Femtocell Base Station Interference Coordination via Control Channel

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Solution Overview

Problem

Femtocell base stations operating independently often fail to manage radio resources effectively, leading to interference issues, especially in dense deployment scenarios or high traffic conditions, as they lack coordinated interference management.

Innovation Solution

Establishing a control channel for Femtocell base stations to exchange control information, allowing them to coordinate resource block allocation and transmit power adjustments, with a local resource manager overseeing resource allocation and interference mitigation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If Femtocell base stations operate independently without coordination, then device complexity and ease of deployment are improved, but radio resource management stability and interference control deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of deploymentVSAvoidradio resource management stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a control channel as an intermediary mechanism that enables coordinated communication between independently deployed Femtocell base stations. This control channel allows base stations to exchange control information and coordinate resource block allocation without requiring complex pre-planning or centralized management, thus maintaining ease of deployment while improving radio resource management stability through coordinated interference mitigation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If Femtocell base stations are deployed in dense scenarios, then network capacity is improved, but interference management becomes more difficult without coordination

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork capacityVSAvoidinterference

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where Femtocell base stations monitor and exchange information about resource block usage and interference conditions through the control channel. This feedback enables base stations in dense deployments to detect interference patterns and coordinate their resource allocation decisions, allowing the network to maintain high capacity while dynamically managing interference through iterative coordination.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Adaptability or versatility

If Femtocell base stations autonomously change operating frequency, then adaptability is improved, but coordination with other base stations is lost leading to compounded interference

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefrequency adaptationVSAvoidinterference

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the frequency adaptation capability of individual base stations with centralized coordination through the control channel. Base stations maintain their ability to adapt to local conditions but combine this with shared knowledge of other base station activities, allowing them to coordinate frequency changes and resource block allocations to avoid interference while preserving adaptability to changing network conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS8958806B2Radio resource management in femtocells

Publication Date: 2015.02.17 KK TOSHIBA

AI summary

Certain embodiments provide a Femtocell base station arranged to receive interference notifications from another Femtocell base station and to send an interference remedial command to the other Femtocell base station and/or to one or more further Femtocell base stations.