Base Station Downlink Power Budget Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

In wireless communication systems with multiple base stations sharing the same air resources, existing technologies struggle to optimize downlink transmission power levels dynamically in response to varying loading conditions, leading to inefficient interference management and throughput.

Innovation Solution

Base stations receive and utilize loading information from adjacent stations to dynamically adjust their downlink transmission power budgets, reducing power output when neighboring stations are heavily loaded and increasing it when they are lightly loaded, thereby reducing interference and optimizing data rates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a base station uses a fixed downlink transmission power budget, then overall downlink interference in the system can be controlled, but the system fails to take advantage of different system loading conditions to optimize throughput

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedownlink interferenceVSAvoidthroughput
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic power budget adjustment where base stations continuously monitor their loading conditions and adjust their downlink transmission power budgets accordingly. Instead of using a fixed power budget, the system allows power levels to vary in real-time based on current traffic load, enabling optimization of throughput during low-interference periods while maintaining interference control during high-load conditions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system employs feedback mechanisms where base stations report their loading conditions to the network controller, which then determines appropriate power budget adjustments. This closed-loop feedback enables the system to respond to changing interference conditions and loading patterns, dynamically optimizing the balance between interference control and throughput maximization

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If a base station increases transmission power to overcome interference from heavily loaded adjacent base stations, then its own throughput can be maintained, but overall system interference increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovethroughputVSAvoidinterference generated
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful effect of adjacent base station interference into a beneficial outcome by using loading information from those same base stations. Instead of blindly increasing power to combat interference, the system uses the loading conditions reported by adjacent base stations to intelligently adjust power budgets, turning the interference problem into an opportunity for coordinated optimization that reduces overall system interference while maintaining throughput

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Productivity

If base stations exchange loading information and dynamically adjust power budgets, then interference management and throughput are optimized, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovethroughputVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal power budget adjustment mechanism that can be applied across all base stations in the network using a standardized procedure. The same loading information exchange and power adjustment logic is used throughout the system, allowing complex interference management functionality to be achieved through a unified, multi-functional approach rather than requiring complex individual solutions at each base station

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP1943747B1Methods and apparatus for controlling a base station's transmission power
Publication Date: 2015.08.19 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP1943747B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1943747B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1943747B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A base station receives loading information indicative of the loading of other base stations and determines a downlink transmission power budget as a function of the received loading factor information. The base station may decrease/increase a current power budget dedicated to downlink traffic channel segments in response to detecting an increase/decrease in loading at an adjacent base station. Thus, base stations operate in a cooperative manner reducing power output, in at least some cases, where loading at a neighboring base station increases thereby reducing the interference to the base station with the increased load. A base station can consider possible alternative transmission power levels, estimated levels of interference, and/or possible alternative data rates in making trade-off decisions regarding downlink power budget.