Dynamic Global Neighbor List Creation via Signal Strength Thresholds
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Solution Overview
Problem
In cellular telecommunication networks, the Global Neighbor List (GNL) is typically manually defined and updated infrequently, leading to unnecessary resource consumption and battery drain in mobile stations as they search for irrelevant or inactive neighbor base stations, due to the inclusion of non-relevant neighbors and the processor-intensive task of measuring signal strength with a large number of neighbors.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus at the serving Base Station that instructs mobile stations to report signal strength with neighbor base stations over predefined time periods, identifies neighbors with signal strength above a threshold, and creates a global neighbor list based on the frequency of reports exceeding a count threshold, thereby filtering out irrelevant neighbors and optimizing the list.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the Global Neighbor List is manually defined and updated infrequently, then the list includes a comprehensive set of neighbor base stations, but this causes unnecessary battery drain and processor intensive operations at mobile stations due to searching for irrelevant or inactive neighbors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static, manually updated Global Neighbor List into a dynamic list that is automatically updated based on real-time signal strength measurements. Mobile stations continuously measure signal strengths and report changes to the serving base station, which then updates the GNL accordingly. This dynamic approach ensures the list remains current without manual intervention, reducing the number of irrelevant neighbors and thereby decreasing battery consumption at mobile stations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where mobile stations measure signal strengths of neighbor base stations and report these measurements to the serving base station. The serving base station uses this feedback information to identify and remove irrelevant or inactive neighbors from the Global Neighbor List. This feedback loop ensures the neighbor list remains accurate and relevant, preventing mobile stations from wasting energy searching for non-existent or irrelevant base stations.
2Reliability
If the Global Neighbor List includes a large number of neighbor base stations, then comprehensive coverage is achieved, but this leads to processor intensive operations and high battery consumption at mobile stations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts irrelevant and inactive neighbor base stations from the Global Neighbor List based on signal strength measurements. Mobile stations measure signal strengths and report them to the serving base station, which then removes neighbors that do not meet the signal strength threshold or are otherwise irrelevant. This extraction process maintains comprehensive coverage of relevant neighbors while eliminating unnecessary entries, thereby reducing processing requirements and battery consumption at mobile stations.
3Ease of operation
If the Global Neighbor List is manually updated on a weekly or monthly basis, then administrative simplicity is maintained, but changes in network topography such as addition or removal of base stations are not immediately reflected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the Global Neighbor List to update itself automatically without manual intervention. Mobile stations perform signal strength measurements and report changes to the serving base station, which then updates the neighbor list accordingly. This self-service mechanism ensures the neighbor list remains accurate and current, automatically adapting to network topography changes such as addition or removal of base stations, while eliminating the need for manual updates.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for creating a global neighbor list is disclosed. The method may be implemented at a serving base station and includes instructing each Mobile Station (MS) served by the serving BS to report a signal strength between the each MS and one or more neighbor BSs for one or more predefined time periods; identifying, using a hardware processor, at least one neighbor BS of the one or more neighbor BSs having a signal strength with respect to one or more MSs greater than a threshold signal strength; determining, using the hardware processor, a number of times the at least one neighbor BS is reported in the one or more predefined time periods; and creating, using the hardware processor, the global neighbor list based on the number of times the at least one neighbor BS is reported exceeding a predefined count threshold.