Antenna Reference Point Timing Error Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication networks face challenges in achieving precise time alignment between radio access network nodes, leading to timing errors that affect the delivery of time-sensitive services such as OTDOA and CoMP, due to imperfections in clock synchronization and the difficulty in synchronizing internal clocks across a whole network.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that determine and utilize relative timing errors between antenna reference points (ARPs) involved in providing time-sensitive services, allowing for adaptive signal transmission to compensate for these errors, thereby ensuring accurate time alignment without requiring synchronization to a global clock.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional global clock synchronization is used to minimize timing errors, then time alignment between radio access network nodes is improved, but the complexity of synchronizing internal clocks across the whole network increases and timing errors still persist due to implementation imperfections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the network into synchronization areas with area synchronization entities that independently manage timing within each area. Instead of attempting to synchronize the entire network to a single global clock, each area is segmented and managed separately, reducing the overall complexity while maintaining time alignment precision within each segment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces area synchronization entities as intermediary components between radio access network nodes and the global clock reference. These entities locally manage and adjust timing within their respective areas, acting as mediators that eliminate the need for direct global synchronization of all nodes, thereby reducing network complexity while maintaining precision.
2Measurement precision
If internal clocks of radio access network nodes are continuously adjusted to a global reference, then time alignment is improved, but timing errors accumulate due to asymmetries in synchronization chains and implementation imperfections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary determination of relative timing errors between antenna reference points before providing time-sensitive services. By measuring and compensating for timing offsets in advance through inter-ARP radio signaling, the system prevents timing error accumulation rather than continuously adjusting clocks, thereby improving reliability while maintaining precision.
3Measurement precision
If strict global clock synchronization is enforced, then time alignment precision is improved, but the number of antenna reference points that can participate in time-sensitive services is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by determining relative timing errors specifically for the antenna reference points involved in each time-sensitive service rather than enforcing uniform global synchronization across all nodes. This allows each ARP to participate in services with locally optimized timing compensation, increasing adaptability while maintaining sufficient precision for service delivery.
Data Source
AI summary
A method performed by a system of a wireless communication network is disclosed. The method relates to provisioning of a time-sensitive service related to a wireless device. The wireless communication network comprises a plurality of antenna reference points, ARPs, of one or more radio access network nodes of the wireless communication network. The method comprises obtaining information that a first ARP and a second ARP of the plurality of ARPs are to provide the time-sensitive service to the wireless device, determining, by inter-ARP radio signalling between ARPs of one or more pairs of the plurality of ARPs, one of the one or more pairs including the first ARP and one of the one or more pairs including the second ARP, a relative timing error between the first ARP and the second ARP, and taking the determined relative timing error into consideration when providing the service to the wireless device.