CIoT Frequency Tone Allocation for Interference Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Cellular Internet of Things (CIoT) systems face interference issues due to overlapping frequency bands with adjacent wireless communication systems, affecting transmission power and efficiency, especially for devices with poor channel conditions.

Innovation Solution

Identifying a group of tones with reduced interference for CIoT systems to support higher power transmissions and employing frequency diversity techniques like frequency hopping and fractional frequency reuse to mitigate interference, allowing for optimized resource allocation based on channel conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If CIoT systems use overlapping frequency bands with adjacent wireless communication systems, then spectrum utilization is improved, but interference between systems increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespectrum utilizationVSAvoidinterference
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the frequency spectrum into multiple tone groups (first tone group, second tone group, third tone group) with different transmission power levels. This segmentation allows the system to utilize the entire frequency band while controlling interference by transmitting at reduced power on tones that overlap with adjacent systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different portions of the frequency spectrum are assigned different transmission power characteristics. The first tone group uses reduced power to minimize interference with adjacent systems, while the second and third tone groups can use higher power where interference is less critical, optimizing both spectrum utilization and interference control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If transmission power is increased to improve communication reliability for devices with poor channel conditions, then link reliability is improved, but interference with adjacent systems increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelink reliabilityVSAvoidinterference
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments tones into different power groups, allowing devices with poor channel conditions to use higher power on the second and third tone groups while the first tone group maintains reduced power to protect adjacent systems from interference.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Transmission power is optimized locally for each tone group based on channel conditions and interference considerations, enabling reliable communication for cell-edge devices while maintaining interference control through the reduced-power first tone group.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Device complexity

If frequency resources are allocated uniformly to all UEs, then system simplicity is maintained, but efficiency for devices with different channel conditions deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource allocation complexityVSAvoidsystem efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements differentiated resource allocation where UEs are assigned to different tone groups based on their channel conditions. This allows simple, rule-based allocation that adapts to local conditions - devices with poor channel conditions receive resources in higher-power tone groups, while devices with good conditions use the first tone group.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the transmission power parameter for different tone groups based on UE channel conditions. This enables efficient resource allocation without complex scheduling, as the power parameter automatically adapts to device requirements through the predefined tone group structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3262779B1Frequency resource allocation for a narrow-band cellular internet of things system
Publication Date: 2019.02.27 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP3262779B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3262779B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3262779B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

Improved systems, methods, and apparatuses for allocation of frequency resources, or tones, for a Cellular Internet of Things (CIoT) system are described. In various aspects, interference may be reduced for a CIoT system and an adjacent wireless communications system through identifying a first group of narrowband tones for the CIoT system that will have reduced interference with wideband tone transmissions of the adjacent wireless communications system and may thus support higher power transmissions.