Wireless Communication Device Hand-Up Protocol Transition
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless Communication Devices (WCDs) face battery drain and inefficiency when repeatedly scanning for more-capable communication protocols, such as LTE, without automatic hand-up capabilities from less-capable protocols like eHRPD, leading to unnecessary battery consumption and impaired functionality.
Innovation Solution
A WCD with a communication transceiver and processing system that receives a control signal with a hand-up field, allowing it to determine if a hand-up to a more-capable protocol is possible and scan for its availability, thereby optimizing battery usage and enabling seamless protocol transitions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the WCD periodically scans for a more-capable communication protocol, then the WCD can discover available LTE networks, but the WCD expends significant amounts of battery power by repeatedly scanning
Solution Approach 1:
The network access node performs preliminary action by including a hand-up field in the control signal that indicates whether a more-capable protocol is available. This allows the WCD to avoid futile scanning when no LTE network is available, thereby reducing battery power consumption while maintaining the ability to discover LTE networks when they exist.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the WCD increases the time between scans to prevent battery drain, then battery power is conserved, but the WCD may delay discovery of available more-capable protocols
Solution Approach 1:
The network access node provides feedback through the hand-up field in control signals, informing the WCD whether a more-capable protocol is available. This feedback mechanism allows the WCD to adjust its scanning behavior dynamically - scanning when LTE is available and conserving energy when it is not, thereby balancing battery conservation with timely protocol discovery.
3Device complexity
If the WCD uses one radio transceiver element for both phone functions and protocol scanning, then device complexity is reduced, but the WCD cannot perform phone functions and scan simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The WCD performs protocol scanning periodically rather than continuously, allowing it to switch between phone functions and scanning tasks. Combined with the hand-up field indication from the network, this periodic action enables the single radio transceiver element to efficiently manage both communication and scanning functions without requiring additional hardware.
Data Source
AI summary
A Wireless Communication Device (WCD) and method for hand-up from a less-capable communication protocol of a wireless access node to a more-capable communication protocol of the wireless access node are provided. The WCD in one example embodiment includes a communication transceiver configured to exchange wireless communications and receive a control signal from the wireless access node, with the control signal including a hand-up field, and a processing system coupled to the communication transceiver and configured to process the hand-up field to determine if the WCD can hand-up from the less-capable communication protocol to the more-capable communication protocol, set a hand-up state according to the hand-up field, and scan for the availability of the more-capable communication protocol if the more-capable communication protocol is indicated by the hand-up state.