signal sending time is applied across different signal types and scenarios, simplifying the overall system design despite the added capability.
4Productivity
If more small cells are deployed to utilize spectrum resources, then network capacity is improved, but interference among cells intensifies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the measurement process into distinct time segments corresponding to different reference signal transmissions from different small cells. The UE configures separate measurement gaps for different cells and frequencies, allowing it to measure each cell's reference signal during its specific transmission window. This temporal segmentation enables the UE to accurately measure multiple cells in a dense deployment without mutual interference corrupting the measurements.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed are a management apparatus, a measurement apparatus, a management method, a measurement method and a digital device. The management apparatus at the user equipment side of a wireless communication system includes: a measurement unit, configured for perform wireless resource management measurement on reference signals of a target cell; an interference determination unit, configured for determining whether the interference of the measurement result meets a preset condition, and marking the measurement result with the interference meeting the preset condition as a high interference measurement result; a filtering unit, configured for performing layer-3 filtering on the measurement result; and a mobility management unit, configured for performing mobility management on the user equipment according to the high interference measurement result. By embodiments of the disclosure, reliable and accurate measurement of reference signals in a small cell scenario is realized.