Base Station Virtual Stations for Unlicensed Channel Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems face challenges in efficiently accessing unlicensed bands with minimal interference, as current channel access mechanisms like DCF and LBT do not effectively manage contention and fairness among multiple stations.
Innovation Solution
The method involves maintaining multiple virtual stations with contention windows and counter values at a base station, allowing it to contend and access channels with reduced interference by dynamically updating these parameters based on channel availability and transmission outcomes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If DCF or LBT mechanisms are used for channel access, then channel sensing and collision avoidance are provided, but channel access efficiency deteriorates and interference management becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The base station segments its transmission resources by creating multiple virtual stations (first virtual station, second virtual station, etc.), each with independent contention windows and backoff counters. This segmentation allows parallel channel access attempts, improving efficiency while maintaining reliability through distributed contention management.
Solution Approach 2:
The base station performs preliminary actions by initializing multiple virtual stations with different contention window sizes and backoff counter values before channel access. This preliminary diversification of access parameters enables more stations to succeed in accessing the channel within the same time period, improving overall channel access efficiency.
2Ease of operation
If multiple stations contend for channel access using traditional mechanisms, then fairness is provided through exponential back off, but channel access opportunities are not evenly distributed and collisions increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each virtual station is assigned different local qualities in terms of contention window sizes and backoff counter values. The first virtual station has a first contention window and first backoff counter, while the second virtual station has a second contention window and second backoff counter. This local differentiation ensures that not all stations wait the same amount of time, distributing channel access opportunities more evenly and reducing collisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameters of channel access by introducing multiple contention windows and backoff counter values instead of using a single uniform set of parameters. By varying these parameters across different virtual stations, the system achieves better fairness and reduces the time loss associated with repeated collisions and retransmissions.
3Ease of operation
If traditional channel access mechanisms are used, then simple operation is provided, but interference with other stations cannot be effectively reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The base station segments its channel access function into multiple virtual stations, each independently managing its own backoff process. This segmentation reduces interference with other stations by distributing the access attempts across multiple entities with different timing characteristics, preventing concentrated interference bursts that would occur with a single station using traditional mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments herein disclose a method and a base station for accessing a channel of an unlicensed band in a wireless communication network. The method includes maintaining a plurality of virtual stations by the base station in the wireless communication network based on a value. Further, the method includes contending to access the channel using the plurality of virtual stations. Each virtual station in the plurality of virtual stations includes a contention window and a counter value.