Base Station Identity Conversion for Small Cell Networks

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing wireless communication systems face high upgrade costs due to the need to support a 28-bit base station identity, which requires modifications to both the core network device and macro base station, leading to insufficient base station address space.

Innovation Solution

An intermediate device is configured between the core network device and small cell, converting the base station identity in S1 messages to meet format requirements, allowing the core network device to support more base stations without modifying the core network device or macro base station.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If the base station identity bit width is increased to 28 bits to support more base stations, then the base station address space is sufficient, but the core network device and macro base station need to be upgraded, leading to high upgrade costs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebase station address spaceVSAvoidupgrade cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

An identity conversion device is introduced as an intermediary between the core network device and the small cell. This device converts the 28-bit base station identity to a 20-bit identity format that the core network device can process, eliminating the need to upgrade the core network device and macro base station while still supporting the expanded address space

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The identity conversion device changes the parameter (base station identity) from 28 bits to 20 bits through conversion. This parameter transformation allows the system to maintain compatibility with existing core network devices while supporting the larger address space required for expanded small cell deployments

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3313113B1Converting a macro base station identity into a small cell identity
Publication Date: 2019.11.06 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3313113B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3313113B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3313113B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Embodiments of the present invention disclose an S1 message transmission method, including: obtaining, by an intermediate device, a first S1 message, where the first S1 message includes a macro base station identity and a cell global identity, and the macro base station identity is an identity of the intermediate device; determining, by the intermediate device, whether the first S1 message needs to be sent to a small cell in a small cell set managed by the intermediate device; if yes, obtaining, by the intermediate device, a small cell identity corresponding to the cell global identity, converting the macro base station identity to the small cell identity, and generating a second S1 message, where the second S1 message includes the small cell identity; and sending, by the intermediate device, the second S1 message to a small cell corresponding to the small cell identity. Correspondingly, the embodiments of the present invention further disclose an intermediate device. The present invention can reduce upgrade costs while supporting a base station identity of more than 20 bits.