Base Station Discontinuous Transmission for Power Saving

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Solution Overview

Problem

The reduction of cell-specific reference signals (CRS) in new carrier types for mobile communication systems improves throughput but falls short in power consumption reduction.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a base station that dynamically sets and notifies discontinuous transmission (DTX) intervals, where the transmitter stops operation during certain subframes, allowing for power saving while maintaining channel state measurements, and adjusting ePDCCH and PDSCH allocations to extend DTX intervals.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If CRS transmission is reduced in new carrier types, then throughput is improved by using radio resources for user data, but power consumption reduction is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovethroughputVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies periodic action by implementing discontinuous transmission (DTX) of CRS signals at predetermined intervals rather than continuous transmission. The base station transmits CRS only in specific subframes (e.g., every 5th subframe) while remaining silent in other subframes, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining necessary channel state information for user data transmission

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamics by making the CRS transmission pattern adjustable and adaptive. The base station can dynamically configure DTX intervals and adjust transmission parameters based on channel conditions, allowing optimization of both throughput and power consumption according to actual network requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Use of energy by moving object

If transmitter stops operation during DTX intervals, then power consumption is reduced, but channel state measurement capability may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidchannel state measurement
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by having the base station transmit channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS) before the DTX interval begins. These preliminary transmissions provide the necessary channel state information for downlink channel estimation, allowing the UE to perform accurate measurements even during subsequent DTX periods when CRS transmission is interrupted

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses CSI-RS as an intermediary signal that mediates between the base station's power saving needs and the UE's measurement requirements. CSI-RS serves as an alternative to CRS that can be transmitted sparsely while still providing sufficient channel state information for accurate downlink estimation, thus enabling power saving without compromising measurement precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2983419B1Mobile communication system, base station, and user terminal
Publication Date: 2019.06.19 KYOCERA CORP
  • EP2983419B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2983419B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2983419B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A mobile communication system according to a first aspect comprises a base station configured to manage a cell. The base station comprises: a transmitter configured to transmit a radio signal to a user terminal within the cell; and a base station side controller configured to set a transmission stop interval in which an operation of the transmitter is stopped. The transmitter intermittently transmits a cell-specific reference signal that is a sort of the radio signal. The base station side controller sets the transmission stop interval to a period of time in which the transmitter does not transmit the cell-specific reference signal.