Broadcast Base Station Blanking for Shared Cellular Spectrum
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Solution Overview
Problem
The proliferation of wireless communications has led to a scarcity of frequency spectrum, with varying utilization of different portions of the spectrum over time, necessitating techniques for dynamic spectrum sharing between cellular and broadcast communications.
Innovation Solution
A broadcast base station is configured to discontinue broadcasting in a particular frequency band during scheduled time intervals to enable cellular base stations to perform bi-directional packet-switched wireless data communications, while mobile devices switch between frequency bands and power down during blanking intervals to facilitate dynamic spectrum sharing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If broadcast base station continuously transmits in a frequency band, then broadcast service reliability is improved, but spectrum utilization efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The broadcast base station transmits broadcast signals during specific time intervals (first time intervals) and remains silent during other intervals (second time intervals), creating a periodic transmission pattern. This allows cellular communications to occur during the silent intervals while maintaining reliable broadcast service during active intervals.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between broadcast transmission mode and cellular transmission mode based on scheduled time intervals. The broadcast base station can adapt its transmission behavior over time, transitioning from continuous transmission to time-division multiplexing with cellular communications.
2Reliability
If mobile device remains continuously powered on, then connectivity reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile device switches between being powered on and powered off in periodic intervals that correspond to the time-division multiplexing schedule. The device is powered on during intervals when its designated frequency band is allocated and powered off during intervals when another radio technology uses the band, reducing energy consumption while maintaining connectivity reliability.
3Reliability
If frequency spectrum is allocated exclusively to one radio technology, then service reliability is improved, but spectrum resource efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The frequency spectrum is segmented into different time intervals, with each interval allocated to a specific radio technology. Broadcast communications use the spectrum during first time intervals while cellular communications use it during second time intervals, allowing both technologies to reliably access the spectrum without mutual interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The same frequency band is made universal by allowing it to serve multiple purposes and multiple radio technologies at different time intervals. The broadcast base station and cellular base stations share the same frequency resources through time-division multiplexing, improving overall spectrum resource efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are disclosed relating to spectrum sharing between different radio access technologies. In some embodiments, a broadcast base station is configured to wirelessly broadcast audio and video data to a plurality of broadcast receiver devices using a particular frequency band. In these embodiments, the broadcast base station is configured to discontinue broadcasting in the particular frequency band during a scheduled time interval, to enable one or more cellular base stations to perform cellular packet-switched wireless data communications using the particular frequency band.