Aerial Vehicle Uplink Interference Mitigation via Base Station Coordination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Aerial vehicles (AVs) connected to cellular networks as user equipment devices cause increased interference to neighboring cells due to unique radio propagation characteristics, affecting the throughput performance of conventional UE devices on the ground.

Innovation Solution

The system mitigates interference by having a serving base station allocate communication resources to AVs and share this information with neighboring base stations via an air interface, either through retransmitting scheduling assignment information or transmitting a sounding reference signal, allowing neighboring base stations to decode and manage interference.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If AVs are connected to cellular networks as user equipment devices, then new applications and services can be enabled, but interference is increased to neighboring cells

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveAV connectivity capabilityVSAvoidinterference to neighboring cells

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses an air interface as an intermediary communication channel between the serving base station and neighboring base stations. The serving base station transmits scheduling assignment information about AV uplink resources to neighboring base stations through this intermediary channel, enabling them to coordinate and mitigate interference without direct AV-neighboring base station communication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by having neighboring base stations receive scheduling information about AV uplink transmissions and use this information to adjust their own resource allocation and beamforming strategies. This feedback loop enables dynamic interference mitigation while maintaining AV connectivity services.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If communication resources are allocated to AVs for uplink data transmissions, then AV data transmission capability is improved, but interference to conventional UE devices on the ground increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveAV uplink data transmission rateVSAvoidinterference to conventional UE devices

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by having the serving base station transmit scheduling assignment information to neighboring base stations before the AV begins its uplink data transmissions. This advance notification allows neighboring base stations to pre-adjust their resource allocation and beamforming patterns to minimize interference impact on conventional UEs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements local quality by enabling neighboring base stations to apply interference mitigation strategies specifically targeted at the directions and frequencies where AV transmissions occur. Each base station can independently adjust its local resource allocation and antenna beam patterns based on the received scheduling information, rather than applying uniform constraints across all services.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If scheduling assignment information is shared with neighboring base stations, then interference mitigation capability is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinterference mitigation effectivenessVSAvoidbase station coordination complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential scheduling assignment information (resource allocation, timing, frequency) from the complete base station messaging protocol and transmits it through the air interface to neighboring base stations. This extraction approach enables interference mitigation functionality without requiring implementation of complex full base station coordination protocols.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS11337191B2Interference mitigation for aerial vehicle communications by sharing scheduling information with neighboring base stations

Publication Date: 2022.05.17 KYOCERA CORP

AI summary

A serving base station allocates communication resources to be used by an aerial vehicle user equipment device (AV-UE) for uplink data transmissions. A neighboring base station is informed, via an air interface, of the communication resources that were allocated to the AV-UE. In some examples, the AV-UE retransmits scheduling assignment information, received from the serving base station, to the neighboring base station. In still other examples, the AV-UE transmits a sounding reference signal (SRS) to the neighboring base station. The neighboring base station can decode the retransmitted scheduling assignment information and/or the SRS to obtain information regarding the communication resources that have been allocated to the AV-UE for uplink data transmissions. The neighboring base station mitigates interference from the uplink data transmissions sent by the AV-UE.