User Terminal Small Cell Detection Power Optimization

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Solution Overview

Problem

In radio communication systems with small cells within a macro cell, user terminals face challenges in detecting small cells reliably while preventing increased power consumption, as existing detection/measurement signals may not efficiently overlap with discovery signals, leading to potential undetection or prolonged detection times.

Innovation Solution

The user terminal configures detection durations for discovery signals to overlap with their transmission cycles, receiving configuration information for discovery signal transmission and discontinuous reception cycles, allowing timely detection without excessive power consumption by optimizing ON and OFF durations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If discovery signals are transmitted in a longer cycle to reduce power consumption, then power consumption is reduced, but detection reliability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower consumptionVSAvoiddetection reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The user terminal performs higher-layer processing and configures detection durations in advance based on predetermined timing relationships with discovery signal transmissions. This preliminary configuration ensures that the terminal is ready to detect discovery signals at the correct times without needing to continuously monitor, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining detection reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts detection durations and their timing based on the transmission cycle of discovery signals. The detection durations are configured to overlap with discovery signal transmissions, and this configuration can be adapted to different transmission cycles, allowing the system to optimize between power consumption and detection reliability based on actual conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If detection durations are configured to overlap with discovery signal transmissions, then detection reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection reliabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The timing relationships for detection durations are predetermined and configured in advance based on the discovery signal transmission cycle. This preliminary configuration simplifies the device operation by eliminating the need for complex real-time calculations and adjustments, while still ensuring that detection durations overlap with discovery signal transmissions for reliable detection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the timing parameters of detection durations to match the discovery signal transmission cycle. By adjusting these parameters systematically based on predetermined relationships, the system achieves reliable detection without requiring complex control logic, thus managing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If continuous monitoring is performed to ensure reliable detection, then detection reliability is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection reliabilityVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of continuous monitoring, the user terminal performs detection periodically during specifically configured detection durations that overlap with discovery signal transmissions. This periodic action approach ensures reliable detection at critical moments while allowing the terminal to remain in a low-power state during intervals between detection durations, thereby significantly reducing overall power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The terminal pre-configures detection durations based on predetermined timing relationships with discovery signal transmissions. This preliminary configuration allows the terminal to know in advance when to activate for detection and when to remain in sleep mode, eliminating the need for continuous monitoring while ensuring reliable detection at the right moments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3030007B1User terminal, wireless base station, and communication control method
Publication Date: 2019.10.23 NTT DOCOMO INC
  • EP3030007B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3030007B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP3030007B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention is designed to allow more reliable small cell detection while preventing the increase of power consumption in user terminals. The communication control method of the present invention includes the steps in which a radio base station that forms a macro cell and/or a small cell notifies a user terminal of transmission configuration information of a detection/measurement signal that is transmitted from the small cell, and discontinuous reception information including a discontinuous reception cycle in the user terminal, and the user terminal configures a detection duration for detecting the detection/measurement signal to overlap at least one transmission duration of the detection/measurement signal, based on the transmission configuration information and the discontinuous reception information.