Drone Flight Path Handover Planning for Stable Wireless Links

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Solution Overview

Problem

The challenge of maintaining effective communication performance between drones and network devices, such as base stations, is exacerbated by drones flying at heights that allow them to receive signals from multiple base stations, leading to deteriorated signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratios and hindered high-speed data transmission.

Innovation Solution

Drones report flight path information to network devices, which enables the network to determine optimal handover points, thereby improving the success rate of handovers and maintaining communication quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If drones fly at heights to expand coverage area, then the coverage area increases, but the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoverage areaVSAvoidsignal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The network device obtains flight path information of the drone in advance and performs preliminary determination of handover target network devices before the drone actually needs handover. This allows the system to prepare optimal handover targets proactively, reducing interference issues during actual handover execution while maintaining high-altitude coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically determines handover target network devices based on the drone's real-time flight path information rather than using static handover criteria. The handover target selection adapts continuously as the drone moves along its flight path, optimizing signal quality and minimizing interference at different locations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Area of stationary object

If drones fly at heights to expand coverage area, then the coverage area increases, but high-speed data transmission is hindered

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoverage areaVSAvoiddata transmission speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The network device proactively determines handover target network devices based on anticipated flight path information before data transmission degradation occurs. This preliminary handover preparation ensures that the drone transitions to optimal network devices in advance, maintaining high-speed data transmission capability throughout the flight coverage area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses dynamic handover target determination based on real-time flight path information to continuously optimize data transmission quality. As the drone moves through different geographic areas, the system dynamically selects the most suitable network devices for handover, ensuring sustained high-speed transmission across the expanded coverage area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Device complexity

If conventional handover mechanisms are used without flight path information, then the system complexity remains low, but the success rate of handover command reception decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem complexityVSAvoidhandover command reception success rate
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The network device obtains and processes flight path information in advance to proactively determine optimal handover target network devices. This preliminary preparation of handover targets based on anticipated drone location significantly improves the success rate of handover command reception, as the target devices are pre-selected to be in optimal positions to receive and execute handover commands.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3764685B1Methods and apparatus for wireless communication
Publication Date: 2025.11.12 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3764685B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3764685B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5
  • EP3764685B1 patent drawingFigure 6~8

AI summary

This application provides a wireless communications method and apparatus, to implement good performance of communication between a terminal device and a network device. The wireless communication method includes: generating flight path information, where the flight path information includes location information of at least one target node on a flight path; and sending the flight path information. Therefore, a target network device can determine, based on flight path information reported by the terminal device, a flight path along which the terminal device is to fly, and the target network device may determine, based on the future flight path, at least one network device serving the terminal device. Based on this, a success rate of handover of the terminal device in a network is improved; in this way, good performance of communication between the terminal device and the network device is implemented.