Base Station Cell Deactivation Through Coordinated Traffic Offloading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication networks face challenges in optimizing energy consumption, particularly in coordinating the activation and deactivation of base stations to minimize overall energy usage while maintaining effective coverage and service quality.
Innovation Solution
Base stations communicate with each other to offload wireless devices to neighboring cells, sharing energy consumption and coverage information to determine optimal deactivation and offloading strategies, thereby reducing overall energy expenditure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a base station deactivates its cell to save energy, then energy consumption is reduced, but coverage area is lost and service continuity is affected
Solution Approach 1:
The base station performs preliminary actions by exchanging information with neighboring base stations before deactivation, including coverage area configuration, required coverage increase for neighboring cells, and time schedule of deactivation. This allows the network to prepare for the deactivation by coordinating with neighboring cells to ensure seamless service continuity while achieving energy savings.
2Use of energy by moving object
If a base station offloads wireless devices to neighboring cells, then energy consumption is reduced, but network complexity increases due to coordination requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The offloading process is segmented into distinct information exchange components: coverage area configuration, required coverage increase, time schedule of deactivation, number of wireless devices, amount of traffic, and amount of load. This segmentation allows for systematic coordination between base stations, making the complex offloading process more manageable and implementable through structured information exchange.
3Use of energy by moving object
If a base station provides detailed information to neighboring base stations for offloading determination, then energy optimization is improved, but information exchange overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The base station autonomously determines the necessary information to exchange with neighboring base stations for offloading decisions. It self-generates and provides relevant information such as coverage area configuration, required coverage increase, deactivation time schedule, and load characteristics without requiring external requests or complex negotiation protocols, thereby reducing information exchange overhead while achieving energy optimization.
Data Source
AI summary
Base station cell activation/deactivation may be based on energy cost. A base station may communicate with at least one other base station to coordinate deactivation of a cell and/or offloading one or more wireless devices in the cell to at least one other cell. Determination of additional energy cost and/or capability for serving the offloaded wireless device(s) may be made to calculate overall energy saving and/or to ensure uninterrupted connectivity in view of the deactivation. Base station communication may improve energy efficiency by performing deactivation/activation of one or more cells based on energy usage.