IAB Node Time Offset for Half-Duplex Interference
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Solution Overview
Problem
In 5G cellular networks, the use of high-frequency bands reduces radio transmission range, leading to a densified distribution of base stations, and existing IAB architectures face interference due to lack of synchronization between 'mobile terminal' and 'base station' functions, requiring additional processing units and modules.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a time offset during data processing to synchronize communication between parent and child nodes in half-duplex mode, allowing simultaneous data communication without the need for additional interference processing modules or baseband processing units, thus reducing data processing time and complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If IAB nodes communicate in half-duplex mode with simultaneous execution of mobile terminal and base station functions, then communication multiplexing is enabled, but temporal misalignment between data communications causes interference and degrades communication quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by calculating and applying a time offset value before data transmission occurs. The current node determines the time offset between its mobile terminal function and base station function in advance, then uses this offset to adjust the timing of data transmission to the child node. This pre-synchronization prevents temporal misalignment and interference during actual communication, allowing simultaneous execution of both functions without degrading communication quality.
2Reliability
If two baseband processing units and an interference processing module are added to synchronize functions, then temporal alignment between communications is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by having the current node independently determine and apply its own time offset value without requiring complex external synchronization hardware. Each node calculates the time offset based on its own transmission timing characteristics and uses this offset to self-synchronize its communications. This eliminates the need for additional baseband processing units or interference processing modules, maintaining simple device architecture while achieving reliable temporal alignment.
3Reliability
If additional interference processing modules are implemented to handle temporal misalignment, then communication interference is reduced, but data processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the need for post-processing interference mitigation by applying preliminary time offset adjustment before transmission. By pre-synchronizing the timing of data transmissions using the calculated time offset, the system prevents interference from occurring in the first place, rather than requiring complex real-time or post-processing interference cancellation. This maintains fast data processing while ensuring communication reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) nodes communicate with one another in half-duplex mode. Such a multiplexing of the communications of the IAB node requires simultaneous execution of a “mobile terminal” function and of a “base station” function by the IAB node. However, these two functions are not synchronised with one another, resulting in a lack of temporal alignment between the data communicated with the parent node and the data communicated with the child node, which causes interference that negatively impacts the quality of the communications between the different IAB nodes involved. Existing solutions suffer from long data processing times and are expensive. Accordingly, a time offset is introduced during the processing of the data by the child node, in order to take into account the lack of synchronisation between the “mobile terminal” function and the “base station” function of the current node.