Base Station Spectrum Reservation for Shared Radio Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current wireless communication systems face challenges in efficiently managing shared radio frequency spectrum, leading to interference issues due to asynchronous operations in shared spectrum environments, which affects the quality of mobile broadband access and user experience.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a method where base stations monitor reservation periods on shared carrier frequencies to determine availability and decide whether to reserve access for subsequent data periods, using a reservation request/reservation response mechanism to minimize interference and optimize spectrum usage among multiple operators.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If multiple operators share the same radio frequency spectrum, then spectrum utilization is improved, but interference between operators increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespectrum utilizationVSAvoidinterference between operators

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a reservation mechanism where operators perform preliminary actions during a reservation period to secure spectrum access for future data periods. Base stations transmit reservation requests and receive reservation responses before actual data transmission, allowing them to pre-arrange spectrum usage and avoid conflicts during data periods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent divides the shared spectrum access process into distinct time segments: a reservation period for negotiating access rights and subsequent data periods for actual transmission. This temporal segmentation separates the contention phase from the transmission phase, reducing interference by ensuring that reserved operators have exclusive access during their designated data periods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If operators operate asynchronously in shared spectrum, then flexibility in resource allocation is improved, but interference mitigation becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility in resource allocationVSAvoidinterference

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic spectrum sharing where operators can asynchronously contend for and reserve spectrum resources based on their instantaneous needs. The reservation mechanism allows flexible, dynamic allocation rather than static assignment, enabling operators to adapt to changing traffic conditions while the reservation protocol ensures interference-free access during reserved periods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS10616769B2Radio (NR) procedures for accessing shared spectrum

Publication Date: 2020.04.07 QUALCOMM INC

AI summary

Techniques for spectrum sharing among operators are provided. A base station (BS) licensed to a first operator monitors, while operating on a first carrier frequency assigned to the first operator, a reservation period on a second carrier frequency assigned to a second operator that shares spectrum with the first operator. The BS determines, based on the monitoring, availability of the second carrier frequency for use by the BS during at least one subsequent data period. The BS determines whether to attempt to reserve access on the second carrier frequency for use during the at least one subsequent data period based on the determined availability.