Beamforming-Based Base Station Selection for Mobile Load Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile networks struggle with inefficient load balancing and handover management due to varying beam configurations and mobility types of user end devices, leading to suboptimal throughput and increased network overhead.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for selecting a receiving base station based on measurement reports, beam density, mobility type, and throughput requirements, using a server to manage handovers and adjust neighbor lists to optimize communication device connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a base station uses a greater number of beams, then each beam is narrower and user end devices are more likely to be located in the center of the beam, but the beamwidth becomes narrower which may limit coverage area
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts beamwidth and number of beams based on user device mobility type. For high-mobility devices, the base station configures a greater number of narrower beams to increase the probability of the device being in the center of a beam, thereby improving throughput. For low-mobility devices, fewer wider beams are used to maintain broader coverage. This dynamic configuration resolves the contradiction between narrow beamwidth (for higher throughput) and broad coverage area.
2Power
If the current base station selection method is used, then user end devices connect to base stations providing the most energy, but load balancing becomes inefficient due to varying beam configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the selection parameters from solely signal energy to a composite metric that includes signal energy, beamwidth, and number of beams. The server calculates a selection metric that accounts for these varying parameters, allowing base stations with different beam configurations to be fairly evaluated. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining signal energy as a primary factor while incorporating beam configuration parameters to improve load balancing efficiency.
3Ease of operation
If handover decisions are made without considering beam configurations, then handover management is simplified, but unnecessary handovers increase network overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The server performs preliminary calculations of the handover selection metric before actual handover decisions are made. By pre-calculating the metric that incorporates beamwidth, number of beams, and signal energy, the system prepares optimal handover targets in advance. This preliminary action reduces the complexity of real-time handover management while minimizing unnecessary handovers, thereby reducing network overhead.
4Ease of operation
If base stations with different beam configurations are treated equally, then the system is simpler to operate, but throughput optimization is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different evaluation criteria to different base stations based on their local characteristics (beamwidth and number of beams). Instead of treating all base stations equally, the server calculates a customized selection metric for each base station that accounts for its specific beam configuration. This local quality approach optimizes throughput by matching user devices to base stations with configurations best suited to their mobility types and channel conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, receiving, over a communication network, a measurement report from each of group of communication devices associated with a mobile network resulting in a group of measurement reports, and determining a first communication device of the group of communication devices requests a handover from a serving base station to another base station. Further embodiments can include selecting a receiving base station from a group of base stations based on the group of measurement reports, and providing instructions to the serving base station to handover the first communication device to the receiving base station. Other embodiments are disclosed.