Uplink-aware Serving Cell Selection for HSDPA Throughput
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cellular network systems primarily select serving cells based on downlink signal quality, which can lead to poor uplink signal degradation and subsequent HSDPA throughput issues and call drops, as they do not adequately consider uplink signal quality during handover processes.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where the Radio Network Controller (RNC) receives event notifications about uplink signal quality from user equipment, designating cells with sufficient uplink signal quality as viable serving cells and those below a threshold as non-viable, allowing for dynamic serving cell selection based on uplink conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If serving cell selection is based only on downlink signal quality, then downlink communication is optimized, but uplink signal quality deteriorates leading to poor HSDPA throughput and call drops
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the selection parameter from only downlink signal quality to include both downlink and uplink signal quality metrics. The RNC now evaluates uplink signal quality reports from UEs and uses this additional parameter to determine viable serving cells, thereby improving call reliability while maintaining manageable system complexity through structured evaluation criteria.
2Reliability
If uplink signal quality monitoring is implemented, then uplink communication quality improves, but system complexity increases due to additional event notifications and evaluation criteria
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary monitoring and evaluation of uplink signal quality before handover decisions are made. UEs continuously report uplink signal quality to the RNC, which maintains a list of viable serving cells based on pre-evaluated uplink quality. This preliminary action ensures uplink communication reliability is maintained while managing complexity through proactive rather than reactive cell selection.
3Area of stationary object
If cells with poor uplink signal quality are selected as serving cells, then coverage area is maximized, but HSDPA throughput deteriorates due to uplink signal degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the cell selection parameters to include uplink signal quality thresholds. The RNC evaluates both downlink coverage and uplink quality metrics when determining viable serving cells. This dual-parameter approach ensures that cells providing adequate HSDPA throughput are selected, preventing throughput deterioration while maintaining appropriate coverage area through balanced selection criteria.
Data Source
AI summary
An example method comprises receiving an event notification from a cell in a current set of a user equipment, the event notification indicating an uplink signal strength from the user equipment to the cell relative to a threshold; and designating the cell as being either a viable candidate or not a viable candidate to be a serving cell based on the uplink signal strength relative to the threshold.