Base Station Scheduling via Relay Buffer Feedback

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Solution Overview

Problem

In LTE wireless communication systems, relay nodes lack full knowledge of user device status, leading to increased system latency and bandwidth resource allocation inefficiencies due to reliance on feedback from relay nodes for resource allocation.

Innovation Solution

A method where the base station allocates resources to relay stations based on feedback data including total buffer size and number/user devices, allowing for efficient scheduling of resources by determining buffer space usage and user device data presence, and transmitting this information to the base station for optimized scheduling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the relay node provides detailed per-user breakdown of data resources to the base station, then the base station can make more informed scheduling decisions, but system latency increases and more bandwidth resources are consumed for status signaling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebuffer status information accuracyVSAvoidsystem latency

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential scheduling parameters (total buffer size and number of user devices) from the complete per-user buffer status information. This selective extraction allows the base station to make effective scheduling decisions without receiving unnecessary detailed information, thereby reducing signaling overhead and latency while maintaining adequate scheduling precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of providing complete per-user buffer status information (excessive action), the relay node provides a partial summary containing only the total buffer size and number of user devices. This partial information is sufficient for the base station to perform effective resource allocation without the overhead of transmitting complete detailed status for each user.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

2Reliability

If the relay node signals the base station to stop sending data when buffer is full, then data overflow is prevented, but system responsiveness decreases due to increased signaling overhead

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebuffer overflow preventionVSAvoidsystem responsiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The relay node autonomously monitors its own buffer status and makes scheduling decisions based on the total buffer size information it provides to the base station. This self-service approach allows the relay to manage its own data flow without requiring continuous base station intervention, improving system responsiveness while maintaining reliable buffer overflow prevention through the feedback mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS8811306B2System and method for scheduling in a multi-hop environment

Publication Date: 2014.08.19 HONOR DEVICE CO LTD

AI summary

In accordance with an embodiment, a method of operating a base station configured to communicate with a relay station includes allocating resources to the relay station. Allocating resources includes receiving feedback data from the relay station and scheduling resources to the relay station based on feedback data. Feedback data includes a total buffer size of the relay station and a number of user devices.