Dynamic Coverage Area Control for Server Load Balancing

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Solution Overview

Problem

In systems where data from multiple devices is processed by geographically dispersed servers, the processing load can become unbalanced when devices move, leading to potential data processing losses due to overload on some servers.

Innovation Solution

A coverage area control apparatus that dynamically calculates and adjusts the coverage areas of servers based on device locations and server capabilities, using clustering algorithms to optimize the assignment of base stations and ensure stable data processing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If coverage areas are fixedly assigned to servers based on geography or device count, then system complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but server processing load becomes unbalanced when devices move, causing data processing loss

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata processing stabilityVSAvoidcoverage area control complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic coverage area adjustment by continuously monitoring device locations and recalculating coverage boundaries based on current device distribution. The server coverage areas are no longer fixed but adapt in real-time to device movements, ensuring balanced load distribution while maintaining system reliability for data processing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system establishes a feedback mechanism where device location information is continuously collected and fed back to the coverage area calculation unit. This feedback loop enables the system to detect imbalances in server processing loads and automatically adjust coverage areas to restore equilibrium, preventing data processing loss

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If servers process data from all devices in their geographic area, then communication efficiency is improved by reducing network traffic, but servers may become overloaded when too many devices concentrate in one area, causing processing failure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata processing capacityVSAvoidserver processing reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent dynamically adjusts server coverage areas based on real-time device distribution. When devices concentrate in a specific geographic area, the system automatically expands the coverage area of nearby servers to distribute the processing load, preventing any single server from becoming overloaded and maintaining processing reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the coverage area parameters of servers dynamically based on device density and distribution. By adjusting the spatial boundaries of server responsibility areas, the system optimizes the balance between maintaining comprehensive data processing capacity and preventing server overload conditions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3876576B1Communication range control device, method, and program
Publication Date: 2023.11.22 NIPPON TELEGRAPH & TELEPHONE CORP
  • EP3876576B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3876576B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3876576B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

When data transmitted from devices is processed by servers in a shared manner, the data is processed in a constantly stable manner when the devices move. Based on information indicating installation positions and processing capabilities of the servers SV1 and SV2, information on installation positions of base stations BS1 to BS5, and acquired location information of the devices, the coverage area control apparatus CS performs, at a certain time interval, a clustering calculation for obtaining an optimum coverage area for the servers SV1 and SV2 that satisfies the requirements that the communication distances between the servers SV1 and SV2 and the respective devices be minimized and the servers SV1 and SV2 not be overloaded. Based on the information indicating the optimum coverage area obtained by the clustering calculation, assignments of the base stations BS1 to BS5 to the servers SV1 and SV2 are updated.