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US-20260129619-A1 - TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

US20260129619A1US 20260129619 A1US20260129619 A1US 20260129619A1US-20260129619-A1

Abstract

A method for operating a cellular telecommunication system for communication with user equipment includes operating in a first mode and a second mode, the second mode being a backup or supplement for communications in the first mode. The method also includes adding one or more secondary cell groups operating in a third mode and after adding the one or more secondary cell groups, communicating in the first mode, the second mode, and the third mode. The first mode may have a higher average downlink throughput than the second mode. Further, the secondary cell groups may operate at a higher average downlink throughput than the first mode and the second mode. The first mode may be a fifth-generation (“5G”) sub-6 gigahertz (“sub-6”) communication mode, the second mode may be a Long-Term Evolution (“LTE”) communication mode, and the secondary cell groups may operate in a millimeter wave (“mmWave”) communication mode.

Inventors

  • Chuan Li
  • Fan Bai
  • Sheng Liu

Assignees

  • GM Global Technology Operations LLC

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20241101

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A method for operating a telecommunications system that includes a plurality of base stations, the method comprising: through user equipment: estimating a time of connection of the user equipment to the telecommunications system in a first communications mode; if the estimated time of connection is below a threshold and the user equipment is not connected to the telecommunication system in the first communications mode, rejecting a request from the telecommunication system to the user equipment for the user equipment to connect to the telecommunication system in the first communications mode; and if the user equipment is connected to the telecommunications system, providing a request, using the estimated time of connection, to the telecommunications system regarding one or more operations of the telecommunications system.
  2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more operations of the telecommunications system include an addition of a secondary cell group.
  3. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein: the first communications mode is a millimeter wave (“mmWave”) communications mode; and the estimated time of connection is a function of Ps, Pe, and v, where Ps is a location where the user equipment provides a measurement report to telecommunications system, Pe is a location where the user equipment releases at least one mmWave cell, and v is an average velocity of the user equipment.
  4. 4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more operations of the telecommunications system include a release of a secondary cell group.
  5. 5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein: the first communications mode is a mmWave communications mode; and the estimated time of connection is a function of P c , Pe, Pi and v, where P c is a location where the user equipment receives a millimeter-wave measurement configuration, Pe is a location where the user equipment releases at least one mmWave cell, Pi is a location where the user equipment enters mmWave coverage, and v is an average velocity of the user equipment.
  6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: through the user equipment, feeding back application layer data of the user equipment to at least one of the base stations; and through the at least one base station, using the application layer data to control a quality of service flow in the telecommunications system.
  7. 7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising: through the at least one base station, allocating communication resources among multiple communication modes.
  8. 8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the multiple communication modes include Long-Term Evolution (“LTE”), 5G sub-6 gigahertz (“sub-6”) and 5G mmWave.
  9. 9 . A method of operating a cellular telecommunication system for communication with user equipment, the method comprising: operating in a first communications mode and a second communications mode, the second communications mode being a backup or supplement for communications in the first communications mode; adding one or more secondary cell groups operating in a third communications mode; and after adding the one or more secondary cell groups, communicating in the first communications mode, the second communications mode, and the third communications mode.
  10. 10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first communications mode has a higher average downlink throughput than the second communications mode.
  11. 11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the secondary cell groups operate at a higher average downlink throughput than the first communications mode and the second communications mode.
  12. 12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein: the first communications mode is a 5G sub-6 communication mode; the second communications mode is an LTE communication mode; and the secondary cell groups operate in a mmWave communication mode.
  13. 13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein: the first communications mode is 5G sub-6 communication mode; and the second communications mode is LTE communication mode.
  14. 14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein: the first communications mode carries control plane data used to control the cellular telecommunications system and carries first user plane data of the user equipment; the second communications mode carries second user plane data of the user equipment; and the third communications mode carries third user plane data of the user equipment.
  15. 15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the cellular telecommunications system includes one or more base stations.
  16. 16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the user equipment is mobile.
  17. 17 . A vehicle comprising: user equipment operable for communication via a telecommunications system; and a controller programmed with and operable to execute the following instructions: estimate a time of connection of the user equipment to the telecommunications system in a first communications mode; if the estimated time of connection is below a threshold and the user equipment is not connected to the telecommunication system in the first communications mode, reject a request from the telecommunication system to the user equipment for the user equipment to connect to the telecommunication system in the first communications mode; and if the user equipment is connected to the telecommunications system in the first communications mode, provide a request, using the estimated time of connection, to the telecommunications system regarding one or more operations of the telecommunications system.
  18. 18 . The vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the controller is further programmed with and operable to execute an instruction to feed back application layer data of the user equipment to the telecommunications system.
  19. 19 . The vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the first communications mode is 5G millimeter wave.
  20. 20 . The vehicle of claim 19 , wherein the one or more operations include secondary cell group addition (“SCGA”).

