Multi-Subscription UE Tune-Away Scheduling for Lower Latency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multi-subscriber identity module (SIM) user equipment (UE) devices face challenges in managing concurrent communications across multiple subscriptions, leading to increased latency, missed messages, and inefficient resource utilization due to the sharing of radio frequency resources, resulting in dropped communications and excessive signaling overhead.
Innovation Solution
A UE with multiple subscriptions configures a 'tune away' mechanism, coordinating with the base station to manage network connections, allowing it to receive messages and perform procedures on one subscription while temporarily suspending communications on another, thereby optimizing resource use and reducing latency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a UE shares radio frequency resources across multiple subscriptions, then resource utilization efficiency improves, but communication latency increases and messages may be missed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic tune-away configuration where the UE can flexibly adjust its radio frequency resource allocation between multiple subscriptions based on real-time communication needs. The base station receives tune-away configuration information indicating time periods when the UE will tune away from the first subscription to monitor the second subscription, allowing dynamic resource sharing that adapts to varying traffic demands while minimizing communication latency
Solution Approach 2:
The base station is configured with advance knowledge of tune-away periods through the tune-away configuration information received from the UE. This allows the base station to perform preliminary actions by scheduling transmissions and resource allocations that account for upcoming tune-away events, ensuring critical communications are delivered before the UE tunes away and preventing message loss
2Reliability
If a UE monitors multiple subscriptions concurrently, then message reception reliability improves, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the tune-away configuration information from general uplink signaling and transmits it as a dedicated, compact message from the UE to the base station. This configuration information contains the essential parameters needed for the base station to understand when the UE will be unavailable, allowing the base station to adjust its scheduling without requiring extensive additional signaling for each tune-away event
Solution Approach 2:
The tune-away configuration information serves as feedback from the UE to the base station, enabling the base station to adapt its resource allocation and transmission scheduling to the UE's multi-subscription monitoring needs. This feedback mechanism allows the system to coordinate efficiently, ensuring reliable message delivery during tune-away periods without excessive signaling overhead
3Adaptability or versatility
If a UE tunes away from one subscription to monitor another, then multi-subscription communication capability improves, but connection stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic yet coordinated approach where the UE's tune-away behavior is configured and acknowledged by the base station. The base station receives the tune-away configuration information and uses it to dynamically adjust its resource allocation and transmission timing, ensuring that connection stability is maintained despite the UE's frequency switching between subscriptions
Solution Approach 2:
The tune-away configuration information acts as an intermediary mechanism that bridges the UE's need to monitor multiple subscriptions with the base station's need to maintain stable connections. By sharing this configuration information, the base station can mediate resource allocation to ensure continuous, stable communication on the first subscription while allowing periodic tune-aways for the second subscription
Data Source
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AI summary
Various aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication. In some aspects, a user equipment may transmit, in association with a first subscription of the UE, a tune away configuration that indicates one or more tune away parameters associated with a second subscription of the UE; tune away from a network connection associated with the first subscription according to the tune away configuration; and perform a communication procedure associated with the second subscription based at least in part on tuning away from the network connection associated with the first subscription. Numerous other aspects are provided.