Cell Clustering for Wireless Network Energy Optimization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current wireless telecommunication networks face inefficiencies in energy management and resource allocation due to the need to constantly monitor and switch cells between active and sleep modes, leading to unnecessary energy consumption and resource wastage, especially when paging mobile devices across a network.

Innovation Solution

A method of grouping cells into clusters, where cells are monitored for sleep or switched-off states and only activated when a central network entity indicates a mobile device's presence within the cluster, allowing for targeted wake-up and operation mode activation, along with assigning a tracking area number to the cluster to optimize paging and reduce unnecessary cell activation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If cells are constantly monitored and switched between active and sleep modes, then energy consumption is reduced, but unnecessary cell activations occur leading to energy wastage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidenergy wastage
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the network into cell clusters, where a subset of cells is grouped together and assigned a common tracking area number. This segmentation allows the network to treat the cluster as a single unit for paging purposes, activating only the necessary cells within the cluster rather than scanning all cells individually, thereby reducing unnecessary activations and energy wastage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple cells are merged into a single cell cluster with a common tracking area number. This merging allows the network to page mobile devices across multiple cells simultaneously by activating the entire cluster, reducing the overhead of individual cell activation and minimizing energy consumption during paging operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If all cells are activated to ensure mobile device paging, then paging reliability is improved, but resource allocation efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepaging reliabilityVSAvoidresource allocation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by assigning tracking area numbers at the cell cluster level rather than at the individual cell level. This allows different clusters to be managed with different activation strategies based on local traffic patterns and mobile device distribution, improving resource allocation efficiency while maintaining paging reliability through targeted activation of relevant clusters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The network dynamically manages cell cluster activation based on real-time conditions. The network entity can activate or deactivate specific cell clusters depending on current traffic patterns, mobile device locations, and paging requirements, optimizing resource allocation efficiency while ensuring reliable paging when needed through adaptive, condition-based activation strategies.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP2424290B1Grouping of subset of cells of a wirelless telecommunication network
Publication Date: 2015.02.25 ALCATEL LUCENT SA
  • EP2424290B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2424290B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2424290B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a method of grouping a sub-set of cells of a wireless telecommunication network (300), each cell being served by a corresponding base station (BS#1-7), wherein the method comprises: - monitoring (S1) the cells for identification of the sub-set of the cells being switched off and/or in a sleep mode; - grouping (S2) the sub-set of the cells to a cell cluster; and switching (S3) on and/or waking up each base station of the cells of the cell cluster, when a central network entity (302) indicates paging of a mobile device being located in a cell of the cell cluster.