User equipment identity management for coordinating base stations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12470258-B2
Application number	US-202117908675-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2021
Priority date	Mar 5, 2020
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

In a radio access network (RAN), a method for increasing network efficiency includes partitioning a pool of identifiers into at least a plurality of identifier sets associated with a plurality of respective sets of base stations in the RAN. The identifier sets include a first identifier set associated with a first base station set of the plurality of respective sets of base stations. The method also includes determining that the first base station set is to serve a user device and assigning a first identifier from the first identifier set to the user device. The method further includes transmitting the first identifier to the user device and jointly transmitting, by at least two base stations of the first base station set, information to the user device via a channel, including using the first identifier to indicate that the channel carries information for the user device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method in a radio access network (RAN), the method comprising:
partitioning, by the RAN, a pool of identifiers into at least (i) a first identifier set associated with a first base station set of at least two base stations and (ii) a second identifier set associated with a second base station set of the at least two base stations, the second identifier set being non-overlapping with the first identifier set, the first base station set including at least one different base station from the second base station set; determining, by the RAN, that the first base station set is to serve a user device; assigning, by the RAN, a first identifier from the first identifier set to the user device; transmitting the first identifier to the user device; jointly transmitting, by the at least two base stations of the first base station set, first information to the user device via a first channel, including using the first identifier to indicate that the first channel carries the first information for the user device; receiving, by the RAN, from the user device, a message; determining, by the RAN, based at least in part on the message, that the second base station set is to serve the user device; assigning, by the RAN, a second identifier from the second identifier set to the user device; transmitting the second identifier to the user device; and jointly transmitting, by the at least two base stations of the second base station set, second information to the user device via a second channel by using the second identifier to indicate that the second channel carries the second information for the user device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein jointly transmitting the first information includes:
scrambling a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) associated with the first information using the first identifier; and jointly transmitting a signal including the scrambled CRC and the first information to the user device via the first channel.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
receiving the message includes receiving, from the user device, a request that the second base station set serve the user device;; and determining that the second base station set is to serve the user device is based at least in part on the request.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
receiving the message includes receiving at least one of a location of the user device or a speed of the user device; and determining that the second base station set is to serve the user device is based at least in part on the at least one of the location or the speed.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
receiving the message includes receiving signal quality measurements of signals transmitted by the second base station set; and determining that the second base station set is to serve the user device is based at least in part on the signal quality measurements.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the second identifier comprises transmitting the second identifier by at least one of the first base station set or the second base station set.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the RAN, a time the first base station set will use the first identifier to jointly transmit the first information; and transmitting, to the user device, the timing information indicating the time the first base station set will use the first identifier.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein transmitting the first identifier and transmitting the timing information comprise transmitting the first identifier and the timing information in a same message.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from the user device, a capability message indicating a timing gap between a time when the user device receives a new identifier and a time when the user device is capable of using the new identifier, wherein transmitting the first identifier includes transmitting the first identifier at a first time, and wherein jointly transmitting the first information includes jointly transmitting the first information at a second time that is later than the first time by at least the timing gap.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
distributing, by a master base station of the first base station set, the first identifier to at least one other base station of the first base station set, wherein transmitting the first identifier to the user device includes: jointly transmitting, by the master base station and the at least one other base station, the first identifier to the user device.

11 . A radio access network (RAN) comprising processing hardware and configured to:
partition a pool of identifiers into at least (i) a first identifier set associated with a first base station set of at least two base stations and (ii) a second identifier set associated with a second base station set of the two base stations, the second identifier set being non-overlapping with the first identifier set, the first base station set including at least one different base station from the second base station set; determine that the first base station set is to serve a user device; assign a first identifier from the first identifier set to the user device; transmit the first identifier to the user device; jointly transmit, by the at least two base stations of the first base station set, first information to the user device via a first channel, including using the first identifier to indicate that the first channel carries the first information for the user device; receive, from the user device, a message; determine, based at least in part on the message, that the second base station set is to serve the user device; assign a second identifier from the second identifier set to the user device; transmit the second identifier to the user device; and jointly transmit, by the at least two base stations of the second base station set, second information to the user device via a second channel by using the second identifier to indicate that the second channel carries the second information for the user device.

12 . The RAN of claim 11 , wherein to jointly transmit the first information, the RAN is configured to:
scramble a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) associated with the first information using the first identifier; and jointly transmit a signal including the scrambled CRC and the first information to the user device via the first channel.

13 . The RAN of claim 11 , wherein:
the message includes a request that the second base station set serve the user device, and the RAN is configured to determine that the second base station set is to serve the user device based at least in part on the request.

14 . The RAN of claim 11 , wherein:
the message includes at least one of a location of the user device or a speed of the user device, and the RAN is configured to determine that the second base station set is to serve the user device based at least in part on the at least one of the location or the speed.

15 . The RAN of claim 11 , wherein:
the message includes signal quality measurements of signals transmitted by the second base station set, and the RAN is configured to determine that the second base station set is to serve to the user device based at least in part on the signal quality measurements.

16 . A method in a user device, the method comprising:
receiving a first identifier from a radio access network (RAN); jointly receiving, by of the user device, first information from at least two base stations of the first base station set via a first channel by identifyi

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Wang Jibing
• Stauffer Erik

Classifications

• H04W76/11 Primary

  Allocation or use of connection identifiers · CPC title

• H04W72/23

  in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal · CPC title

• H04B7/024 Primary

  Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems · CPC title