Wireless Base Station Congestion Management via User Count Thresholds
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for managing congestion in wireless networks fail to differentiate between congestion scenarios caused by a small number of users and those caused by a large number of users, leading to sub-optimal responses and degraded user experience.
Innovation Solution
The system determines congestion based on percentage of resource utilization and number of active users, implementing a congestion prime scenario by handing off consumer premises equipment to another base station, reducing data rates, or classifying modulation and coding schemes to alleviate congestion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a generic congestion response is implemented without differentiating between congestion scenarios, then the system complexity is reduced, but the quality of service and user experience deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments congestion management into two distinct scenarios: (1) congestion caused by a small number of users with high data transfer rates, and (2) congestion caused by a large number of users with lower individual rates. The system calculates a congestion metric that incorporates both the number of active users and their data transfer rates, enabling differentiated response strategies for each scenario type.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by implementing scenario-specific response mechanisms tailored to each congestion type. For scenario 1 (few users), the system allows continued service with monitoring. For scenario 2 (many users), the system implements active load management including user notification, data transfer throttling, and selective disconnection of non-urgent connections.
2Reliability
If the system monitors and differentiates between congestion scenarios caused by different numbers of users, then the quality of service is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal congestion management framework that handles both congestion scenarios through a single integrated system. The congestion metric calculation and scenario determination logic serve as a multi-functional core that automatically adapts its response based on the detected scenario type, eliminating the need for separate monitoring and control systems for each scenario.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses parameter changes in the congestion metric calculation to differentiate between scenarios. By incorporating both the number of active users and their data transfer rates into a unified metric, the system can dynamically adjust its behavior based on the calculated metric value, enabling automated scenario identification and response selection without complex classification logic.
3Adaptability or versatility
If airlink resources are allocated to maintain service for all users during congestion, then user coverage is maintained, but the congestion level increases and resource efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic resource allocation that adapts to congestion conditions. During congestion, the system continuously monitors the congestion metric and actively manages airlink resource distribution based on user priority, data transfer urgency, and current network load. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to maintain service for essential users while reducing allocations to non-urgent transfers, optimizing overall resource efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial action by selectively maintaining service for certain users while reducing or terminating service for others during congestion. Rather than uniformly allocating resources to all users, the system identifies and prioritizes critical data transfers, applying full resource allocation only where necessary while implementing throttling or disconnection for non-essential traffic.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method are described for reducing congestion in a wireless network. A wireless base station becomes congested when substantially all of the available base station airlink resources are being used during a period of time. It is useful, however, to distinguish between periods of congestion with few users and periods where a larger number of users are using the base station. When there are few users a congestion situation is not necessarily a problem, while it is more likely that users' quality of experience and quality of service suffers as the number of users increases. This system and method determines when a base station is congested and implements a congestion prime management scenario when the number of active users is above an activity threshold.