Cable Interference Detection via Signal Quality Spectral Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication networks face challenges in detecting and mitigating interference on cables between network nodes and remote radio heads, which affects communication quality and efficiency, especially in indoor settings where many small cells are used, leading to increased handovers and costs.
Innovation Solution
A method that determines interference by averaging signal quality estimates from associated wireless devices and performing spectral analysis, allowing for the identification of persistent interference and potential frequency adjustments to mitigate its effects, thereby improving communication reliability and reducing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If many small cells are used to provide better capacity and throughput, then capacity and throughput are improved, but handover overhead increases significantly and coverage cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple remote radio heads into a single cell, allowing wireless devices to move between remote radio heads without triggering handovers. This combining approach maintains the capacity benefits of multiple small cells while eliminating the handover overhead that would normally occur in such a configuration.
2Productivity
If many small cells are deployed to improve capacity, then capacity increases, but the cost of deploying radio base stations for each cell increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes a single radio base station serve multiple functions by connecting it to multiple remote radio heads that form part of the same cell. This multi-functional approach allows one base station to provide capacity in multiple locations simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate base stations at each small cell location.
3Area of stationary object
If remote radio heads are used to provide coverage in different parts of a building, then coverage is improved, but interference on the cable between the radio base station and remote radio heads occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces signal quality estimates from wireless devices as an intermediary indicator to detect cable interference. Instead of directly measuring interference on the cable, the system uses the impact of cable interference on wireless device signal quality as a mediator to identify and locate interference problems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct physical measurement of cable interference with a signal processing approach. By analyzing signal quality estimates and performing spectral analysis, the system substitutes direct interference detection with indirect detection through wireless device performance metrics.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2~3A
Figure 3B~4B
AI summary
It is presented a method for evaluating interference affecting a cable between a network node and at least one remote radio head. The method is performed in the network node and comprises the steps of: determining a set of wireless devices to be associated with the cable; obtaining a plurality of signal quality estimates associated with each one of the wireless devices of the set of wireless devices; averaging the signal quality estimates for the set of wireless devices, yielding an average signal quality; and determining interference affecting the cable based on a spectral analysis of the average signal quality. A corresponding, network node, computer program and computer program product are also presented.