Directional Antenna Alignment for Accurate Base Station Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing antenna systems for radio terminal stations are inefficient and costly due to the use of proprietary radio measurements for selecting the best serving radio base station, which fail to account for important performance information and increase complexity and cost, particularly in mobile scenarios like vehicles, impacting mobility performance.
Innovation Solution
A self-organizing directional antenna system that uses an omnidirectional scanning antenna connected to a processor to identify all available radio base stations, applies standardized cell search and selection procedures, and controls directional antennas to align towards the best serving base station using location data from a database, ensuring accurate and efficient connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If proprietary radio measurements are used to select the best serving radio base station, then the system can identify a base station, but the complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of base station selection from complex proprietary measurement systems and implements it using standardized cell search and selection procedures defined by 3GPP. This removes the unnecessary complexity while retaining the core functionality of identifying the best serving base station through standardized measurement methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna system performs self-configuration and self-organization by automatically selecting the best serving base station using standardized procedures without requiring complex external control systems. The system autonomously determines the optimal base station connection and configures directional antennas accordingly, eliminating the need for proprietary measurement infrastructure.
2Measurement precision
If proprietary radio measurements are used to select the best serving radio base station, then the system can identify a base station, but the implementation cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs standardized 3GPP cell search and selection procedures that are universally applicable across different networks and implementations. This universal approach eliminates the need for proprietary measurement systems, reducing implementation costs while maintaining base station selection accuracy through widely-supported standardized methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces expensive proprietary measurement infrastructure with cost-effective standardized procedures that can be implemented using existing cellular modem capabilities. The solution uses readily available standardized protocols rather than requiring specialized expensive measurement equipment.
3Reliability
If directional antennas are used to target specific base stations, then signal strength improves, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary base station selection using standardized cell search procedures before configuring directional antennas. This preliminary identification of the target base station using simple standardized methods enables subsequent directional antenna alignment to achieve high signal strength without requiring complex real-time measurement and control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses standardized cell search and selection procedures as an intermediary step between the antenna system and the base station. This intermediary mechanism simplifies the overall system by providing a standardized interface for base station identification, which then guides the directional antenna alignment process without requiring complex direct measurement and control infrastructure.
4Ease of manufacture
If standardized cell search procedures are used, then implementation cost reduces, but the ability to account for important performance information decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the results of standardized cell search and selection procedures are used to guide directional antenna configuration. The feedback loop ensures that standardized procedures capture sufficient performance information (such as base station identity and signal characteristics) to enable optimal antenna alignment while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
A self-organizing directional antenna system (100, 300, 500, 600) has an omnidirectional scanning antenna (102, 302, 502, 602) connected to a processor configured to establish communication with a wireless network having a plurality of radio base stations (RBSs), and to scan and select from the plurality of RBSs. A radio terminal station (RTS) directional antenna (114, 314a-c; 514a-c; 614a-c) is provided. A controller is configured to receive data identifying the selected RBS (96), determine the location of the selected RBS, use the location of the RTS antenna, and the position of the selected RBS, to control the RTS antenna system to connect the RTS antenna to the selected RBS.