Switching between new radio dual connectivity and carrier aggregation in cellular networks
A telecommunication network associated with a wireless telecommunication provider can be configured to switch between New Radio (NR) Dual Connectivity (DC) and NR Carrier Aggregation (CA) in 5G cellular networks. According to examples, a UE is not limited to using a single mode (e.g., either NR CA or NR DC) that is initially selected for use by the UE. For example, a UE can be reconfigured during a session to switch from NR DC to NR CA when the UE moves toward mid-cell and/or a cell edge. In other examples, the UE can be reconfigured to switch from NR CA to NR DC when the UE moves closer to the cell. To determine when to switch, one or more network conditions (e.g., UE RF conditions) can be monitored. In some examples, a gNB can monitor power headroom reports (PHRs) received from the UE to determine when to switch.
1 . A system comprising:
one or more processors;
a memory; and
one or more components stored in the memory and executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
selecting a first mode of a communication session for a User Equipment (UE) within a 5G cellular network;
establishing the communication session between the UE and one or more nodes within a cellular network that uses the first mode;
accessing one or more network conditions associated with performance of the UE within the cellular network, wherein the one or more network conditions include at least a first amount of transmission power that is left for the UE to use and a second amount of transmission power being used by a current transmission, and wherein accessing the one or more network conditions comprises periodically receiving power headroom reports from the UE at a gNodeB, each power headroom report including a power headroom value in a range from a first negative dB value threshold to a second positive dB value threshold in steps of a predetermined DB value;
identifying a cell condition associated with the UE based at least in part on the second amount of transmission power being used by the current transmission, wherein identifying the cell condition comprises determining whether the UE transmission power indicates that the UE is within a threshold distance of the gNodeB;
determining to switch the first mode to a second mode based, at least in part, on the cell condition, the one or more network conditions, and on one or more of an available bandwidth or current usage statistics of the cellular network, wherein the second mode supports aggregation of multiple component carriers from a single gNodeB, and wherein determining to switch comprises switching in response to the power headroom report indicating that the UE is running out of transmission power while maintaining enough power headroom to perform the switching; and
reconfiguring the UE to use the second mode.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first mode is selected from a New Radio (NR) Dual Connectivity (DC) mode and a NR Carrier Aggregation (CA) mode.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the performance is associated with transmission of data within the cellular network.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second mode is one of an NR DC mode or an NR CA mode that is different from the first mode.
5 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising using the second mode for communications associated with the UE.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein accessing the one or more network conditions associated with performance of the UE within the cellular network comprises receiving a power headroom report (PHR) from the UE, wherein the PHR includes data that identifies a power headroom value for the UE.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein determining to switch the first mode to the second mode comprises identifying that the UE has moved toward a mid-cell condition or an edge cell condition.
8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein identifying that the UE has moved toward the mid-cell condition or the edge cell condition is based at least in part on transmission power of the UE.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein accessing the one or more network conditions associated with performance of a UE within the cellular network comprises receiving, at a gNodeB (gNb), at least a portion of the one or more network conditions from the UE.
10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first mode is an NR DC mode that uses a first gNb and a second gNb of the 5G cellular network.
11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein determining to switch the first mode to the second mode comprises determining an availability of transmission power of the UE.
12 . A computer-implemented method performed by one or more processors configured with specific instructions, the computer-implemented method comprising:
selecting a first mode of a communication session for a User Equipment (UE) within a 5G cellular network;
establishing the communication session between the UE and one or more nodes within a cellular network that uses the first mode;
accessing one or more network conditions associated with performance of the UE within the cellular network, wherein the one or more network conditions include at least a first amount of transmission power that is left for the UE to use and a second amount of transmission power being used by a current transmission, and wherein accessing the one or more network conditions comprises periodically receiving power headroom reports from the UE at a gNodeB, each power headroom report including a power headroom value in a range from a first negative dB value threshold to a second positive dB value threshold in steps of a predetermined DB value;
identifying a cell condition associated with the UE based at least in part on the second amount of transmission power being used by the current transmission, wherein identifying the cell condition comprises determining whether the UE transmission power indicates that the UE is within a threshold distance of the gNodeB;
determining to switch the first mode to a second mode based, at least in part, on the cell condition, the one or more network conditions, and on one or more of an available bandwidth or current usage statistics of the cellular network, wherein the second mode supports aggregation of multiple component carriers from a single gNodeB, and wherein determining to switch comprises switching in response to the power headroom report indicating that the UE is running out of transmission power while maintaining enough power headroom to perform the switching; and
reconfiguring the UE to use the second mode.
13 . The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein accessing the one or more network conditions associated with performance of the UE within the cellular network comprises receiving data from the UE, wherein the data identifies a power headroom value for the UE.
14 . The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein determining to switch the first mode to the second mode comprises identifying that the UE has moved toward a mid-cell condition or an edge cell condition.
15 . The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , further comprising identifying that the UE has moved toward the mid-cell condition.
16 . The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein accessing the one or more network conditions associated with performance of a UE within the cellular network comprises receiving, at a gNodeB (gNb), at least a portion of the one or more network conditions from the UE.
17 . The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein the first mode is an NR DC mode that uses a first gNb and a second gNb of a 5G cellular network.
18 . A non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a computing device to perform acts comprising:
selecting a first mode of a communication session for a User Equipment (UE) within a 5G cellular network;
establishing the communication session between the UE and one or more nodes within a cellular network that uses the first mode;
accessing one or more network conditions associated with performance of the UE within the cellular network, wherein the one or more network conditions include at least a first amount of transmission power that is left for the UE to use and a second amount of transmission power being used by a current transmission, and wherein accessing the one or more network conditions comprises periodically receiving power headroom reports from the UE at a gNodeB, each power headroom report including a power headroom value in a range from a first negative dB value threshold to a second positive dB value threshold in steps of a predetermined DB value;
identifying a cell condition associated with the UE based at least in part on the second amount of transmission power being used by the current transmission, wherein identifying the cell condition comprises determining whether the UE transmission power indicates that the UE is within a threshold distance of the gNodeB;
determining to switch the first mode to a second mode based, at least in part, on the cell condition, the one or more network conditions, and on one or more of an available bandwidth or current usage statistics of the cellular network, wherein the second mode supports aggregation of multiple component carriers from a single gNodeB, and wherein determining to switch comprises switching in response to the power headroom report indicating that the UE is running out of transmission power while maintaining enough power headroom to perform the switching; and
reconfiguring the UE to use the second mode.
19 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the cell condition includes a near-cell condition.
20 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the cell condition indicates that the UE is near a cell and represents a near cell condition or indicates that the UE is farther away from the cell and that the UE is experiencing a mid-cell condition or cell edge condition.