Base Station Sleep Mode Control for Energy Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

The rapid growth of communication systems and base stations leads to increased energy consumption and environmental impact, necessitating efficient power management strategies while maintaining service quality.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a method where base stations operate in sleep mode to reduce power consumption, with an analyzer module assessing overall power consumption and grade of service to switch between sleep and active modes based on specific patterns, and a control module managing service requests between nearby base stations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If base stations operate in active mode to ensure service quality, then grade of service is maintained, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegrade of serviceVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The base station operates dynamically by switching between active and sleep modes based on traffic conditions. The system continuously monitors traffic load and adjusts the operational state of base stations, making the network adaptive rather than static. This resolves the contradiction by allowing high service quality during peak hours (active mode) and reduced energy consumption during low-traffic periods (sleep mode).

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the operational parameter of base stations from a fixed active state to a variable state that can switch between active and sleep modes. By modifying the operational parameter based on traffic conditions, the system achieves both goals: maintaining service quality when needed and reducing energy consumption when not needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Use of energy by moving object

If base stations operate in sleep mode to reduce power consumption, then energy consumption decreases, but service quality deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidgrade of service

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where base stations monitor traffic conditions and automatically switch between active and sleep modes based on real-time network status. This feedback loop ensures that service quality is maintained when traffic demands are high while enabling energy savings when traffic is low, resolving the contradiction between energy consumption and service quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The base station performs preliminary actions by switching to sleep mode in advance during periods of low predicted traffic, while maintaining the capability to quickly wake up and serve users when needed. This preliminary switching to energy-saving mode, combined with quick activation capability, resolves the contradiction by preparing the system for energy efficiency without permanently compromising service quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Area of stationary object

If more base stations are deployed to cover larger areas, then service coverage increases, but environmental impact worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice coverageVSAvoidenvironmental impact

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of keeping all base stations continuously active to provide wide coverage, the system implements periodic activation where base stations switch between active and sleep modes based on traffic patterns. This periodic operation allows the network to cover large areas when needed while significantly reducing environmental impact during low-traffic periods, resolving the contradiction between service coverage and environmental impact.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies partial action by activating only the necessary number of base stations based on current traffic demands rather than keeping all stations active. This partial operation maintains adequate service coverage while minimizing the environmental impact associated with operating excess base stations, effectively resolving the contradiction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS10645646B2Communication system and a method for operating or evaluating the same using selective base station sleeping

Publication Date: 2020.05.05 CITY UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

AI summary

A communication system and method for operating or evaluating the communication system includes powering a plurality of base stations each operating in at least a sleep mode and an active mode, wherein the base station operates in the sleep mode with less power consumption than in the active mode; analyzing an overall power consumption for powering the plurality of base stations with respect to a grade of service of the communication system; and switching at least one of the plurality of base stations to operate between the sleep mode and the active mode based on a result associated with the overall power consumption and/or the grade of service. Each of the plurality of base stations in sleep mode is further arranged to pass a service request to a nearby base station in the plurality of base stations such that the service request is handled by the respective nearby base station.