Gateway Device Scheduling 5G and WLAN Packets
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Solution Overview
Problem
The coexistence of 5G and WLAN networks in industrial environments using unlicensed spectrum leads to interference and communication latency issues, as existing techniques like LBT and LWA are not well-suited for deterministic communication in industrial control systems.
Innovation Solution
A gateway device with multiple network interfaces and a scheduler that coordinates packet transmission between a wireless base station and a wireless access controller, allowing for reduced interference and improved reliability by scheduling packets based on transmission criteria such as priority and redundancy, and enabling communication in native formats to both devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If 5G and WLAN networks share the same unlicensed spectrum in industrial environments, then cost is reduced (no additional license fees), but interference and communication latency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway device as an intermediary between 5G base stations and WLAN access controllers. This gateway coordinates packet transmission schedules between the two networks, acting as a mediator that prevents direct interference while allowing both networks to operate on the same unlicensed spectrum. The gateway receives packets from both networks, schedules their transmission to avoid collisions, and forwards them appropriately, thus reducing interference while maintaining cost benefits of shared spectrum usage.
2Adaptability or versatility
If LBT mechanism is used for fair coexistence between 4G/5G and WLAN in unlicensed spectrum, then fairness is improved, but deterministic communication is not provided
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-scheduling packet transmissions in the gateway device. Before actual transmission occurs, the gateway creates detailed transmission schedules that allocate specific time slots and resources to both 5G and WLAN packets. This preliminary planning ensures deterministic communication by guaranteeing transmission timing and avoiding conflicts, while still providing fair access to both networks through the coordinated scheduling mechanism.
3Adaptability or versatility
If LWA is used for coordination between LTE and WLAN, then integration is improved, but WLAN cannot operate independently and requires LTE base station involvement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the coordination function from the base station by implementing it in a separate gateway device. This segmentation allows WLAN to operate more independently while still achieving integration benefits. The gateway device handles the coordination logic between 5G and WLAN networks separately from the base station, reducing the dependency complexity on the base station while maintaining integrated operation of both networks through the gateway's scheduling capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A gateway device for coordinating between a wireless base station of a first network and a wireless access controller of second network includes a first network interface capable of being connected to the wireless base station and a second network interface capable of being connected to the wireless access controller, where a scheduler is configured to schedule transmission of a plurality of packets based on transmission criterion associated with one or more packets from the plurality of packets.