Base Station Efficiency Control via Load Correlation Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current base station efficiency monitoring methods do not accurately account for specific local requirements, leading to inefficient power consumption and potential coverage issues due to misleading efficiency indicators.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that determine the correlation between downlink traffic volume, bitrate, and Physical Resource Blocks (PRB) utilization, identifying problematic cells by comparing these parameters against predetermined thresholds, allowing for automatic optimization of RF power settings without additional onsite equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If base station capacity and RF power are deployed based on network planning and estimated load scenarios, then the base station can guarantee required coverage under high load conditions, but the power consumption cannot be minimized because processing capacity and RF power are not adjusted according to actual local requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of RF power settings based on actual traffic load conditions. The system continuously monitors downlink traffic volume and PRB utilization, then automatically adjusts RF power levels to match current demand, transitioning from static network planning values to dynamic real-time optimization. This resolves the contradiction by making the base station adaptive to changing conditions rather than fixed at deployment values.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operating parameters of the base station by adjusting RF power settings based on measured traffic conditions. When traffic load is low, RF power is reduced; when traffic load increases, RF power is increased accordingly. This parameter adjustment approach allows the base station to maintain reliability when needed while minimizing power consumption during low-demand periods.
2Measurement precision
If power meters are installed to monitor base station power consumption and compare it with actual traffic load, then efficiency indicators can be obtained, but the indicators are misleading because they do not take specific requirements and conditions of different cells into account
Solution Approach 1:
The base station performs self-monitoring and self-optimization using its own internal measurement capabilities. It automatically measures downlink traffic volume, calculates PRB utilization, determines correlation values, and adjusts RF power settings without external intervention. This eliminates the need for separate power meters and external monitoring equipment while providing accurate, context-aware efficiency optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a closed-loop feedback mechanism where the base station continuously monitors its own traffic conditions, compares actual performance against thresholds, and automatically adjusts RF power settings in response. This internal feedback loop provides accurate efficiency indicators tailored to each cell's specific conditions without requiring external monitoring equipment that would produce generic, misleading metrics.
3Reliability
If RF power is increased to guarantee coverage under high load conditions, then reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs periodic measurements of downlink traffic volume and PRB utilization at regular intervals (e.g., every measurement period). Based on these periodic assessments, RF power settings are adjusted in discrete steps rather than continuously, allowing the system to respond to changing conditions while avoiding unnecessary energy consumption during stable low-load periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial action by adjusting RF power only to the extent necessary to meet current traffic demands. Instead of maintaining maximum power settings for all conditions, the system applies just enough power to handle the actual load, using correlation-based thresholds to determine when partial power reduction is acceptable while still maintaining coverage reliability.
Data Source
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AI summary
It is provided a method, comprising determining, for plural data pairs each comprising a respective one of a downlink traffic volume of a cell and a downlink traffic bitrate of the cell and a related downlink utilization of the cell, a correlation between the one of the downlink traffic volumes and the downlink traffic bitrates and the downlink utilizations; checking if the correlation is smaller than a predetermined correlation threshold; deciding that the cell is a problematic cell if the correlation is smaller than the correlation threshold.