Base Station Selection Using Traffic Asymmetry
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Solution Overview
Problem
In heterogeneous mobile networks, the imbalance in transmit power between Macro and Pico base stations leads to suboptimal performance due to conventional Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP)-based cell association, which fails to efficiently balance downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) channel quality, resulting in inefficient data transmission and reception.
Innovation Solution
A method and device for selecting a serving base station based on traffic characteristics, switching between DL radio capacity mode and UL radio capacity mode to optimize performance, where the serving base station is chosen based on either its DL or UL capacity relative to other stations, depending on the asymmetry in data traffic, using parameters like RSRP and pathloss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If RSRP-based cell association is used for base station selection, then downlink signal quality is improved, but uplink performance deteriorates due to transmit power imbalance between Macro and Pico base stations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the selection parameter from RSRP (downlink-centric) to a composite metric that incorporates both downlink RSRP and uplink pathloss. This parameter transformation allows the system to simultaneously account for downlink signal quality and uplink transmission conditions, resolving the imbalance caused by pure RSRP-based selection in heterogeneous networks with Macro and Pico base stations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces asymmetric weighting factors for downlink and uplink measurements. By applying different weights to RSRP and pathloss components based on traffic characteristics (DL-oriented or UL-oriented), the system adapts to asymmetric traffic patterns and resolves the contradiction between optimizing for downlink quality versus uplink performance
2Reliability
If Macro base station is selected based on highest RSRP, then downlink reception quality is improved, but uplink transmission efficiency deteriorates due to higher pathloss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the base station selection criterion from purely RSRP-based to a composite metric combining RSRP and pathloss with configurable weights. This allows the system to select base stations that optimize the overall link quality rather than just downlink reception, thereby improving uplink transmission efficiency while maintaining downlink reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic selection between different base station selection modes (DL-oriented, UL-oriented, or balanced) based on real-time traffic characteristics. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to switch between prioritizing downlink reception quality and uplink transmission efficiency depending on current network conditions and user needs
3Productivity
If Pico base station is selected based on lowest pathloss, then uplink transmission efficiency is improved, but downlink signal quality deteriorates due to lower transmit power
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the selection metric to include both pathloss (for uplink efficiency) and RSRP (for downlink quality) with adjustable weights. This composite metric enables the system to select Pico base stations that offer good uplink conditions while maintaining acceptable downlink signal quality, or to switch to Macro base stations when downlink quality becomes critical
4Ease of operation
If conventional RSRP-based base station selection is used in heterogeneous networks, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but network performance deteriorates due to DL-UL performance imbalance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the existing RSRP measurement framework by adding pathloss calculation and configurable weighting factors. This incremental parameter enhancement maintains compatibility with existing systems and simple implementation while significantly improving network performance by enabling balanced DL-UL optimization through traffic-characteristic-based mode selection
Data Source
AI summary
For the purpose of selecting a base station (110, 120) to be used as a serving base station of a mobile terminal (100), a traffic characteristic of the mobile terminal (100) is determined. The traffic characteristic may in particular be indicative of an asymmetry between downlink and uplink data traffic of the mobile terminal (100). On the basis of the traffic characteristic, a selection between a first mode and a second mode is performed. In the first mode the base station (110, 120) to be used as the serving base station is selected on the basis of its downlink radio capacity as compared to one or more other base stations (110, 120). In the second mode the base station (110, 120) to be used as the serving base station is selected on the basis of its uplink radio capacity as compared to one or more other base stations (110, 120).