Aerial User Terminal Cell Selection via Base Station Indication

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Solution Overview

Problem

Aerial user terminals, such as drones, face challenges in wireless communication due to varying altitude and mobility, which complicates their communication with base stations and can cause interference, requiring enhanced communication methods to ensure optimal performance while adhering to flight restrictions.

Innovation Solution

The method involves the aerial user terminal receiving indication information from the base station about cell support capabilities and configuration information, allowing selective cell selection or access and adherence to flight restrictions, and the base station maintaining a Neighbor Relationship Table (NRT) to differentiate between aerial and ground user terminals for optimized communication.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If aerial user terminals use traditional cell selection methods, then they can access the network, but they cause interference to ground users and experience poor communication performance due to altitude and mobility variations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication performanceVSAvoidinterference to ground users

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the cell selection process by introducing separate indication information for ground user terminals and aerial user terminals. The base station transmits different cell selection criteria to different terminal types, allowing aerial terminals to select cells optimized for their specific characteristics (altitude, mobility) while preventing interference to ground users. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by creating dedicated access paths for different terminal categories.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by providing customized cell selection parameters specific to aerial user terminals. The indication information includes aerial-specific parameters such as altitude restrictions, speed restrictions, and flight region configurations. These localized parameters enable aerial terminals to communicate effectively from their unique operational context without affecting ground user communications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If the base station maintains a single Neighbor Relationship Table for all user terminals, then the system is simple, but it cannot optimize communication for aerial user terminals with different characteristics

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoptimization for aerial terminalsVSAvoidNeighbor Relationship Table maintenance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the Neighbor Relationship Table into ground user-specific and aerial user-specific tables. The base station maintains separate indication information for different terminal types, allowing optimized cell selection for aerial terminals while preserving simple access for ground terminals. This segmentation enables adaptability for aerial terminals without significantly increasing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal cell selection framework that serves both ground and aerial user terminals through a common indication information mechanism. The base station uses the same signaling structure and table maintenance procedures for both terminal types, achieving multi-functionality. This approach provides optimization for aerial terminals while keeping the base station's operational complexity manageable through standardized processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of operation

If aerial user terminals are allowed to access all cells, then they have flexible access, but they violate flight restrictions and cause interference

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecell access flexibilityVSAvoidflight restriction violations and interference

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by providing indication information to aerial user terminals before they attempt cell access. The base station pre-configures aerial terminals with cell selection parameters including altitude restrictions, speed restrictions, and flight region configurations. This advance configuration ensures aerial terminals only access permitted cells, preventing restriction violations and interference before they occur while maintaining operational flexibility within authorized parameters.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11477729B2Cell selection or access method, a user terminal, a maintenance method, and a base station

Publication Date: 2022.10.18 NTT DOCOMO INC

AI summary

Provided are a cell selection or access method performed by an aerial user terminal, an aerial user terminal, a neighbor relationship table maintaining method performed by a base station, and a base station. The cell selection or access method includes: receiving, from a base station, indication information for indicating support capability of at least one cell for aerial user terminals; and according to the indication information, selectively performing cell selection or access for one cell of the at least one cell. The maintaining method includes: receiving indication information indicating neighbor cells reported by a user terminal; and maintaining, according to whether the user terminal is an aerial user terminal, a neighbor relationship table selectively according to the indication information.