Base Station Coverage Coordination via Intermediary Signaling

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Solution Overview

Problem

In wireless communication systems, when a base station is shifted to an idle mode to conserve energy, neighboring base stations often fail to compensate for its coverage effectively due to the lack of a separate signaling procedure, leading to potential handover failures and deteriorated service quality.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a coordinating base station that receives coverage-related information from both the base station to be shifted and its neighbors, performs a coverage coordination procedure, and transmits a coverage coordinating signal to determine if the neighboring base stations can compensate for the coverage, using an X2 interface to configure and manage the handover process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If a base station is shifted to idle mode to save energy, then energy consumption is reduced, but neighboring base stations cannot compensate for coverage leading to handover failures and service quality deterioration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy consumption of base stationVSAvoidservice quality and handover success rate

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by establishing coverage coordination relationships and configuring signaling procedures before the base station transitions to idle mode. The coordinating base station pre-identifies neighboring base stations that can compensate for coverage, and the signaling framework is prepared in advance so that when the base station goes idle, handovers can be executed smoothly without service quality deterioration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Use of energy by stationary object

If a base station is shifted to idle mode to save energy, then power consumption is reduced, but coverage compensation by neighboring base stations fails without separate signaling procedure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumption of base stationVSAvoidcoverage coordination capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by stationary objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a coordinating base station as an intermediary that manages the coverage coordination between the idle base station and neighboring base stations. This intermediary entity facilitates the signaling procedures, identifies suitable neighboring base stations for coverage compensation, and coordinates the handover processes, thereby enabling ease of operation in coverage coordination without requiring direct complex interactions between all base stations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The coordinating base station performs preliminary actions by pre-identifying and configuring neighboring base stations that can provide coverage compensation before the base station transitions to idle mode. Coverage coordination relationships are established in advance, and signaling procedures are prepared, ensuring that coverage compensation can be executed smoothly when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If no separate signaling procedure is implemented between base stations, then system complexity is reduced, but coverage coordination and handover management become ineffective

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignaling procedure complexityVSAvoidhandover success rate

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the base station network into a coordinating base station and regular base stations. The coordinating base station handles the complex signaling and coordination tasks, while other base stations follow simpler procedures. This segmentation allows the system to maintain reliability through specialized coordination functions while keeping overall system complexity manageable by distributing responsibilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS9713015B2Method by which base station transmits signal for coverage coordination in wireless communication system and device for same

Publication Date: 2017.07.18 TAISSA RES LLC

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method by which a base station transmits a signal for coverage coordination in a wireless communication system and a device for the same. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a coordinating base station receives coverage related information from each of a first base station and a second base station, performs a coverage coordination procedure by using the coverage related information of the first and second base stations and transmits a signal for coverage coordination, which is determined according to the result of performing the coverage coordination procedure, to each of the first and second base stations, wherein the coverage coordination procedure includes determining whether the second base station can supplement the coverage of the first base station when the first base station switches to an idle mode.