Description

INTRODUCTION This disclosure is in the field of telecommunications systems. In a fifth generation (“5G”) cellular telecommunication system, communication of user data may primarily be accomplished through 5G communication. In addition to connection via 5G, user equipment (“UE”) may simultaneously be connected via fourth generation Long-Term Evolution (“LTE”), to enhance overall system capacity and reliability. The primary mode of 5G communication may in some instances be below 6 gigahertz (“sub-6”). However, under certain circumstances, cell groups may be added that operate in millimeter wave mode (“mmWave”), a 5G mode that may provide higher average downlink speed. The inventors have noted, however, that when a mmWave secondary cell group is added, communications quality may be reduced until connection with the mmWave secondary cell group is accomplished and communication established and stabilized. Such reduction in quality may be due to scheduling and resource allocation, rather than by varying channel conditions or environmental factors, and may occur even when the user equipment is stationary at a fixed location. The reduction in quality may be a disadvantage in a system where timely and reliable communication is important. Further, connection of mmWave communication in current systems may occur even if the user equipment does not need it, as long as signal conditions for mmWave communication are sufficient; it may be that the disruption associated with establishing mmWave communication will actually result in reduced communication quality, for at least a period of time. Further, operation of cellular telecommunications systems may be enhanced by valuable operational information that user equipment may supply. SUMMARY A method for operating a cellular telecommunication system for communication with user equipment includes operating in a first mode and a second mode, the second mode being a backup or supplement for communications in the first mode. The method also includes adding one or more secondary cell groups operating in a third mode and after adding the one or more secondary cell groups, communicating in the first mode, the second mode, and the third mode. The first mode may have a higher average downlink throughput than the second mode. Further, the secondary cell groups may operate at a higher average downlink throughput than the first mode and the second mode. The first mode may be a fifth-generation (“5G”) sub-6 gigahertz (“sub-6”) communication mode, the second mode may be a Long-Term Evolution (“LTE”) communication mode, and the secondary cell groups may operate in a millimeter wave (“mmWave”) communication mode. In the method for operating a cellular telecommunication system, the estimated time of connection may be a function of Ps, Pe, and v, where Ps is a location where the user equipment provides a measurement report to telecommunications system, Pe is a location where the user equipment releases at least one mmWave cell, and v is an average velocity of the user equipment. Alternatively, the estimated time of connection may be a function of Pc, Pe, Pi and v, where Pc is a location where the user equipment receives a millimeter-wave measurement configuration, Pe is a location where the user equipment releases at least one mmWave cell, Pi is a location where the user equipment enters mmWave coverage, and v is an average velocity of the user equipment In the method for operating a cellular telecommunication system, the first mode may carry control plane data used to control the telecommunications system and first user plane data of the user equipment. The second mode may carry second user plane data of the user equipment. The third mode may carry third user plane data of the user equipment. The cellular telecommunication system may comprise a plurality of base stations. Further, the user equipment may be mobile. In a second method for operating a telecommunications system, the system includes a plurality of base stations. The method includes, through user equipment, estimating a time of connection of the user equipment to the telecommunications system in a first communications mode. The method also includes, if the estimated time of connection is below a threshold and the user equipment is not connected to the telecommunication system in the first mode, rejecting a request from the telecommunication system to the user equipment for the user equipment to connect to the telecommunication system in the first communications mode. Further, the method includes if the user equipment is connected to the telecommunications system, providing a request, using the estimated time of connection, to the telecommunications system regarding one or more operations of the telecommunications system. The one or more operations may include addition of a secondary cell group. The one or more operations may include modification of a secondary cell group. The one or more operations may include release of a secondar