Communication Device Predicting Quality via Environmental Sensors

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Solution Overview

Problem

Wireless communication systems in vehicles, drones, and construction machinery face significant challenges in maintaining communication quality due to environmental changes and blocking effects, which affect throughput, delay, continuity, and stability.

Innovation Solution

A communication system that predicts future communication quality using environmental information from cameras and sensors, and adjusts settings such as modulation schemes, coding rates, and frequencies to maintain or improve communication quality through machine learning and reinforcement learning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If wireless communication uses high frequencies (millimeter band) to increase data rate, then productivity is improved, but blocking due to shielding objects causes communication quality degradation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata rateVSAvoidcommunication quality

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by predicting future communication quality using machine learning models that analyze surrounding environment information before actual communication degradation occurs. This allows the communication device to proactively adjust settings to prevent quality deterioration rather than reacting after blocking occurs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The communication device dynamically adjusts communication settings (modulation schemes, coding rates, frequencies) based on predicted communication quality. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize between high data rates and reliable communication depending on real-time environmental conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If communication settings are adjusted to maintain quality in changing environments, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple sensors and prediction systems

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication qualityVSAvoidsystem structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The communication device integrates multiple functions into a unified system: environment sensing (cameras, sensors), position information acquisition, machine learning-based prediction, and communication control all work together as a multi-functional platform. This universal approach manages complexity by coordinating diverse components toward a common goal of maintaining communication quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-service through automated machine learning predictions and autonomous communication setting adjustments. The device independently analyzes environment information, predicts communication quality, and modifies its own communication parameters without external intervention, reducing the need for complex manual control systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If the system collects and processes surrounding environment information to predict communication quality, then communication quality is maintained, but loss of time occurs due to data collection and processing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication qualityVSAvoidprediction processing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The machine learning model performs preliminary processing of environment information to predict future communication quality before actual communication occurs. By anticipating quality issues in advance, the system minimizes reactive processing time and can prepare appropriate communication settings proactively.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces traditional mechanical or rule-based communication adjustment mechanisms with machine learning-based prediction. This substitution enables more efficient processing of environment information by leveraging learned patterns from historical data, reducing the computational time required to analyze current conditions and determine optimal settings.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS12133114B2Communication device and communication system

Publication Date: 2024.10.29 NIPPON TELEGRAPH & TELEPHONE CORP

AI summary

An event regarding control of a terminal that significantly affects communication quality with which communication between the terminal and an external communication device is performed is predicted by acquiring surrounding information of the terminal using a surrounding environment information collection unit, and a packet loss caused in communication, communication disconnection, and communication quality that does not meet required performance are prevented using communication control to change setting related to communication, such as selection/addition/deletion of a communication counterpart, selection/change of a communication scheme, a change in modulation scheme, coding rate, and number of spatial multiplexings of communication, and a change in setting of an automatic gain controller of a receiver for communication.