ATG Handover Metrics Using Aircraft Trajectory and Velocity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air-to-ground (ATG) communication systems face challenges in supporting modern telecommunications standards like 4G (LTE) due to sub-optimal handover decisions caused by reliance on limited radio signal strength metrics, and issues such as interference from the Doppler effect and timing advances required for high-speed aircraft communication.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that utilize base station location identifying circuitry, moving vehicle tracking circuitry, and handover metrics computation circuitry to generate metrics like Doppler effect and uplink capacity metrics for determining the optimal target base station during handovers, reducing interference and ensuring successful communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If standard radio signal strength metrics (RSRP, RSRQ) are used for handover decisions in ATG systems, then the handover procedure can be implemented using conventional 4G protocols, but sub-optimal handover decisions occur due to high aircraft speed and large ground station spacing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces new handover metrics that incorporate aircraft position, velocity, and predicted trajectory parameters beyond traditional signal strength measurements. This allows the handover decision to account for the high-speed movement characteristics and predict future signal conditions, resolving the contradiction between using conventional protocols and achieving accurate handover decisions in ATG systems.
2Area of stationary object
If ground stations are placed relatively long distance apart to cover large areas, then network coverage area increases, but handover performance deteriorates due to limited time for handover procedures at high aircraft speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs handover preparation in advance by identifying candidate target ground stations based on predicted aircraft trajectory and pre-calculating handover parameters before the aircraft actually needs to hand over. This preliminary action reduces the critical handover execution time while maintaining large ground station spacing for extensive coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts handover parameters based on real-time aircraft velocity and trajectory predictions. By making the handover process adaptive to the aircraft's motion state, the system can handle larger distances between ground stations without compromising handover performance at high speeds.
3Productivity
If high-speed aircraft communication is supported with large ground station spacing, then network coverage efficiency improves, but Doppler effect interference increases affecting signal quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-compensates for Doppler effect by calculating expected frequency shifts based on predicted aircraft velocity and direction before handover occurs. This allows the receiving ground station to adjust its frequency tracking in advance, reducing the impact of Doppler interference while maintaining efficient large-spacing network coverage.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances handover decision accuracy and capacity in ATG systems by minimizing Doppler effect interference and optimizing timing advances, enabling efficient communication even at high speeds and large distances.
Implementation Method 1
at least one handover metric is a Doppler effect metric computed from the position and velocity information, the handover metric characterizing interference from the Doppler effect
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method are provided for performing a handover analysis. The apparatus comprises base station location identifying circuitry to obtain base station location information for a plurality of base stations that provide a wireless network for communication with a moving vehicle. In addition, moving vehicle tracking circuitry is provided to obtain position and velocity information for the moving vehicle. Handover metrics computation circuitry is then used to generate at least one handover metric computed from the position and velocity information for the moving vehicle and the base station location information, for use in determining a target base station in said plurality to be used when performing a handover procedure to transition communication with the moving vehicle from the current base station in said plurality to the target base station. By such an approach, this enables a variety of handover metrics to be generated that take into account the deployment of the wireless network, which can be useful in systems such as Air to Ground (ATG) systems where the moving vehicles have a relatively high velocity, and the base stations may be relatively far apart. Such an approach can enhance the algorithms used to evaluate the decision to trigger handover from one base station to another base station.