Dynamic RAN Reconfiguration for Incident Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
In emergency incident scenarios, public safety radio access networks (RANs) often face resource constraints, leading to inadequate communication coverage and prioritization issues, where higher-priority groups like direct first responders may experience reduced services due to lower-priority groups securing RF resources, resulting in communication breakdowns among incident response groups.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that allows an incident commander computing device to dynamically reconfigure subscriber unit usage by identifying available RANs with sufficient coverage and prioritizing higher-priority groups on preferred networks, while assigning lower-priority groups to less preferred networks, based on incident type, group priorities, and available RF resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If lower-priority groups secure RF resources on preferred RANs, then resource utilization increases, but higher-priority groups experience reduced service quality and communication reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes the priority parameter of incident response groups based on incident type and severity. The incident commander computing device assigns priority levels (e.g., Priority 1, Priority 2, Priority 3) to different groups, and the RAN controller reallocates RF resources according to these dynamic priority assignments, ensuring higher-priority groups receive adequate resources while maintaining overall resource utilization
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic priority assignment where the incident commander can adjust group priorities in real-time based on changing incident conditions. The system transitions from static group assignments to dynamic resource allocation, allowing the RAN controller to continuously adapt RF resource distribution as priorities change during the incident response
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple groups respond to the same incident, then incident response coverage improves, but RF resource contention increases leading to communication breakdowns
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the incident response groups into different priority levels (Priority 1, Priority 2, Priority 3) based on their criticality to the incident response. This segmentation allows the RAN controller to manage multiple groups simultaneously by allocating RF resources in hierarchical order, ensuring that critical groups maintain reliable communication while supporting groups receive adequate resources without causing communication breakdowns
3Reliability
If higher-priority groups are assigned to preferred RANs, then service quality for critical groups improves, but overall network resource utilization decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by providing differentiated service quality to different groups based on their priority levels. Higher-priority groups receive guaranteed RF resources and preferential treatment on preferred RANs, while lower-priority groups utilize available resources on less preferred RANs or accept reduced service quality, thereby maintaining high service quality for critical groups while maximizing overall resource utilization across the network
Data Source
AI summary
An incident commander computing device dynamically reconfigures subscriber unit usage of radio access networks by first identifying, based at least on a type of incident occurring within a particular geographic area, a first incident response group having a first higher priority for responding to the incident and a second incident response group having a second lower priority for responding to the incident, then identifying a first higher priority radio access network having a sufficient coverage level across the particular geographic area and a second lower priority radio access network having a sufficient coverage level across the particular geographic area, and finally assigning the first incident response group to the first higher priority radio access network and assigning the second incident response group to the second lower priority radio access network.