Carrier Aggregation Selection by Group Delay Variation
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Solution Overview
Problem
LTE networks face challenges in selecting optimal component carriers for carrier aggregation due to variations in signal quality and reliability, primarily caused by group delay and insertion loss introduced by RF filters and amplifiers, which affect the overall performance of control signaling and data transmission.
Innovation Solution
A base station determines the requirement for carrier aggregation and selects primary and secondary component carriers based on metrics such as group delay, group delay variation, insertion loss, receive power, transmit power, and frequency to ensure high-quality and reliable carrier aggregation, allocating these carriers for improved signal quality and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If carrier aggregation is implemented to increase bandwidth, then transmission capacity is improved, but signal quality and reliability deteriorate due to group delay and insertion loss variations across multiple carriers
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the selection parameters for component carriers by introducing group delay variation and insertion loss as key metrics. The base station measures and compares these parameters across multiple carriers, selecting the primary component carrier based on optimal parameter values (lowest group delay variation and insertion loss), thereby maintaining signal quality while enabling carrier aggregation for increased capacity.
2Productivity
If multiple component carriers are aggregated to provide larger bandwidth, then data transmission performance is improved, but control signaling reliability deteriorates due to varying signal qualities across carriers
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by designating a specific component carrier with superior signal quality characteristics (lowest group delay variation and insertion loss) as the primary component carrier. This primary carrier is specifically used for control signaling, while other carriers with potentially lower quality can be used for data transmission, thereby ensuring control signaling reliability is maintained on the highest quality carrier.
3Area of stationary object
If component carriers with different signal qualities are used for carrier aggregation, then bandwidth is increased, but overall system performance deteriorates due to inconsistency in carrier attributes
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the approach to carrier selection by establishing specific parameter thresholds and comparison criteria. The base station measures group delay variation and insertion loss for each available carrier, then systematically selects carriers based on these parameters, ensuring that even when aggregating carriers with different attributes, the selected primary carrier meets minimum quality thresholds, thereby maintaining system performance consistency.
Data Source
AI summary
In a wireless network comprising a plurality of carriers available for carrier aggregation transmissions between a base station and UE, the base station: (i) determines whether a requirement exists to transmit data between the UE and the base station via a carrier aggregation transmission; (ii) in response to determining that the carrier aggregation transmission requirement exists, selects a primary component carrier and one or more secondary component carriers from the plurality of carriers for the carrier aggregation transmission based on one or more of each carrier's group delay, group delay variation, or insertion loss; (iii) allocates the selected primary and secondary component carriers to the carrier aggregation transmission; (iv) informs the UE of the allocation; and (v) executes the carrier aggregation transmission according to the allocation.