Concurrent 5G Bandwidth Parts for Latency-Coverage Tradeoffs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing 5G cellular network base stations face challenges in balancing latency and coverage, as well as battery life of user equipment, when using a single bandwidth part for communication.
Innovation Solution
Implementing two non-overlapping bandwidth parts with different subcarrier spacings and bandwidths, where one part with higher subcarrier spacing and wider bandwidth is used for closer user equipment for lower latency and another part with lower subcarrier spacing and narrower bandwidth is used for farther equipment, allowing dynamic bandwidth reallocation based on traffic and signal strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If a higher subcarrier spacing and wider bandwidth are used, then latency is reduced, but coverage area decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the available bandwidth into multiple bandwidth parts (BWPs), each configured with different subcarrier spacings. This allows the system to simultaneously support both high SCS (for low latency) and low SCS (for coverage) configurations within the same cell, resolving the contradiction between latency and coverage area.
Solution Approach 2:
Different bandwidth parts are assigned to different spatial regions or user equipment based on their specific requirements. Users experiencing good signal conditions are assigned to high SCS BWPs for low latency, while users at the cell edge are assigned to low SCS BWPs for extended coverage, optimizing performance locally for each user.
2Productivity
If a wider bandwidth is used for communication, then data rate increases, but battery life of user equipment decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically configures and switches between different bandwidth parts based on user equipment conditions, traffic requirements, and signal quality. This dynamic adaptation allows the network to optimize the trade-off between data rate and energy consumption in real-time, assigning appropriate bandwidth widths to different users and scenarios.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple bandwidth parts with different configurations are implemented concurrently, then system flexibility and optimization improve, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The base station is designed with multi-functional capability to simultaneously manage multiple bandwidth parts with different subcarrier spacings and bandwidth widths. This universal design allows a single base station to serve diverse user requirements without requiring separate infrastructure for different service types.
Data Source
AI summary
Various arrangements for improving cell coverage are presented. A cellular network can define a first bandwidth part and a second bandwidth part to be implemented concurrently by a base station of the cellular network. The first bandwidth part and the second bandwidth part do not overlap and may be separated by a guard band. The first bandwidth part can have a greater bandwidth and greater sub-carrier spacing than the second bandwidth part. The cellular network can determine a first set of user equipment to use the first bandwidth part for communication with the base station and a second set of user equipment to use the second bandwidth part for communication with the base station. Communication with the first set of user equipment using the first bandwidth part and the second set of user equipment using the second bandwidth part may be performed.