Cloud Cell Base Station Cooperation for Seamless Wireless Handovers

Solution Overview

Problem

In wireless communication systems with small cells, the increased frequency of handovers due to higher cell border density leads to a decrease in data yield and an increase in data transmission errors, causing system overhead.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a cloud cell concept, where a user-centric or MS-centric virtual cell is formed by a plurality of cooperative base stations, allowing seamless signal transmission and reception without handovers, with dynamic reconfiguration based on user movement and environmental changes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If small base stations are deployed to increase wireless resource capacity per area, then the capacity of wireless resources provided per area is increased, but the density of cell borders increases leading to more frequent handovers

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewireless resource capacity per areaVSAvoiddata transmission stability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple small base stations are merged into a cooperative cluster where they work together as a unified system. The base stations share backhaul connections and coordinate their operations, effectively combining their resources to serve mobile stations without requiring handovers between individual cells, thus maintaining high capacity while improving transmission stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically assigns mobile stations to specific base stations within the cooperative cluster based on real-time conditions such as signal quality, load balancing, and user mobility patterns. This dynamic assignment allows the system to adapt to changing conditions and optimize performance, reducing the impact of cell border effects while maintaining high resource utilization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If small base stations are deployed to increase wireless resource capacity per area, then the capacity of wireless resources provided per area is increased, but the frequency of handovers increases leading to higher system overhead

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewireless resource capacity per areaVSAvoidhandover processing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple small base stations are merged into a cooperative cluster where they work together as a unified system. The base stations share backhaul connections and coordinate their operations, effectively combining their resources to serve mobile stations without requiring handovers between individual cells, thus maintaining high capacity while improving transmission stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system pre-configures cooperative clusters and establishes shared backhaul connections before mobile stations need to move between coverage areas. By having the infrastructure prepared in advance, the system eliminates the need for time-consuming handover procedures when users move between base stations within the cluster.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If traditional handover procedures are used in small cell networks, then mobile stations can move between cells, but data yield decreases at cell borders and transmission errors increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemobile station mobilityVSAvoiddata yield

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple small base stations are merged into a cooperative cluster where they work together as a unified system. The base stations share backhaul connections and coordinate their operations, effectively combining their resources to serve mobile stations without requiring handovers between individual cells, thus maintaining high capacity while improving transmission stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

A centralized controller or coordination mechanism acts as an intermediary between mobile stations and multiple base stations within the cooperative cluster. This intermediary manages resource allocation, coordinate transmission, and seamless handovers, ensuring that mobile stations can move freely while maintaining high data yield and minimizing transmission errors.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3836697B1Apparatus and method of cooperating between multiple base stations in wireless communication system

Publication Date: 2022.03.09 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

Figure 1a~2a
Figure 2b
Figure 3~4

AI summary

A method and an apparatus of cooperating with a plurality of base stations in a wireless communication system. A cloud cell is configured with a plurality of base stations that cooperate with each other for a mobile station and synchronizes user contexts for serving the mobile station among the plurality of base stations included in the cloud cell, and the plurality of base stations cooperate with each other to provide a communication service to the mobile station. The present disclosure reduces generation of a handover when the mobile station moves between base stations, and increases the data yield of the mobile station by transmitting and receiving data in cooperation with base stations in a cloud cell at a shaded area or a cell border.