Broadcast Offloading for Mobile Broadband Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile broadband (MBB) networks face capacity limitations due to fixed available spectrum bandwidth and spectral efficiency, leading to decreased service quality as the number of user equipment and services increases.
Innovation Solution
A broadcast service model is integrated with MBB networks to offload information using a portion of the wireless frequency spectrum, increasing network capacity and service quality, while also enabling efficient power usage in user equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If MBB networks utilize fixed available spectrum bandwidth to provide services to multiple user equipment, then service coverage is maintained, but service quality deteriorates due to capacity limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication system into two independent networks: a MBB network for interactive services and a broadcast service network for information delivery. This segmentation allows each network to operate independently without competing for spectrum resources, thereby maintaining service quality in MBB while increasing overall network capacity through broadcast offloading.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension by integrating broadcast service capabilities into the MBB network architecture. This allows information to be delivered through an additional channel (broadcast network) alongside traditional MBB channels, effectively increasing network capacity without degrading existing MBB service quality.
2Quantity of substance
If MBB networks increase the number of user equipment supported, then network coverage expands, but spectral efficiency decreases due to fixed bandwidth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the broadcast information delivery function from the MBB network and assigns it to a dedicated broadcast service network. This extraction removes the burden of delivering identical information to multiple users from the MBB spectrum, thereby improving spectral efficiency while allowing the MBB network to support more user equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The broadcast service network provides universal information delivery to all user equipment within its coverage area simultaneously. This multi-functionality allows the system to serve a large number of users with broadcast services while MBB resources are dedicated to high-quality interactive communications, thereby improving overall spectral efficiency.
3Reliability
If user equipment receives MBB signals, then service quality is maintained, but power consumption increases compared to receiving broadcast signals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces broadcast service signals as an intermediary for delivering information that does not require high-quality interactive communication. Users can receive important information through low-power broadcast receivers, while MBB resources are reserved for services requiring high quality, thereby reducing overall power consumption while maintaining service quality where needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A broadcast service network (separate from a cellular network) includes broadcast service signal (BSS) nodes that broadcast signals to receivers of user equipment (UE). The BSS may provide broadcast service information to user equipment, such as the emergency notifications, even when the user equipment is out of range of the cellular network. Further, the broadcast service signals may provide information that improves the user equipment's search and access time for connecting to the cellular network (e.g., a cellular service station) and/or that assists the user equipment in locating a nearby region of cellular network coverage. In addition, the BSS may be wake-up signals configured to activate the receiver when the receiver is in a sleep or inactive mode. In some embodiments, the BSS may be pointer signals configured to direct the user equipment to a broadcast service channel to receive the broadcast service information.