Base Station Merging LTE and MANET via Empty Subframes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cellular networks, particularly in tactical telecommunications, face limitations in high-speed, mobile communication due to inherent limitations in WiFi technology such as QoS, latency, and throughput, and existing solutions require increased technical resources and cannot facilitate direct communication between user terminals without a base station.
Innovation Solution
A base station that utilizes the same radio frequency equipment to implement both LTE and MANET protocols, allowing for interoperability with 3GPP standards and enabling MANET networking between base stations, using empty subframes in LTE frames for MANET communication, thereby sharing the same PHY layer and radio frequency resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate radio frequency equipment is used for LTE and MANET communications, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges LTE and MANET radio frequency equipment into a single shared platform. The base station uses one radio frequency unit to handle both LTE communications with user terminals and MANET communications with neighboring base stations, eliminating the need for separate hardware systems while maintaining communication reliability through protocol-based separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The radio frequency equipment is designed with universal functionality to support multiple communication protocols. The same physical radio interface can dynamically switch between LTE and MANET protocols based on the communication mode, making the equipment multi-functional and adaptable to different network requirements without sacrificing reliability.
2Productivity
If empty subframes are used for MANET communication, then resource utilization is improved, but LTE communication performance may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by allocating specific empty subframes within the LTE frame structure for MANET communications. These subframes occur at predetermined intervals (e.g., every 5th or 10th subframe), allowing MANET traffic to be transmitted periodically without continuously disrupting LTE services. This periodic allocation optimizes resource utilization while minimizing impact on LTE performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by using only a portion of the available subframes for MANET communication rather than dedicating entire frequency bands or continuous time slots. By selectively utilizing empty subframes that would otherwise be unused, the system achieves MANET functionality with minimal impact on LTE communication, effectively using excess resources without compromising primary service quality.
3Device complexity
If the same radio frequency equipment is shared between LTE and MANET protocols, then device complexity is reduced, but signal interference may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication resources in the time domain by dividing the radio frame into distinct subframes dedicated to different protocols. LTE communications occupy specific subframes while MANET communications occupy empty subframes, creating temporal separation that prevents signal interference despite sharing the same radio frequency equipment. This segmentation approach maintains low device complexity while eliminating interference issues.
Data Source
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Figure 4
AI summary
Base station (2) of a cellular network, adapted for exchanging, in accordance with a first radio protocol, data frames with user terminals (3) on downlink and/or uplink radio channels, after having inserted therein at least one empty subframe, characterized in that it is adapted for synchronizing the occurrence of said empty subframes with that of the empty subframes inserted by the other base stations of the cellular network, and for during the occurrence of the empty subframes, communicating, with at least one neighbour base station according to a second radio protocol distinct from the first radio protocol implemented by said base station.