Carrier Aggregation Management by PLMN Subscription
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless communication systems face challenges in managing radio frequency spectrum usage due to the need for concurrent carrier aggregation, which consumes more spectrum and leaves less available for other users, particularly when serving UEs subscribed to different PLMNs.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that determine the PLMN subscription of a UE and adjust the number of carriers used for service, configuring the air interface to serve UEs subscribed to one PLMN with more carriers than those subscribed to another, by distinguishing between home and roaming UEs based on PLMN IDs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If carrier aggregation is used to serve more UEs concurrently, then service capacity and throughput are improved, but radio frequency spectrum availability for other users is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the number of carriers allocated to each UE based on real-time conditions including PLMN subscription status, channel quality indicators (CQI), and network load. Home UEs may receive more carriers when network conditions are favorable, while roaming UEs or UEs in poor channel conditions receive fewer carriers, allowing the spectrum resources to be flexibly reallocated to maximize overall service capacity while maintaining fairness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different carrier allocation strategies to different UE categories based on their PLMN subscription status. Home UEs (subscribed to the serving PLMN) are eligible for more aggressive carrier aggregation with higher priority, while roaming UEs (subscribed to other PLMNs) receive differentiated treatment with potentially fewer carriers or lower priority allocation. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction by optimizing spectrum usage for each UE type according to their specific needs and contractual relationships.
2Reliability
If more carriers are allocated to home UEs, then service quality for home UEs is improved, but spectrum availability for roaming UEs is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameter of carrier quantity allocation based on the UE's PLMN subscription status. Home UEs are assigned a higher target number of carriers (e.g., 3-5 carriers) while roaming UEs are assigned a lower target number (e.g., 1-2 carriers). The base station monitors channel quality indicators and adjusts the actual carrier allocation within these target ranges, allowing service quality for home UEs to be improved while ensuring roaming UEs still receive adequate spectrum resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial carrier aggregation for roaming UEs rather than full carrier aggregation. While home UEs may receive the full benefit of carrier aggregation with all available carriers allocated to them, roaming UEs receive a partial allocation that is sufficient for basic service quality but does not exhaust the available spectrum resources. This partial action ensures that roaming UEs maintain acceptable service quality while leaving spectrum available for other users including additional home UEs.
3Device complexity
If carrier aggregation is implemented without PLMN-based differentiation, then system complexity is reduced, but spectrum utilization efficiency is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the UE population into different categories based on PLMN subscription status (home UEs vs. roaming UEs). This segmentation allows the base station to apply different carrier aggregation strategies, priority levels, and allocation algorithms to each segment. The segmentation is implemented through existing PLMN identification mechanisms already present in the cellular protocol stack, so the additional complexity is minimal while the spectrum utilization efficiency improves significantly through targeted resource allocation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where UEs report channel quality indicators (CQI) and the base station monitors network load conditions. Based on this feedback, the base station dynamically adjusts the number of carriers allocated to each UE within the PLMN-based allocation framework. This feedback-driven adjustment allows the system to maintain relatively simple PLMN-based segmentation while achieving high spectrum utilization efficiency by adapting carrier allocation to real-time conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a method and a corresponding system for managing quantity of carriers, based at least in part on consideration of a public land mobile network (PLMN) to which the user equipment device (UE) at issue subscribes. A base station serving the UE may determine the PLMN to which the UE subscribes and, based at least on the UE's PLMN, may determine a quantity of carriers on which to serve the UE, the determined quantity of carriers being at least one carrier. The base station may then configure an air interface between the base station and the UE to encompass the determined quantity of carriers, so that the base station is then set to serve the UE on the determined quantity of carriers.