Cell Site Content Caching via DTV Ancillary Channels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communications systems face limitations in bandwidth and latency due to backhaul constraints, particularly in high-speed 3G networks, which can be addressed by employing ancillary channels for content caching at cell sites to improve performance characteristics such as bandwidth, throughput, and latency without increasing operating costs.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a content caching system at cell sites using ancillary channels, such as digital television (DTV) ancillary channels, to store and deliver popular content directly to mobile devices, reducing the reliance on primary backhaul channels and enhancing network performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If additional T1 lines or upgraded T3 lines are added to increase bandwidth, then network capacity and throughput are improved, but operating costs and capital expenditure increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by caching popular content objects at cell sites before they are requested by mobile devices. This advance preparation allows the cell site to serve future requests locally without needing additional backhaul bandwidth, thereby improving throughput while avoiding the costs of adding more T1 lines.
Solution Approach 2:
The cell site acts as an intermediary between the backhaul network and mobile devices by maintaining a local cache of content objects. This intermediary function allows the cell site to satisfy requests locally when possible, reducing backhaul traffic and eliminating the need for additional expensive T1 lines while still providing high throughput service.
2Reliability
If content is delivered through backhaul channels, then network coverage is maintained, but latency increases due to backhaul-related delays
Solution Approach 1:
The system delivers content objects to cell site caches in advance through the backhaul channel before mobile devices request them. This preliminary delivery action ensures that when requests occur, the content is already locally available at the cell site, eliminating backhaul-related delays and reducing latency while maintaining network coverage through the established backhaul connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the content delivery process into two phases: (1) preliminary bulk delivery through the backhaul channel to build local caches, and (2) rapid local delivery from cell site caches to mobile devices. This segmentation allows the backhaul to operate at its normal capacity while eliminating latency for actual user requests, as they are served from local cache rather than traversing the backhaul.
3Productivity
If T1 lines are upgraded to T3 lines to increase bandwidth, then network capacity is improved, but capital expenditure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates local copies of popular content objects at cell sites through caching. These copies enable the cell site to serve content without requiring additional backhaul capacity, thereby achieving increased network capacity equivalent to upgrading from T1 to T3 lines without incurring the capital expenditure for such upgrades.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary content delivery through the existing T1 backhaul line to populate local caches before peak demand periods. This advance preparation maximizes the utilization of existing infrastructure capacity, effectively achieving T3-level network capacity during high-demand periods without the capital expenditure required for actual line upgrades.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, apparatus, methods, and manufactures for caching content at a communications services cell site which include caching previously provided content and/or predictively caching content. Content may be transmitted to cell sites for caching via primary or ancillary channels. Ancillary channels may be provided through a broadcast medium such as the ancillary or supplementary services spectrum of the digital television (DTV) spectrum. Content may also be broadcast to multiple cell sites simultaneously.